FINISHED READING - Femina by Janina Ramirez

Femina opens with the story of the suffragette Emily Wilding Davidson, falling under the kings horse and subsequently dieing. Janina Ramirez cleverly links this to her own historical area of expertise, by revealing Davidson was a medievalist too. Many of the suffragette movement it turns out were obsessed with the period, particularly the heroic female figure of Joan of Arc. Why had this happened? What was it about the medieval period that caught the suffragette imagination? Was it because the medieval period was the last before their almost complete removal from positions of influence? Or was that only the impressions you are presented with?

Though the medieval historical archive is sketchy about women and their role in the shaping of the world, there are names, there are positions they inhabited, there are other people who recount their meetings with them, and what they were like. The historian has to imaginatively dig deeper into this world to find the information that suggests how influential and powerful they were. They have to examine those factors that show us the outline that tell us what sort of person was there.

Most of these significant medieval female figures were from the nobility. They came into a position of power because there was no one else to do so. Male heirs had died, were too young to inherit, and women were strong enough to step into that space. We only hear about men and women from this particular high echelon of medieval society. A lot of detail is lacking in the stories from this period, even of male figures. Imaginative conjecture or supposition is the name of the historical game, in order to fill in the gaps. The lives of significant female figures, even more so. Because at some point the roles of female rulers started to be under-reported, underplayed and omitted from the rather patchy historical records of this period.

That these female figures are as it says in the books byline 'written out' of history is a bit misleading. The whole idea of 'writing out' is a contradictory term, "writing out' cannot actually be done. Their roles have been deliberately omitted, left out, edited out, underplayed or minimised for whatever reasons. A male bias towards egotistical self aggrandisement, power and status comes into prominence. And we all know how fragile and touchy that can be. This begins by being economical with the factual truth. However conscious this was or not. The consequence remains the same, the glossing over completely. or minimising of the feminine presence and influence. Omitting to sufficiently represent women in our history is an act of neglect, that for centuries turned our attention away from acknowledging and examining it.

But once one does turn to look there is much to be discovered. But you can rarely look to the traditional historical sources, for more than a fleeting tantilising mention. The female footprint is found by examining more closely their surrounding context and responsibilities. In this way you can gradually paint a fuller picture of the influence of say, the Queen of the Mercians, Athelflead, the warrior queen.  or the joint rulers in both splendour and power of 8th century Mercia - Queen Cynethryth & King Offa. The recent gender reassignment of the body found in a Swedish burial, previously thought to have been male, because of the masculine nature of the grave goods they found. Has led to an ongoing reappraisal of how fluid gender may have been in Viking society.

Those women who had ready access to position of power are easier to locate. But what about more humble ordinary women? Ramirez explores the life and times of the mystic Margery Kemp, who recorded her life travelling through Europe. The first known writer of an autobiography in the English language. Likewise the peripatetic lives of many female Cathar rebels. Court documents concerning a figure like Eleanor Rykinder, the cross dresser that reveals a much looser medieval conception of gender and sexual orientation than we might expect.

This book is a brilliantly written journey through just a few of the significant women you can find who were successful in the medieval world. Its also a timely reminder and relevant to current debates around #metoo,  gender roles and fluidity. And there is still so much more to unearth and to learn. Bringing with them new perspectives of the past and women's role in that.

CARROT REVIEW - 7/8