Noblewomen, Aristocracy and Power in the Twelfth-Century Anglo-Norman Realm

Download or read book Noblewomen, Aristocracy and Power in the Twelfth-Century Anglo-Norman Realm written by Susan M. Johns and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2003-09-20 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first study of noblewomen in 12th-century England and Normandy, and of the ways in which they exercised power. It draws on a rich mix of evidence to offer an important reconceptualization of women's role in aristocratic society, and in doing so suggests new ways of looking at lordship and the ruling elite in the high middle ages. The book considers a wide range of literary sources such as chronicles, charters, seals and governmental records to draw out a detailed picture of noblewomen in the 12th-century Anglo-Norman realm. It asserts the importance of the lifecycle in determining the power of these aristocratic women, thereby demonstrating that the influence of gender on lordship was profound, complex and varied.