Women In The Middle Ages An Encyclopedia

High school students, undergraduates, and scholars are fascinated by the Middle Ages. So too, the experiences of women in the Middle Ages have been receiving increased attention. Women shaped political and domestic life during that era to a degree only now being fully realized, and they created numerous enduring literary works. This encyclopedia chronicles the lives and contributions of women in the medieval world. Included are some 350 alphabetically arranged entries on a wide range of topics. Meticulously researched and clearly written by roughly 130 expert contributors for an audience of general readers and specialists alike, these entries draw on current scholarship. Some of the entries are on political figures including Brunhild, the 6th century Queen of the Franks; Constance of Sicily, the 12th century Holy Roman Empress; Elizabeth de Burgh, the 14th century Queen of Scotland; and Margaret of Brabant, the 14th century Duchess of Burgundy. Others are on religious leaders, including St. Agnes of Assisi, the 13th century Franciscan abess; St. Elizabeth of Schonau, the 12th century mystic; and Theodora Raoulaina, the 13th century Byzantine nun and scholar. Mixed in are entries for numerous writers and for such topics as women artists and patrons, women in canon law, child-rearing in the Middle Ages, women's Chinese poetry, enchantresses, women in Islam, and the cult of the Virgin Mary. The entries list works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes wWilson, Katharina M. is the author of 'Women In The Middle Ages An Encyclopedia', published 2004 under ISBN 9780313330186 and ISBN 0313330182.