The once and future sex : going medieval on women's roles in society
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published
New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, [2023].
Format
Book
Edition
First edition.
Physical Desc
xiv, 256 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status
Hudson Regional Library - BOOK - Adult
305.409 JANEGA
1 available
Land O'Lakes Branch Library - BOOK - Adult
305.409 JANEGA
1 available

Description

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Published
New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, [2023].
Edition
First edition.
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"A vibrant and illuminating exploration of medieval thinking on women's beauty, sexuality, and behavior. 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"--

Copies

LocationCall NumberStatus
Hudson Regional Library - BOOK - Adult305.409 JANEGAOn Shelf
Land O'Lakes Branch Library - BOOK - Adult305.409 JANEGAOn Shelf

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Janega, E. (2023). The once and future sex: going medieval on women's roles in society (First edition.). W.W. Norton & Company.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Janega, Eleanor. 2023. The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval On Women's Roles in Society. W.W. Norton & Company.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Janega, Eleanor. The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval On Women's Roles in Society W.W. Norton & Company, 2023.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Janega, Eleanor. The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval On Women's Roles in Society First edition., W.W. Norton & Company, 2023.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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