Women at War in the Middle Ages
Was there a place for women in war?
There are many mysteries in history. Some are due to a lack of solid evidence, others biased sources and some are due to the modern historian’s lack of interest. But the subject of women in war is rare in that it suffers from all of these and the question, of ‘did women engage in war in the Medieval period’ remains frustratingly unclear.
Women and War
I deliberately use the phrase ‘engage in war’ here rather than ‘fight in battle’ for reasons that will soon become clear, but this is not to say that some women did not fight on the battlefield (more on them in a moment). War has always been complicated and the Medieval period was no different. Large scale, international wars like the crusades were immense logistical feats, sometimes requiring years of planning. Any king risked not only the financial stability of his kingdom but also his throne, and it’s not uncommon to find a younger brother usurping the throne in the king’s absence — as King John did to the famous Richard the Lionheart in the 1190s.
Medieval armies were more than just the soldiers though. A vast number of horses and livestock were brought, and many soldiers would also bring their children, and yes, their wives too. Add to this a veritable second army of other camp followers like…
