A company of women and men: men's recollections of childbirth in medieval England.
J Fam Hist
; 27(2): 92-100, 2002 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12004900
ABSTRACT
The events that took place in medieval English birthing chambers were witnessed and assisted by a company of women. Although these events may have been isolated, they did not exist in isolation. Rather, they interacted in complex ways with the lives and activities of the men in the manor hall. This article examines those interactions as they are evidenced in proof-of-age inquests, legal documents that record the recollections of husbands, fathers, and male relatives and neighbors regarding the events surrounding the birth of an heir to crown land. It concludes that even though men rarely entered the birthing chamber, their dynastic interests and social politics routinely penetrated its walls, blurring the boundary between private and public spheres, female and male space.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Labor, Obstetric
/
Gender Identity
/
Manuscripts as Topic
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Newborn
/
Pregnancy
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
J Fam Hist
Year:
2002
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: