CONTENTS AUGUST 2023

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO

WOMENWOMEN MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL WOMENWOMEN

28 Everything you wanted to know about medieval women Dr Eleanor Janega answers key questions about the lives of women during the Middle Ages

32 Domestic bliss? Discover how medieval women juggled motherhood and other household duties in a rapidly changing world

35 6 trailblazing medieval women A look at the period’s most important female figures

40 Matriarchs and mystics Meet the fearless queens and ‘influencers’ who wielded power within a deeply patriarchal social order

42 Pious pioneers Learn about the important role that women played in the development of the medieval church

45 Making an honest living We explore the vast array of jobs that occupied medieval women: from doing the laundry to running businesses

48 Opinion Dr Eleanor Janega argues that a tendency to focus on ‘Great Men’ has long sidelined women from history

49 Get hooked Take your knowledge further with our pick of the best books and podcast episodes to explore next

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▲ From weaving to balancing the books, discover why women’s work was vital to the medieval economy

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24 5 things you (probably) didn’t know about the history of beauty Discover why explosive cosmetics and unnaturally high hairlines used to be all the rage

51 Changing identities Uncover the story of the Chevalier d’Éon – the 18th-century French spy who chose to live as a woman

56 Great Paintings The secrets behind a powerful triptych by Spanish painter Remedios Varo

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58 The hunt for the Abominable Snowman A look at the origins of the fabled ‘Yeti’

64 What if... the Continental Army had not escaped after the battle of Long Island? ▲ Beauty through history: from the joys of cold cream to China’s penchant for foot binding

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