I'm in the beginning stages of planning out my undergraduate thesis and I'm looking for topic suggestions. I have a general idea of the direction I want to go, but because a lot of aspects of women's lives in the Middle Ages are hard to research, I'd like to consider some additional options before I meet with my advisor.
What are your favorite topics from this time? What areas do you feel aren't over-saturated with research already? What areas do you wish more people knew about? What is your favorite story? Favorite badass individual? Weird, quirky, or funny stories? I want to hear it all. Additionally, any book or article recommendations would be more than welcomed - bonus points if you know of any relevant primary source material.
For context: I am a women's history major specializing in medieval to early modern Europe (mostly medieval), with minors in Criminology and Psychology. I'm very interested in areas dealing with reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, midwifery, paganism/non-Abrahamic religions, rebellious women, BIPOC living in western Europe during these periods, and LGBT individuals and issues - specifically the persecution and punishment of LGBT folks within ecclesiastical or secular courts, or due to vigilantism.
Thanks in advance!
Wow, you've got a smorgasbord of choices! Have you ever heard of Eleanor Rykener? Google that case. The actual document is translated by Boyd and Karras. If you are interested and need specific citations, email me directly: mrichbooklover@gmail.com.
If you're interested in health and reproduction, check out the work of Monica Green, particularly her book Making Women's Medicine Masculine (2008). Much of her early work (she's now working on other topics) is centered on the sources for women's health in the Middle Ages.
Elaine Leong (Recipes and Everyday Knowledge, 2018) and colleagues are doing really cool stuff with medieval recipe books. The late Middle Ages is where we can start to see women's own recipes and works because they're literate enough to write down recipes and share them with each other. It's fascinating stuff.
Good luck! I hope you find a topic you really like!