Women in the Days of the Cathedrals [Paperback]

Régine Pernoud (Author), Anne Coté-Harriss (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press; 1st edition (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898706424
• ISBN-13: 978-0898706420
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,684,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charing Cross and the beloved queen....., September 11, 2000

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Women in the Days of the Cathedrals (Paperback)

I love this book. Regine Pernoud is my new favorite historian. Ms. Pernoud writes about the Middle Ages when men were men and women were--well if not in charge pretty darn close to being so. Ms. Pernoud's premise contradicts much of what I have read elsewhere, but she goes to the primary sources and produces much material to support her thesis.

First of all, Pernoud says a number of women living in the Middle Ages were queens in their own right. She names these rulers--and some better known than others largely owing to the writing of male historians who seemed to have concentrated on queens married to illustrious men. Of course, there was Eleanor of Aquataine--the grandmother of Europe--who was the wife of both a French and an English king (in succession). She went on a Crusade with her French King. Later, she married Henry II and became the mother of Richard I and poor John of the Magna Carta fame. But Eleanor had some pretty well situated daughters also, and Pernoud tells the reader about them. Also, Eleanor's mother-in-law was the famous Matilda, who sparred with her usurper cousin Stephen for the English throne, which she finally secured for her son Henry II. Another, lesser known queen was a Matilda who along with Agnes of Poitou played a major role in the reforms of the church in the 11th Century by siding with the Pope against the Holy Roman Emperor. "Matilda Dei gratia si quid est" -- Matilda by the grace of God if she is anything.

Hildegard von Bingen has become known in our age because of her beautiful music, and of course many other women were powerful Abbesses in their own right--or Saints like Joan of Arc. I found interesting Pernoud's assertion that the Celtic and Germanic tribes welcomed Christianity because it reinforced their notions of equality of the sexes and the hearth and home as the center of life. So, not only were women queens of countries and lords of fiefdoms, they were "queens" of households. Pernoud points out what any archeologist will tell you--family wealth is centered in the hearth and home--combs, copper pots, and gold crosses.

And Charing Cross? That's named for Eleanor of Castile, granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquataine. When she died, her husband had a gold cross mounted everywhere they had lived. One site can be found at the Charing Cross station in London. Charing Cross is a corruption of "Chere reine" -- beloved queen.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Medieval women as they really were., November 9, 2003

By 

L O'connor (richmond, surrey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women in the Days of the Cathedrals (Paperback)

In a recent TV programme I was surprised to hear Terry Jones, medieval historian and ex-Monty Python, describe women in the middle ages as merely 'chattels'. This excellent book shows how mistaken this view is. In Regine Pernoud's fascinating book you can read about the many and varied roles that women had in medieval times. here are powerful queens and duchesses, influential nuns, women saints, warriors, writers, doctors, tradeswomen and craftswomen, none of them at all chattel-like. This book shows how a woman like Joan of Arc could become leader of an army, there was nothing unusual in the Middle Ages about a woman taking on such a role. I had never thought before about the invention of the mill as the first great labour-saving device, but of course as Regine Pernoud points out, it freed women from having to spend their days in the back-breaking task of grinding corn by hand, something women still have to do in parts of the world. This is an absoultely enthralling book.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Feminism existed in the Middle Ages, not Today!, November 30, 2001

By 

Jennifer G. Miller "jennifergmiller" (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women in the Days of the Cathedrals (Paperback)

I think all women, particularly Catholic women, should read this. Studying primary sources, Ms. Pernoud shows that during the feudal era in the Middle Ages, around 1100-1300 AD, women were intelligent, capable, and highly influential citizens, involved in all areas of life, including medical, professional, education, political and administration. Never again have women had such influential roles in their society. As the Renaissance began to grip Europe, and the University of Paris barring women and the resurgence of classical Roman law, the role of women completely diminished.

This book was an eye-opener--I've always enjoyed studying the middle ages, but I thought the women saints from that era (like St. Clotilda) were only exceptions to the rule, not the norm. This book proves the opposite. And as a woman, I deeply appreciate the influential roles these women played during that time. I also can see that I have the gifts to influence my husband, family and society in a truly unique feminine way, something that is forgotten in this day, where equality in a feminist's eyes merely means becoming like a man.