Document Type
Monograph
Description
In medieval England, women in labor wrapped birth girdles around their abdomens to protect themselves and their unborn children. These parchment or paper rolls replicated the “girdle relics” of the Virgin Mary and other saints loaned to queens and noblewomen, extending childbirth protection to women of all classes. This book examines the texts and images of nine English birth girdles produced between the reigns of Richard II and Henry VIII. Cultural artifacts of lay devotion within the birthing chamber, the birth girdles offered the solace and promise of faith to the parturient woman and her attendants amid religious dissent, political upheaval, recurring epidemics, and the onset of print.
Publication Date
6-3-2024
Publisher
Medieval Institute Publications
City
Kalamazoo
ISBN
9781501518140
Keywords
Virgin Mary - cult and worship; women – childbirth; devotional objects; England – religious life and customs; England – history
Disciplines
Medieval Studies | Women's History | Women's Studies
Citation for Published Book
Morse, Mary. English Birth Girdles: Devotions for Women in “Travell of Childe." Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications, 2024.
Comments
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Additional formats available:
E-book (PDF): 9781501513909
E-book (EPUB): 9781501514005