tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post8022539573018718265..comments2024-03-09T11:34:22.175+00:00Comments on The History Girls: Sword and Scalpel by Karen MaitlandMary Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-87258022560152531132013-05-09T06:42:38.782+01:002013-05-09T06:42:38.782+01:00Karen, really interesting to read your comment abo...Karen, really interesting to read your comment above. Odd - or is it? - that the movements you describe, which in the big history picture are viewed as reformative or liberating and offering a "lesser" social group a stronger position so often also restrict the role of women. The description of the Antwerp beguinage library is a sad and bitter image.Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-91025225607743019452013-05-09T01:22:58.254+01:002013-05-09T01:22:58.254+01:00Marvellous post and I had no idea that women had b...Marvellous post and I had no idea that women had been so formative in medicine. Thank you...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-74217914918716207282013-05-08T23:55:46.969+01:002013-05-08T23:55:46.969+01:00Fantastic blog!Fantastic blog!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00335721389507237440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-87486252501973686242013-05-08T23:15:21.599+01:002013-05-08T23:15:21.599+01:00Thank you for this - I learned a lot!Thank you for this - I learned a lot!Joan Lennonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763862159032836768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-19697994454460934982013-05-08T22:53:18.179+01:002013-05-08T22:53:18.179+01:00Very interesting blog post. Especially the parts a...Very interesting blog post. Especially the parts about the woman sheriff and the women fighting. <br />In my book club we are reading the Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch, and discussing how easy it was for women to be falsely accused of witchcraft. In times of witch hunts and burnings etc women took a big gamble in learning medicine or putting themselves in a situation where their activities might seem 'ungodly' to other women. And therefore those women could more easily get you accused of being a witch. <br />So I regard women who learned medicine and stood out from the crowd in the middle ages as brave and courageous women indeed.MedievalMayhemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04042067323403730799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-89162685157130260482013-05-08T21:25:32.227+01:002013-05-08T21:25:32.227+01:00You've just helped me along with a part I was ...You've just helped me along with a part I was developing in a novel that still has a long way to go. Thank you Karen. fascinating! Dianne Hofmeyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222157214605257030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-46852387486010578482013-05-08T20:31:24.753+01:002013-05-08T20:31:24.753+01:00Coming to this late but it's brilliant! Thanks...Coming to this late but it's brilliant! Thanks!adelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15826710558292792068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-70464605841803809162013-05-08T17:18:04.573+01:002013-05-08T17:18:04.573+01:00That’s a really interesting question. I think you ...That’s a really interesting question. I think you can see a shift appearing after the Black Death, when feudalism was loosening its gripe and the merchant classes and professions gained power. Noble women had often protected their sisters in movements such as the beguinage and no longer had the power to do that. It is at the end of the 14th century you see laws coming in forbidding women to be heads of guilds etc.<br /><br /> Later, I think the reformation was a big force in redefining the role of women theologically as evil Eve and subservient to men. Interestingly, at the other extreme, the Inquisition in Europe also pushed women back into the home, but for the opposite theological reason. As Mary was elevated in the Catholic church, so women were expected to fit the idealised role of wife and mother. Of course, the closing of nunneries meant many opportunities for the education of women was lost, as well as their knowledge and sadly much of what they had written. This happened in beguinages too when whole libraries of their writings destroyed, as in the case of the beguinage in Antwerp. When that was attacked by the guild’s men, it was said you could walk dry shod across the main canal in Antwerp on the books which had been dumped in there. <br /><br />But this is only my theory. I’d love to know what others think.<br />Karen Maitlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07658962341244062060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-44958059907226716532013-05-08T16:14:54.911+01:002013-05-08T16:14:54.911+01:00An excellent and positive post. Karen.
Excuse me...An excellent and positive post. Karen. <br /><br />Excuse me asking, but why, where and how - having had such skills and positions - were women removed from these roles, in your opinion? Is there a specific shift in attitude etc that you have identified?Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-74698639968756872982013-05-08T11:57:01.614+01:002013-05-08T11:57:01.614+01:00Utterly absorbing post Karen, thanks. The bit abou...Utterly absorbing post Karen, thanks. The bit about plastic surgery was especially illuminating. Theresa Breslinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02240135723649161949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-66839779920276172692013-05-08T11:36:11.446+01:002013-05-08T11:36:11.446+01:00Thank you for a fascinating and thought-provoking ...Thank you for a fascinating and thought-provoking post, both an inspiration and a warning. It is so positive to read of the rich lives women had in this period and so depressing to think of what came later, and how history was rewritten - and is being rewritten - to bury their roles. Jean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14423822543543008594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-57693021709533049762013-05-08T10:38:25.926+01:002013-05-08T10:38:25.926+01:00Caroline Lawrence raised an interesting point over...Caroline Lawrence raised an interesting point over the method of bleeding shown in the illustration. There were two kinds of bleeding in the Middle Ages. The general bleed, for the good of one’s heath was done by making a cut in the crook of the arm and letting the blood flow into a basin. The second type used on specific areas of inflamed flesh or a painful region of the body was to make a series of small incisions and using heated cups draw off small amounts of ‘bad blood’ or blood and pus, as an alternative to using leeches. Caroline reminded me that they also used dry cupping where heated cups are used to draw off ‘bad humours’ by raising blisters without breaking the skin. She points out dry-cupping is having something of a revival among celebs. Anyone tried it? Does it work?Karen Maitlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07658962341244062060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-47901891458867487252013-05-08T10:13:54.552+01:002013-05-08T10:13:54.552+01:00Great post! I knew about Hildegarde only as a musi...Great post! I knew about Hildegarde only as a musician.Mary Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-31451198797093577152013-05-08T08:48:14.209+01:002013-05-08T08:48:14.209+01:00Thanks for an absolutely fascinating post. It'...Thanks for an absolutely fascinating post. It's surprising how knowledge is discovered then lost over the years as well as seeing how women's roles have changed.maryomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18265044617480788043noreply@blogger.com