Discover 'The Once and Future Sex', a groundbreaking exploration by medievalist Eleanor Janega that dives deep into the historical narratives surrounding women in the Middle Ages. This vibrant and insightful history reveals the societal constructs that defined femininity and how they continue to shape our understanding of women today. With an ISBN of 9780393867817 and published by W W Norton & Company in 2023, this brand new addition to your book collection interrogates the beauty standards and roles imposed upon women throughout history.

Janega examines the age-old perceptions of the ideal woman, represented by figures like Helen of Troy, juxtaposed against the real lives of medieval women such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Hildegard of Bingen. By shedding light on the diverse and industrious pursuits of women—ranging from motherhood to artistry—she challenges the limiting narratives that persist in our contemporary world.

This book not only chronicles how perceptions of women have evolved, but also encourages us to reimagine the future of femininity. 'The Once and Future Sex' prompts crucial discussions around women's rights and equality, making it essential reading for anyone interested in gender studies, feminist history, or medieval scholarship.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled..

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780393867817
Year: 2023
Publisher: W W Norton & Company


Description:


What makes for the ideal woman? How should she look, love, and be? In this vibrant, high-spirited history, medievalist Eleanor Janega turns to the Middle Ages, the era that bridged the ancient world and modern society, to unfurl its suppositions about women and reveal what's shifted over time-and what hasn't.

Enshrined medieval thinkers, almost always male, subscribed to a blend of classical Greek and Roman philosophy and Christian theology for their concepts of the sexes. For the height of female attractiveness, they chose the mythical Helen of Troy, whose imagined pear shape, small breasts, and golden hair served as beauty's epitome. Casting Eve's shadow over medieval women, they derided them as oversexed sinners, inherently lustful, insatiable, and weak. And, unless a nun, a woman was to be the embodiment of perfect motherhood.

In contrast, drawing on accounts of remarkable and subversive medieval women like Eleanor of Aquitaine and Hildegard of Bingen, along with others hidden in documents and court cases, Janega shows us how real women of the era lived. While often mothers, they were industrious farmers, brewers, textile workers, artists, and artisans and paved the way for new ideas about women's nature, intellect, and ability.

In The Once and Future Sex, Janega unravels the restricting expectations on medieval women and the ones on women today. She boldly questions why, if our ideas of women have changed drastically over time, we cannot reimagine them now to create a more equitable future.