Medieval Masculinities The Viking Age - 1833 Words

The Scandinavian Late Iron Age, popularly known as the Viking Age, is often represented by pre 1960’s archeology as deeply and inherently male, with male aggressiveness as the ideal presented to the public, leaving little room for alternative gender roles in the popular imagination. However, Dr. Lisa Bitel of the University of Southern California stated, â€Å"Women participated more fully and freely in both the settling of Iceland and in its written history than in any other migration of peoples within medieval Europe. †¦Some Scandinavianists have argued that in Iceland Europeans had a chance to experiment with social and political organizations unencumbered by the customs of the homeland; other scholars believe, however, that the Icelanders brought with them to the new land the customs of the old, including gender relations.† In 1990, Fordham University hosted a conference on gender and medieval society, focusing on the issue of feminist studies as a frame from which medieval ideas of â€Å"manhood† are approached. In 1994, Medieval Masculinities: Regarding Men in the Middle Ages was published as a result of that conference. A number of researchers contributed essays on the changes in definitions of masculinity during the medieval period, and looking at masculinity as another lens through which gender is to be approached, rather than a normative state to compare against in relating the lives of women in society. The focus was on demonstrating that the hegemonicShow MoreRelatedWomen s Rights Within The Viking Age924 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch perceived the Viking world as being dominated by men with the majority of studies being concerned with exploring the life and material culture of the male part of the society. There is no denying that archaeology is a discipline which has traditionall y been deeply colored by a predominantly male bias, and the historical dominance of men over women had been accepted to such a degree that it appeared to be the natural order of things . Popular imagination was of male Viking warriors with theirRead MoreRepresentations Of Women And Women1539 Words   |  7 Pageson the fragments of the Oseberg tapestry. The textile fragments show human-esque figures that appear to be either standing in front of spears or holding them and who wear clothing that is closely representative of long dresses which were worn by Viking Age women. Some apparently female figures are also holding swords. The Oseberg tapestry is difficult to interpret, but it has been suggested that its imagery may represent a procession of some sort, perhaps one that occurred as part of a funeral. JeschRead MoreMisinterpretation in Ian McEwans Atonement2826 Words   |  11 PagesRomeo and Juliet and Atonement, and naturally the role and status of women changed considerably during that time. Italy in the 17th Century stood much closer in time and culture to the ancient and medieval world where women were the property of their husbands and fathers, marriages were arranged at a young age and individual desires and free choice mattered little in a patriarchal and authoritarian society. Romeo and Juliet insisted on making their personal desires most important, going against the wishesRead MoreThe Czech Republic As We Know It5172 Words   |  21 Pagescarried on for fourteen years and concluded in 1434. In 1458 the Hussites elected a Czech Protestant king named George of Podebrady. The Hapsburg Dynasty ruled the lands from 1526-1790. During the reign of King Joseph II from 1764-1790, we saw the age of Slovene Enlightenment. The provinces of the Czech and Austrian territories were subdivided into administrative districts and German became the official language. From 1769 – 1815 this area saw the effects of the Napoleonic Wars led by Bonaparte andRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesCalculated from data in Galina V. Selegen, â€Å"The First Report on the Recent Population Census in the Soviet Union,† Population Studies 14, no. 1 (1960): 17–27; L. T. Badenhorst, â€Å"The Future Growth of the Population of South Africa and Its Probable Age,† Population Studies 4, no. 1 (1950): 3–46; Angus Maddison’s data sets on world population, www.ggdc.net/ maddison; U.S. historical statistics at www.census.gov; Kingsley Davis, â€Å"Recent Population Trends in the New World: An Over-All View,† Annals