Book Review: Femina by Janina Ramirez

Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It by Janina Ramirez

The subtitle of this book is very click-baity. The book does not provide a history of the Middle Ages, just biographies of influential women who had an impact on that time and beyond. In the introduction, the author explains that she is not re-writing or revising history. Rather, she is highlighting women who have been left out for one reason or another. Ramirez identifies two major sources for side-lining historically significant women. First is the Protestant Reformation. With the Reformation, most convents were closed, shutting off an avenue for women (typically rich women) to be educated and have an influence over society. Also, she quotes Martin Luther and John Calvin saying women should "stay at home." Second is Victorian England. The Victorians adopted the "great man" theory of history, looking at the men who made England great and influenced history, a process that cherry-picks examples to justify their empire. A lot of holes were left in the historical record, holes that are ignored or deemed "unimportant." 

Ramirez looks at some of these holes. Some are more famous figures like Hildegard of Bingen, a twelfth-century German nun who was arguably the greatest intellectual polymath of her day (like Leonardo da Vinci later on). Others are less famous but more recent discoveries. The Birka Warrior was a female Viking whose tomb was discovered in the 1970s but only in the 2010s were the bones positively identified as female. She was buried with many weapons and other indications of a life full of fighting. Without written records, historians have had to team with archaeologists and others to uncover facts and details about the Birka Warrior's life. Ramirez writes in rich details, describing the lives of these women using every resource available.

On the other hand, Ramirez bends over backwards not to be judgmental. She praises Hildegard and Jadwiga, the first monarch of Poland, both strong Catholics promoting the faith. She also praises the Cathars, a religious movement in southern France that fought against Catholics, who are portrayed as oppressors. Margery Kempe, an English woman, cycled through a lot of businesses before becoming a mystic visionary, though the way Ramirez describes her, it's hard not to see Kempe as a bit of a charlatan. Certainly, some people who influenced history did not have a positive impact. It's important to see the "warts and all" of both men and women.

The book ends with the discovery of a court record from medieval London where a man was passing himself off as a woman and working as a prostitute. He served both men and women. Even though his activities were illegal, the court record seems like the authorities were looking to discredit or expose his clients rather than to prosecute him. While Ramirez says it's wrong to impose the concept of "transgenderism" on past people, she does refer to him by the female name he used and uses "they" to refer to this individual. In a book that's highlighting the role of women in history, especially of women who were written out or overwritten (i.e. when men take credit for an idea or action that a woman did), including a man posing as a woman is a very strange final example. 

While this book has a lot of value, I think a reader needs to be alert and discerning about the content.

Mildly recommended.