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Extraordinary Women of the Medieval and Renaissance World: A Biographical Dictionary
By Carole Levin, Debra Barrett-Graves, Jo Eldridge Carney, W. M. Spellman, Gwynne Kennedy, Stephanie Witham
356 pages
FREE for a limited time
- Contributors:
- Publisher:
- Greenwood Press
- Place of publication:
- Westport, CT
- Publication year:
- 2000
- Subjects:
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Synopsis
Aside from a few famous queens, warriors and religious leaders, little information is available about the many extraordinary women of the medieval and Renaissance world. This resource brings together engagingly written biographical profiles of 70 women, most of whom are "unsung," but all of whom are remarkable for their courage, initiative, and accomplishments in a world where the conventional wisdom was for women to be "chaste, silent, and obedient." The women profiled here represent 18 countries ...
Aside from a few famous queens, warriors and religious leaders, little information is available about the many extraordinary women of the medieval and Renaissance world. This resource brings together engagingly written biographical profiles of 70 women, most of whom are "unsung," but all of whom are remarkable for their courage, initiative, and accomplishments in a world where the conventional wisdom was for women to be "chaste, silent, and obedient." The women profiled here represent 18 countries and excelled in 19 fields of endeavor. They include artists, builders, mystics, political leaders, religious activists, diarists and dramatists, poets and writers, and scholars.
Table of contents
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- Title Page iii
- Contents vii
- Acknowledgments xi
- Introduction xiii
- Notes xvii
- Note to the Reader xix
- Akka MahĀDĒVĪ (Mahadeviyakka) (Fl. Ca. Twelfth Century) - India Saint and Poet 1
- Sofonisba Anguissola (Ca. 1532/1535-1625) - Italy Portrait Painter 4
- Anne Askew (1521-1546) - Britain Protestant Martyr 9
- Elizabeth Barton (Ca. 1506-1534) - Britain Visionary and Martyr 14
- Blanche of Castile (1188-1252) - Spain Queen, Ruler, and Religious Activist 17
- Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) - Sweden Visionary, Prophet, and Pilgrim 22
- Elizabeth Cary Lady Falkland (Ca. 1585-1639) - Britain Author 26
- Catherine of Siena (Ca. 1347-1380) - Italy Visionary and Religious Activist 32
- Christina of Denmark (1521-1590) - Denmark Leader in Exile 37
- Christina of Markyate (Ca. 1096/1098-1160) - Britain Anchoress and Visionary 40
- Title Page iii
- Contents vii
- Acknowledgments xi
- Introduction xiii
- Notes xvii
- Note to the Reader xix
- Akka MahĀDĒVĪ (Mahadeviyakka) (Fl. Ca. Twelfth Century) - India Saint and Poet 1
- Sofonisba Anguissola (Ca. 1532/1535-1625) - Italy Portrait Painter 4
- Anne Askew (1521-1546) - Britain Protestant Martyr 9
- Elizabeth Barton (Ca. 1506-1534) - Britain Visionary and Martyr 14
- Blanche of Castile (1188-1252) - Spain Queen, Ruler, and Religious Activist 17
- Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) - Sweden Visionary, Prophet, and Pilgrim 22
- Elizabeth Cary Lady Falkland (Ca. 1585-1639) - Britain Author 26
- Catherine of Siena (Ca. 1347-1380) - Italy Visionary and Religious Activist 32
- Christina of Denmark (1521-1590) - Denmark Leader in Exile 37
- Christina of Markyate (Ca. 1096/1098-1160) - Britain Anchoress and Visionary 40
- Margaret Giggs Clement (1505-1570) - Britain Classical Scholar 43
- Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676) - Britain Artistic and Literary Patron, Builder, and Diarist 48
- Vittoria Colonna (1492-1547) - Italy Poet and Patron of the Arts 52
- The Cooke Sisters Mildred (1526-1589), Anne (1528-1610), Elizabeth (1528-1609), Katherine (D. 1583), Margaret (D. 1558) - Britain Writers 57
- Margherita Datini (Ca. 1360-1423) - Italy Merchant's Wife 60
- Marie DentièRe (Fl. 1530s) - Switzerland Reformist, Defender of Women, and Writer 63
- Jane Dormer (1538-1612) - Britain Catholic Loyalist 66
- Elisabeth of Schonau (1129-1164) - Germany Mystic, Writer 71
- Elizabeth of Braunschweig - (1510-1558) Germany Protestant Political Leader 75
- Isabella D'Este (1474-1539) - Italy Patron of Arts and Letters and Political Activist 78
- Jacqueline FéLicie (Jacoba Felice) (1290-D. after 1322) - France Physician 84
- Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) - Italy Portraitist and Altarpiece Painter 87
- Veronica Franco (1546-1591) - Italy Poet and Courtesan 91
- Veronica Gambara (1485-1550) - Italy Patron of Artists and Poet 95
- Artemisia Gentileschi (Ca. 1593-1652/1653) - Italy Artist 98
- Giulia Gonzaga (1513-1566) - Italy Patron of Artists and Religious Reformists 103
- Argula Von Grumbach (1492-Ca. 1563) - Germany Protestant Activist 107
- Anne Halkett (1623-1699) - Britain Diarist and Political Activist 111
- Elizabeth Hardwick (Bess of Hardwick) (Ca. 1527-1608) - Britain Builder and Matriarch 116
- HéLisenne de Crenne (Marguerite Briet) (Ca. 1510/1520-Ca. 1552) - France Author and Defender of Women 122
- Hrotsvit of Gandersheim (Roswitha, Hrosvitha) (Ca. 932/935-1001/1002) - Germany Poet, Dramatist, and Historian 125
- Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana) (Fl. 1520s-1558) - Turkey Political Adviser, Diplomat, and Imperial Benefactress 129
- Esther Inglis (Esther Kello) (1571-1624) - Britain Professional Calligrapher and Miniaturist 134
- Izumi Shikibu (Ca. 966/979-1030) - Japan Waka Poet and Heian Diarist 138
- Jadwiga of Poland (1373-1399) - Hungary Queen and Political Leader 142
- Juana of Castile (1479-1555) - Spain Queen 147
- Anna Komnena (1083-1153/1155) - Western Asia Minor (Modern-Day Turkey) Scholar and Historian 153
- Helene Kottaner (1400-After 1457) - Austria Writer of Memoirs and Royal Servant 157
- Louise Labé (Ca. 1520-1566) - France Poet 160
- Aemilia Lanyer (1569-1645) - Britain Poet 164
- Lucretia de LeóN (1569-Ca. 1596) - Spain Prophet 168
- Anne Locke (1530-1590) - Britain Puritan Writer and Scholar 172
- Katherine Luther (1499-1550) - Germany Protestant Reformer 176
- Malinche (DoñA Marina) (Ca. 1504-Ca. 1528) - Mexico Interpreter for Cortés 181
- Margaret of Anjou (Ca. 1430-1482) - France Queen Consort 185
- Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) - Austria Political Leader 190
- Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615) - France Queen and Writer of Memoirs 194
- Mary of Hungary (1505-1558) - Hungary Queen and Regent 198
- Mechthild of Magdeburg (Ca. 1207/1212-Ca. 1282/1297) - Germany Christian Mystic and Writer 202
- Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem (Ca. 1102-1161) - Middle East Queen Regent and Patron of the Arts and the Church 208
- Eleanor de Montfort (1215-1275) - Britain Royal Rebel 213
- Murasaki Shikibu (Ca. 973-Ca. 1030) - Japan Author 218
- Nzinga, Queen of Angola (Ca. 1580-1663) - Angola Queen and Military Leader 223
- Ono No Komachi (Ca. 830/835-899) - Japan Waka Poet and Rokkasen 228
- Caritas Pirckheimer (1467-1532) - Germany Abbess, Defender of Her Faith, and Humanist Scholar 232
- Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566) - France Royal Adviser 238
- Marguerite Porete (Ca. 1250-1310) - France Spiritual Director, Martyr, and Author 241
- Raziya, the Sultan (Also Raziyya, Razia, Radiyya) (No Dates) - India Muslim Queen 245
- RenéE of Ferrara (1510-1574) - France Protestant Reformer and Political Leader 249
- Margaret More Roper (Ca. 1505-1544) - Britain Humanist and Classical Scholar 252
- Maria de Salinas (D. 1539) - Spain Friend and Supporter of Catherine of Aragon 257
- Sei ShŌnagon (Ca. 965?-) - Japan Heian Diarist and Waka Poet 261
- Caterina Sforza (1462-1509) - Italy Territorial Ruler 265
- Gaspara Stampa (1523-1554) - Italy Poet and Virtuosa 270
- Arbella Stuart (1575-1615) - Britain Scholar and Courtier 273
- Levina Teerlinc (Ca. 1510-1576) - Belgium Artist 278
- Elizabeth Jane Weston (1582-1612) - Britain Exile and Poet 281
- Catherine Willoughby (1520-1580) - Britain Protestant Leader 285
- Mary Wroth (Ca. 1587-1653) - Britain Author and Poet 291
- Katharina Zell (1497-1562) - Germany Protestant Humanitarian 295
- Appendix A - Notable Women by Title, Occupation, or Main Area of Interest 299
- Appendix B - Notable Women by Country or Region 305
- Timeline of Historical Events 309
- Selected Bibliography 313
- Index 315
- About the Authors *
Related topics at Questia
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