13 - Approaching Medieval Women Mystics in the Twenty-first Century

Summary

IN teaching English literature, at various levels, I try in courses not ispecifically concerning women writers to include as many women's voices as I can. Despite much ground-breaking work that has uncovered many long-neglected women writers, in the early period, at least with respect to writers in English, the choice is still somewhat limited, and so one invariably turns to Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe. In a survey course aimed at introducing students to the literary tradition of English (the actual title of a course I have been asked to teach many times), women mystics – or any mystical writers, for that matter – offer a rather unusual, even strange, perspective. On the other hand, it is precisely because they are mystics – and women as well – that Julian and Margery are concerned with how they present themselves. Thus, including these writers in a ‘traditional’ survey course not only expands the range of the canon, but also introduces issues of gender, and, indeed, of genre as well. Since for some time students have been keen to discuss and learn about gender roles, one can capitalise on this interest in looking back at medieval women writers. In addition, perhaps in reaction to increasing secularisation in many Western societies, there is a growing interest in spirituality, and I have found that students respond with profound and genuine interest to the beliefs of the women mystics and to their devotional practices, many of which are gender-specific.

One of the first questions one deals with, then, is why there are so few women writers in the early period, and the circumstances that have allowed these particular women to be heard. This inevitably leads to a discussion of the structure and classification of society in medieval times: the estates, the distinct roles of men and women, the stages of life and the age at which maturity is reached, educational possibilities, sumptuary laws (which will have a bearing on Margery), and so on. Although women were generally responsible for the education of young children up to the age of seven, they were not afforded the same educational opportunities as men.