Step back 1,000 years and discover the women who shaped the Middle Ages. Join expert tutor Dr. James Connelly for a friendly, relaxed evening course exploring the influential female figures who left their mark on the medieval world. Learners will examine the lives, actions, and lasting legacies of these extraordinary women.
This course focuses primarily on England and Europe from Anglo-Saxon England to the height of the Medieval Period. You will explore the ideals of rulership and Queenship as it evolved across time through the focus on specific women who cast a lasting shadow, such as: Æthelflæd the Lady of Mercians who led the charge against the Vikings, Queen Emma the Kingmaker of Early Medieval England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Queen of Two Kingdoms whose court was the center of poetry and culture in the Twelfth Century.
This course will explore the lives of medieval women, with each week focusing on a different queen or powerful woman from the period. The course will look beyond the stereotype of Medieval women and shed light on the fascinating and critically important roles these women played in making history. Each session will be a mixture of lecture-based discussion and group discussions around extracts of writing from the time, so learners can explore the lives and roles of women in the Middle Ages from the perspective of not just the people who were there, but the figures themselves!
Topics include:
Class discussions can be tailored to focus on specific figures or topics based on the preferences of the group.
No knowledge of history required, just an interest in the past and the love of a good story.
No equipment required – although a pen/paper or a laptop may be handy.
On completion, learners will have developed a greater appreciation for the past and a richer understanding of not only what happened but the people themselves. Learners wishing to progress may choose to study another of our short history courses.