Anglo-Saxon Women

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer studies the status of Anglo-Saxon women after 1066, by examining the book ''Women in Anglo-Saxon England and the Impact of 1066' by Christine Fell. The writer notes that 1066 was the year that William the Conqueror took control of Saxon England and that Anglo-Saxon England was never to be the same, nor was the life of England's daughters, wives, and mothers. The writer points out that while before different kings held feudal sway over their territories, now the Norman code of conduct, custom, and law ruled the land with absolute authority. The writer discusses that in the book 'Women in Anglo- Saxon England and the Impact of 1066', medieval scholar Catherine Fell suggests that Anglo-Saxon women after the conquest did not simply lose many of the rights, legal, and social respect they had enjoyed as Englishwomen, but simply as women in general.

From the Paper:

"The first sections of Christine Fell's scholarly work are filled with exact details of life during the era to substantiate her point. She draws from contemporary accounts and existing records to examine the law and custom regarding marriage and women's legal status. For example, Anglo-Saxon marriage contracts between families were considerably more equitable than the types of relationships contracted under Norman feudalism and were celebrated in the Norman literary tradition of chivalric romance. Although marriages were contracted between the relatives of the wife and husband neither the prospective bride nor groom had more influence in the matter because of gender."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Fell, Christine. Women in Anglo- Saxon England and the Impact of 1066. Bloomington, University of Indiana Press, 1984. Pp.208. $24.50.

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