Date of Award
12-14-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. Allen Fromherz
Second Advisor
Dr. Rachel Ernst
Abstract
This thesis explores the experiences of women in Western Europe, especially France, during the Crusades of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Through an analysis of primary sources including crusade literature, letters, sculpture, and romantic chansons, this work seeks to illuminate the various ways that women utilized their voices in a period that held strong emphasis on the virtues of masculinity. In this thesis I argue that the campaigns of the Crusades created specific circumstances in Western Europe that allowed women to stretch the boundaries of medieval society’s gender constructs while remaining somewhat within their confines. Additionally, I argue that though women were barred from official participation in the Crusades, they found their own ways of contributing to the crusading effort from home.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/32643150
Recommended Citation
Harvel, Samantha, "Women of the West: Voices from the Home Front of the Crusades." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2022.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/32643150
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