The idea for this volume was born at the Medieval Institute,
Kalamazoo, Michigan, in May, 1974. This conference, sponsored by Western
Michigan University, provides an opportunity for presenting new studies on
medieval subjects and fosters profitable communication between scholars. A
special word of thanks should be given to the Director, Professor John
Sonnenfeldt. He had planned to publish the joint paper by Jo-Ann McNa-
mara and Suzanne Wemple, "Marriage and Divorce in the Frankish King-
dom," in the Collected Papers of the Medieval Institute. He graciously
released the paper to us to permit earlier publication. The first and second
Berkshire Conferences on the History of Women have been another fine
opportunity for women scholars to present their studies on the history of
women, and they have provided the paper by Sue Sheridan Walker.
Professor Edward Peters of the University of Pennsylvania has supplied
excellent advice and editorial comment. Above all I wish to thank the author
of the second article in the volume, Emily Coleman. She has been the
editor's editor, doing an outstanding job, reading and commenting to good
purpose on a number of the articles and suggesting others for inclusion. Her
perception and fine judgment are evident throughout, but, of course, I
remain responsible for any errors of fact or judgment.