Women on the Road -- Long ago

[davidson]

Someone mentioned Diana Webb's book. She has written/edited a couple of very
good books on medieval pilgrims, and in one of them she has translated
letters, portions of narratives, references  to medievl pilgrimages in
medieval sources. I don't have the data with me about them, but I know that I
reviewed at least one, but probably both, in ne of the Friends Newsletters in
the last 3 years.

Jonathan Sumption's great book, __Pilgrimage: An Image of Mediaeval Religion
--originally published in 1975 but I believe has been republished recently --
has fantastic and well documented material. I can't remember for sure if he
discusses women on pilgrimage roads specifically.

In the 1994 annotated bibliography, Maryjane & I have only 1 source directly
related to the theme:
<arta Gpmza;ez Vazqiez/  __Las mujeres de la Edad Media y el Camino de
Santiago. Compostela: Xunta de Galicia, 1989.
Here's our annotation:
*Finally, a work which examines a group of "lost" pilgrims: medieval women.
Although not an exhaustive study of women pilgrims and their motives, this
study is a good beginning. Queens, noblewomen, and saints traveled to
Compostela, singly, in family groups, as penitents' and in secret. Women also
donated land or money, founded hospitals and chapels, cared for pilgrims, etc.
118 pp; illus; bibl. in notes


I have 3 data to add, 1 vague, the other specific:

In the late 11th century a Hospital was founded in Pamplona and t was open
only to women. This attests to the obvious presence of women -- traveling
alone?, or perhaps better said, not with men, --  on the Road.

The 22 miracles of the Liber Sancti Jacobi, compiled in the 12th century, uses
women several times which is another obvious clue that women were on the Road.

Finally, I have a vague memory of having written somewhere about a couple from
Germany who had to stop a couple of days because the wife gave birth to their
son. I remember this being the late 15th century and I want to say Estella,
but that's not it.

Hope these help those wondering about women on the Road in medieval times.

Linda Davidson