Hello, I'm Dr. Eleanor Yannaga, and welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the

podcast that delves into the greatest millennium

the greatest mystery, the gob-smacking details,

and the latest groundbreaking research

from the Vikings to the Normans,

from Kings to Popes, to the Crusades.

We delve into the rebellions, plots, and murders

that tell us who we really were,

and how we got here. One of the reasons that myths about the medieval era can propagate

is that it was so long ago that we lose a lot of sources.

When we think and talk about medieval... long ago that we lose a lot of sources.

When we think and talk about medieval women, myths are maybe even more prevalent

because women were more likely to be illiterate,

or too busy working and being mothers to write.

And even when men did write about them, it's usually as an afterthought.

How are we supposed to know about medieval women's lives if we don't get to hear from or about them.

Luckily for all of us, Heada House has a new book out, Poet Mystic Widow Wife,

The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women, which looks at the literary output of

medieval women to help us tell about all of their complex and interesting lives.

I'm so excited to have here here today to talk to us about how women traveled, worked, engaged in

self-branding, and made friends, all while juggling with families and lives and social expectations.

Sound familiar?

...