Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

Publishing Details

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Physical Properties

Description

This A to Z encyclopedia explores important women and women's issues in the middle ages. Spanning cultures beyond Europe, coverage includes Arabic and Asian woman and issues. Subjects of biographical portraits include such wellknown European figures as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, and St Clare of Assisi, alongside women such as Rabi'ah, a Muslim saint; Oduva Tirumalamba, an Indian courtly performer; and Xue Tao, a prolific Chinese courtier-poet. In addition to biographical portraits, topical essays cover such themes as virginity, witches, queenship, women and medicine, convents, child-rearing, and Chinese women's poetry.

Reviews

"An impressive work of reference and contribution to scholarship on the history of women. The Encyclopedia yields a wealth of information on topics as various as canon law, women composers, Japanese pillow books, Aztec warriors, embroidery, humanism, witches, virgins, and wives. It offers a valuable resource and constantly intriguing reading material."-Medium Aevum
"As a resource on medieval women, the Encyclopedia is valuable for a readership ranging from undergraduates in medieval studiers and gender studies to more seasoned scholars in these fields. The generous, judiciously selected, and up-to-date bibliographies for each entry offer further direction for the more ambitious or expert reader, while the lucid, accessible prose style makes the volume readable for a more general reader. It is admirable to find such consistency of style throughout the Encyclopedia's two volumes, especially given the fact that it boasts an impressive number of leading scholars with otherwise quite distinct prose styles....[t]his is the kind of important reference work that, because of its breadth and clarity, as well as its depth of scholarship, has a place not only in university libraries and on medievalists' bookshelves, but also in general reference libraries everywhere."-The Medieval Review
[A] "must" for libraries serving medieval studies and women's studies departments... the two volumes are beautifully presented and solidly bound and would make a smart addition to any reference shelf ... These volumes will surely promote access to this field of study... With its broader geographical outlook, this encyclopedia helps put women and their contribution into a wider context and sets it apart from competing works.-Reference Reviews
[A] stimulating survey of just how much is out ther to explore.-Forum for Modern Language Studies
[S]uch an encyclopedia is invaluable to me, expanding my understanding of medieval women, how they thought, how they maneuvred around obstacles and limitations imposed on them. It can't help but expand the horizons of my medieval world, inspiring new steps for my choreography: characters, plots, subplots, political/economic intrgues, keys to mysteries, local color, cultural clashes and exchanges, and nuances of language.-Solander
[T]his scholarly set is the most comprehensive guide to date to focus on women in the medieval world....While these volumes may not exhaust every topic a student wishes to pursue, they provide excellent guidance to hundred of subjects. The set is highly recommended for academic and medium-to-large public libraries.-Lawrence Looks at Books
As a resource on medieval women, the Encyclopedia is valuable for a readership ranging from undergraduates in medieval studiers and gender studies to more seasoned scholars in these fields. The generous, judiciously selected, and up-to-date bibliographies for each entry offer further direction for the more ambitious or expert reader, while the lucid, accessible prose style makes the volume readable for a more general reader. It is admirable to find such consistency of style throughout the Encyclopedia's two volumes, especially given the fact that it boasts an impressive number of leading scholars with otherwise quite distinct prose styles....[t]his is the kind of important reference work that, because of its breadth and clarity, as well as its depth of scholarship, has a place not only in university libraries and on medievalists' bookshelves, but also in general reference libraries everywhere.-The Medieval Review
For those interested in Arthurian studies, Women in the Middle Ages provides useful articles on most female figures in Arthurian tradition....The article on Morgan stands out as comprehensive and detailed, charting the evolution of this literary figure from her first appearance in the Vita Merlini to her later medieval position as Arthur's antagonist....The strength of this encyclopedia is that it will convince scholars and students of the diversity of women's experiences and actions throughout the Middle Ages. It will prove an important resource for student research assignments.-Arthuriana
In coverage, depth, and scholarship, this set pulls far ahead of Jennifer Lawler's Encyclopedia of Women in the Middle Ages. This specialized but nicely done work is recommended for high school, public, and academic libraries.-Library Jounal
The 300 entries in this encyclopedia cover women's experience in the European medieval world and elsewhere (including Byzantium, the Arabic world, and China) between the 2nd and 15th centuries. Designed to be both accessible and authoritative, it communicates the fruits of 30 years of scholarship on medieval women to students, specialists, and general readers....Recommended. General and academic collections.-Choice
While providing scholars with a springboard from which to launch possible future forays into the Middle Ages, this reference work will prove indispensable to lecturers when introducing, and students when encountering, medieval women's lives for the first time. This reader feels fortunate to own a copy.-The History Review
Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia is recommended for academic and large public libraries.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"A "must" for libraries serving medieval studies and women's studies departments... the two volumes are beautifully presented and solidly bound and would make a smart addition to any reference shelf ... These volumes will surely promote access to this field of study... With its broader geographical outlook, this encyclopedia helps put women and their contribution into a wider context and sets it apart from competing works."-Reference Reviews
"A stimulating survey of just how much is out ther to explore."-Forum for Modern Language Studies
"Such an encyclopedia is invaluable to me, expanding my understanding of medieval women, how they thought, how they maneuvred around obstacles and limitations imposed on them. It can't help but expand the horizons of my medieval world, inspiring new steps for my choreography: characters, plots, subplots, political/economic intrgues, keys to mysteries, local color, cultural clashes and exchanges, and nuances of language."-Solander
"This scholarly set is the most comprehensive guide to date to focus on women in the medieval world....While these volumes may not exhaust every topic a student wishes to pursue, they provide excellent guidance to hundred of subjects. The set is highly recommended for academic and medium-to-large public libraries."-Lawrence Looks at Books
"For those interested in Arthurian studies, Women in the Middle Ages provides useful articles on most female figures in Arthurian tradition....The article on Morgan stands out as comprehensive and detailed, charting the evolution of this literary figure from her first appearance in the Vita Merlini to her later medieval position as Arthur's antagonist....The strength of this encyclopedia is that it will convince scholars and students of the diversity of women's experiences and actions throughout the Middle Ages. It will prove an important resource for student research assignments."-Arthuriana
"[A] "must" for libraries serving medieval studies and women's studies departments... the two volumes are beautifully presented and solidly bound and would make a smart addition to any reference shelf ... These volumes will surely promote access to this field of study... With its broader geographical outlook, this encyclopedia helps put women and their contribution into a wider context and sets it apart from competing works."-Reference Reviews
"[A] stimulating survey of just how much is out ther to explore."-Forum for Modern Language Studies
"[S]uch an encyclopedia is invaluable to me, expanding my understanding of medieval women, how they thought, how they maneuvred around obstacles and limitations imposed on them. It can't help but expand the horizons of my medieval world, inspiring new steps for my choreography: characters, plots, subplots, political/economic intrgues, keys to mysteries, local color, cultural clashes and exchanges, and nuances of language."-Solander
"[T]his scholarly set is the most comprehensive guide to date to focus on women in the medieval world....While these volumes may not exhaust every topic a student wishes to pursue, they provide excellent guidance to hundred of subjects. The set is highly recommended for academic and medium-to-large public libraries."-Lawrence Looks at Books
"In coverage, depth, and scholarship, this set pulls far ahead of Jennifer Lawler's Encyclopedia of Women in the Middle Ages. This specialized but nicely done work is recommended for high school, public, and academic libraries."-Library Jounal
"The 300 entries in this encyclopedia cover women's experience in the European medieval world and elsewhere (including Byzantium, the Arabic world, and China) between the 2nd and 15th centuries. Designed to be both accessible and authoritative, it communicates the fruits of 30 years of scholarship on medieval women to students, specialists, and general readers....Recommended. General and academic collections."-Choice
"While providing scholars with a springboard from which to launch possible future forays into the Middle Ages, this reference work will prove indispensable to lecturers when introducing, and students when encountering, medieval women's lives for the first time. This reader feels fortunate to own a copy."-The History Review
"Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia is recommended for academic and large public libraries."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

Author Bio

KATHARINA M. WILSON is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Georgia. Her numerous publications include Medieval Women Writers (1984), Women Writers of the Renaissance and Reformation (1987), Seventeenth-Century Women Writers (1989), Encyclopedia of Continental Women Writers (1991), and European Women Writers (1997). NADIA MARGOLIS has most recently been Visiting Associate Professor of French at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her previous books include Christine de Pizan 2000 (2000), Joan of Arc in History, Literature, and Film (1990), and Re-interpreting Christine de Pizan (1992). Her work has also appeared in such journals as Medieval Feminist Forum, Romanic Review, and Fifteenth Century Studies.