This was so engrossing! And resonates down the centuries. Have you ever thought of writing a book about the women of 1381? Fiction or nonfiction. I can picture it so easily from the vividness of your writing.
Virtually hugging you for this! I’ve been working through some writing styles on my substack to see which connects most deeply to the story I am trying to tell - so for you to acknowledge the imagery captured means so very much. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I have so many things I want to write! Writing more in depth on the women of 1381 would be a dream but that would absolutely require archival work I just can’t justify right now. Maybe in the future? There is a project working to reexamine the archival evidence which I linked a few times in the piece—the people of 1381. Highly recommend checking out their incredible work!
I have 3 of 7 pieces written for my Women of the Hundred Years’ War series and if you enjoyed this one, I have a sneaky suspicion those might be right up your alley, Lilian!! 💜💜💜
my goodness Kate this is fantastic in so many ways. I’ve been having a down time from substack and have been meaning to get in touch—but my goodness I so love your fiery spirit and fantastic scholarship. This is so so good! 🙌 💜
Freya! Thank you so much for spending time with this one! If downtime is what you needed, I’m so glad you took it for yourself. We are here when (and if) you get back! 💜
I had a lot of fun writing this one and am so grateful that you have found connection within it!
Excellent article. In your discussion of the dislocation caused by the Plague I was reminded of something I ran across in my class on Medieval Europe back in the 70s. In one book I found a source that talked about women administering last rites to dying family members. My professor said it was probably "apocryphal", but I've often wondered about it. Have you run across anything like that?
Thank you so much for saying that, Bill. Though I can't say I've read that particular source, it wouldn't surprise me. There is quite a bit of evidence that the family-healers (women) stepped up quite a bit, even going where trained doctors wouldn't, in attempts to heal their communities. I don't have access to my library right now, but I'll try to come back with an actual reference for that because it was a great read... it has just been some time since I've read it! Not at all surprising for it to be thought of in such a way by your professor, which is so unfortunate. Academia has had its hand in the pot, too, when considering the displacement of women in the narrative.
When I was in a medieval lit course I had asked my professor if everyone had accepted Roman de la Rose or if there had been push back against the raging misogyny within it. He promptly told me it was one of the most popular and accepted poems of the day... never once mentioning the entire debate, started by a woman, to defend against the disgusting way in which women were treated within the text. Just wild to have found Christine de Pizan on my own years later... I remember feeling so let down by the academic omission.
I really appreciate you spending your time with this one and engaging. Thank you!
Thank you for this history, wonderfully written and passionately framed. Thank you for moving us beyond the single narrative. I believe we are capable of opening ourselves to see the multiple narratives each with meaning that involves various kinds of leadership. I appreciate your work, and hope it can help us move beyond white body supremacy. Thanks.
And - I never knew any of this. I was a history major in college. I'm glad to read and learn in my 60s.
I so agree with you, Hans! The human experience is so expansive and these binaries we view both the past and present through are limiting us so much. I was also denied any introduction to these women in school — I very clearly remember learning about both Wat Tyler (who the revolt is eventually dubbed after) and John Ball, but to have been denied the story of these women seems so silly when we consider the violence of patriarchy we are educated in daily.
As always, I am so incredibly grateful for your presence and openness to my words! Thank you for your support and kindness!!
I got started reading you because of your Lord of the Rings, a Feminist Manifesto for the boys, and I am glad I subscribed because of that - so grateful to learn from you. Are you familiar with Rebecca Solnit? She writes often about unsung women and men who have moved our society through nonviolent movements. Obviously very different from your focus, but there are a lot of harmonies going on with you two. Have a good day.
Sarah! I am so grateful for you, thank you for the kindness and positive energy--it has been much needed and is so appreciated! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this one! There were so many women that were involved, yet many have been lost to us as simply wife-of...as I was going through the archive I was getting more and more frustrated and felt I had to share these women and their fierceness, even if I don't wholly agree with the brutality of it all. Yet I kept asking myself, "isn't patriarchy brutal?"
What a wonderful article to discover on a slow Saturday morning, and now I want to dig deeper and know so much more... and how many events are there throughout history that deserve such examination and reframing? So many stories to bring to the light! It is daunting but inspirational; I'm already imagining so many possible poems, songs, shows, musicals, movies, books, art, etc. We have infinite opportunities to build narratives that the patriarchy has and still refuses to tell; instead Hollywood focuses on remakes and endless sequels of old stories, or imaginary superheroes, or horrific monsters - so many gimmicks designed only for generating profits, all while pretending to complain that there's no original storytelling anymore. With all its faults, I think the best thing about the internet is the potential for creators to make and deliver these stories to a populace starved for authenticity and representation without having to rely on patriarchal industries and their greed. So glad I found you!
Caroline! There is so much in this comment that is just so fantastic and I am so very grateful for you! First, thank you for spending such thoughtful time with my words and these women! And yes, I feel you—there are so, so many stories that need to be retold; not to dispossess anyone, but to move the women from object to subject within their own stories. I so agree with you, there are endless stories to be told! I think Hollywood is too busy maintaining the status quo to focus on stories of women that may dispel the myths and tight grasp of patriarchy.
I am so glad this piece found you exactly when you needed it. I am so honored that my words stirred so much within you! Simply amazing 💜💜💜
Editing to add - I’m writing a biographical narrative of a woman from the 15c and I think about how great of a show/movie here story would make often. I feel this so very much.
I look forward to reading it, and let me know if you ever want to tinker together and workshop it into something dramatic, I would love to work with you on it! I have been focusing for so long on other writing, other styles but I have a BFA in theatre from decades ago, and it's been calling to me lately. I've begun writing/arranging a musical to add feminist perspective to some classics, and structuring a few scenes and now more ideas are starting to churn... Theatre and storytelling through performance is vital during times like these, and a powerful tool for resistance.
Oh my gosh I love this so very much! There are so, so many stories that can be told -- patriarchy has robbed us of so much inspiration! I'd love to connect and chat further for sure, and would love to hear more about what you are working on. Sounds phenom!
This was so engrossing! And resonates down the centuries. Have you ever thought of writing a book about the women of 1381? Fiction or nonfiction. I can picture it so easily from the vividness of your writing.
Virtually hugging you for this! I’ve been working through some writing styles on my substack to see which connects most deeply to the story I am trying to tell - so for you to acknowledge the imagery captured means so very much. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I have so many things I want to write! Writing more in depth on the women of 1381 would be a dream but that would absolutely require archival work I just can’t justify right now. Maybe in the future? There is a project working to reexamine the archival evidence which I linked a few times in the piece—the people of 1381. Highly recommend checking out their incredible work!
I have 3 of 7 pieces written for my Women of the Hundred Years’ War series and if you enjoyed this one, I have a sneaky suspicion those might be right up your alley, Lilian!! 💜💜💜
women have always had the insight and instinct for survival. Amen.
Absolutely! Thank you for spending your precious time with my words 💚
my goodness Kate this is fantastic in so many ways. I’ve been having a down time from substack and have been meaning to get in touch—but my goodness I so love your fiery spirit and fantastic scholarship. This is so so good! 🙌 💜
Freya! Thank you so much for spending time with this one! If downtime is what you needed, I’m so glad you took it for yourself. We are here when (and if) you get back! 💜
I had a lot of fun writing this one and am so grateful that you have found connection within it!
Excellent article. In your discussion of the dislocation caused by the Plague I was reminded of something I ran across in my class on Medieval Europe back in the 70s. In one book I found a source that talked about women administering last rites to dying family members. My professor said it was probably "apocryphal", but I've often wondered about it. Have you run across anything like that?
Thank you so much for saying that, Bill. Though I can't say I've read that particular source, it wouldn't surprise me. There is quite a bit of evidence that the family-healers (women) stepped up quite a bit, even going where trained doctors wouldn't, in attempts to heal their communities. I don't have access to my library right now, but I'll try to come back with an actual reference for that because it was a great read... it has just been some time since I've read it! Not at all surprising for it to be thought of in such a way by your professor, which is so unfortunate. Academia has had its hand in the pot, too, when considering the displacement of women in the narrative.
When I was in a medieval lit course I had asked my professor if everyone had accepted Roman de la Rose or if there had been push back against the raging misogyny within it. He promptly told me it was one of the most popular and accepted poems of the day... never once mentioning the entire debate, started by a woman, to defend against the disgusting way in which women were treated within the text. Just wild to have found Christine de Pizan on my own years later... I remember feeling so let down by the academic omission.
I really appreciate you spending your time with this one and engaging. Thank you!
Love this and love the images you include, so evocative!
Thank you so much, Jo! I’m so grateful for you taking time with this one — it felt so necessary to write. 💜💜💜
Thank you for this history, wonderfully written and passionately framed. Thank you for moving us beyond the single narrative. I believe we are capable of opening ourselves to see the multiple narratives each with meaning that involves various kinds of leadership. I appreciate your work, and hope it can help us move beyond white body supremacy. Thanks.
And - I never knew any of this. I was a history major in college. I'm glad to read and learn in my 60s.
I so agree with you, Hans! The human experience is so expansive and these binaries we view both the past and present through are limiting us so much. I was also denied any introduction to these women in school — I very clearly remember learning about both Wat Tyler (who the revolt is eventually dubbed after) and John Ball, but to have been denied the story of these women seems so silly when we consider the violence of patriarchy we are educated in daily.
As always, I am so incredibly grateful for your presence and openness to my words! Thank you for your support and kindness!!
I got started reading you because of your Lord of the Rings, a Feminist Manifesto for the boys, and I am glad I subscribed because of that - so grateful to learn from you. Are you familiar with Rebecca Solnit? She writes often about unsung women and men who have moved our society through nonviolent movements. Obviously very different from your focus, but there are a lot of harmonies going on with you two. Have a good day.
I’m not, but I will absolutely look her up—thank you for sharing!
This was excellent! Truly excellent. Also, so glad you are on the upside of illness! Glad you listened to your body. We're all still here. :)
Sarah! I am so grateful for you, thank you for the kindness and positive energy--it has been much needed and is so appreciated! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this one! There were so many women that were involved, yet many have been lost to us as simply wife-of...as I was going through the archive I was getting more and more frustrated and felt I had to share these women and their fierceness, even if I don't wholly agree with the brutality of it all. Yet I kept asking myself, "isn't patriarchy brutal?"
I so appreciate the time spent here! 💜💜
What a wonderful article to discover on a slow Saturday morning, and now I want to dig deeper and know so much more... and how many events are there throughout history that deserve such examination and reframing? So many stories to bring to the light! It is daunting but inspirational; I'm already imagining so many possible poems, songs, shows, musicals, movies, books, art, etc. We have infinite opportunities to build narratives that the patriarchy has and still refuses to tell; instead Hollywood focuses on remakes and endless sequels of old stories, or imaginary superheroes, or horrific monsters - so many gimmicks designed only for generating profits, all while pretending to complain that there's no original storytelling anymore. With all its faults, I think the best thing about the internet is the potential for creators to make and deliver these stories to a populace starved for authenticity and representation without having to rely on patriarchal industries and their greed. So glad I found you!
Caroline! There is so much in this comment that is just so fantastic and I am so very grateful for you! First, thank you for spending such thoughtful time with my words and these women! And yes, I feel you—there are so, so many stories that need to be retold; not to dispossess anyone, but to move the women from object to subject within their own stories. I so agree with you, there are endless stories to be told! I think Hollywood is too busy maintaining the status quo to focus on stories of women that may dispel the myths and tight grasp of patriarchy.
I am so glad this piece found you exactly when you needed it. I am so honored that my words stirred so much within you! Simply amazing 💜💜💜
Editing to add - I’m writing a biographical narrative of a woman from the 15c and I think about how great of a show/movie here story would make often. I feel this so very much.
I look forward to reading it, and let me know if you ever want to tinker together and workshop it into something dramatic, I would love to work with you on it! I have been focusing for so long on other writing, other styles but I have a BFA in theatre from decades ago, and it's been calling to me lately. I've begun writing/arranging a musical to add feminist perspective to some classics, and structuring a few scenes and now more ideas are starting to churn... Theatre and storytelling through performance is vital during times like these, and a powerful tool for resistance.
Oh my gosh I love this so very much! There are so, so many stories that can be told -- patriarchy has robbed us of so much inspiration! I'd love to connect and chat further for sure, and would love to hear more about what you are working on. Sounds phenom!