Advice concerning pregnancy and health in late medieval Europe: peasant women's wisdom in The Distaff Gospels. 2007

Kathleen Garay, and Madeleine Jeay
Arts and Science Programme, McMaster University.

This paper explores an area which has proven difficult for scholars to penetrate: women's popular wisdom concerning medical matters in the later medieval period. Contextualized within an examination of medieval medical texts both by and about women, our discussion focuses on a later 15th-century French work, The Distaff Gospels. This text, published recently in English for the first time since 1510, consists of more than 200 pieces of advice or "gospels," ostensibly conveyed to one another by a group of women who met together during the long winter evenings to spin. A significant portion of the advice might be considered "medical" in nature; it is grouped into two broad categories: pregnancy and health. We conclude that although our text is male mediated, it provides a reliable and valuable guide to peasant women's medical lore during this period.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008092 Literature, Medieval Writings originating in the 5th century A.D. through the 15h century. Medieval Literature,Literatures, Medieval,Medieval Literatures
D008519 Medicine, Traditional Systems of medicine based on cultural beliefs and practices handed down from generation to generation. The concept includes mystical and magical rituals (SPIRITUAL THERAPIES); PHYTOTHERAPY; and other treatments which may not be explained by modern medicine. Ethnomedicine,Folk Medicine,Folk Remedies,Home Remedies,Medicine, Folk,Medicine, Indigenous,Medicine, Primitive,Indigenous Medicine,Primitive Medicine,Traditional Medicine,Folk Remedy,Home Remedy,Remedies, Folk,Remedies, Home,Remedy, Folk,Remedy, Home
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D005060 Europe The continent north of AFRICA, west of ASIA and east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN. Northern Europe,Southern Europe,Western Europe
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016387 Women's Health The concept covering the physical and mental conditions of women. Woman's Health,Womens Health,Health, Woman's,Health, Women's,Health, Womens
D049691 History, Medieval The period of history from the year 500 through 1450 of the common era. Medieval History,History of Medicine, Medieval,History of Medicine, Renaissance,Medicine, Medieval History,Medicine, Renaissance,Medieval History (Medicine),Renaissance Medicine,Histories, Medieval (Medicine),History Medicine, Medieval,History, Medieval (Medicine),Medieval Histories (Medicine),Medieval History Medicine

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