Women and Authority in Early Modern Spain : The Peasants of Galicia

While scholars have marvelled at how accused witches, mystical nuns, and aristocratic women understood and used their wealth, power, and authority to manipulate both men and institutions, most early modern women were not privileged by money or supernatural contacts. They led the routine and often difficult lives of peasant women and wives of soldiers and tradesmen. However, a lack of connections to the typical sources of authority did not mean that the majority of early modern women were completely disempowered. Women nd Authority in Early Modern Spain explores how peasant women in Galicia in north-western Spain came to have significant social and economic authority in a region characterized by extremely high rates of male migration. Using a wide array of archival documentation, including Inquisition records, wills, dowry contracts, folklore, and court cases, Poska examines how peasant women asserted and perceived their authority within the family and the community and how the large numbers of female-headed households in the region functioned in the absence of men. From sexual norms to property acquisition, Galician peasant women consistently defied traditional expectations of women's behaviour. While scholars have marvelled at how accused witches, mystical nuns, and aristocratic women understood and used their wealth, power, and authority to manipulate both men and institutions, most early modern women were not privileged by money or supernatural contacts. They led the routine and often difficult lives of peasant women and wives of soldiers and tradesmen. However, a lack of connections to the typical sources of authority did not mean that the majority of early modern women were completely disempowered. Women and Authority in Early Modern Spain explores how peasant women in Galicia in north-western Spain came to have significant social and economic authority in a region characterized by extremely high rates of male migration. Using a wide array of archival documentation, including Inquisition records, wills, dowry contracts, folklore, and court cases, Poska examines how peasant women asserted and perceived their authority within the family and the community and how the large numbers of female-headed households in the region functioned in the absence of men. From sexual norms to property aquisition, Galician peasant women consistently defied traditional expectations of women's behaviour. Women And Authority In Early Modern Spain Explores How Peasant Women In Galicia In North-western Spain Came To Have Significant Social And Economic Authority In A Region Characterized By Extremely High Rates Of Male Migration. Using A Wide Array Of Archival Documentation, Including Inquisition Records, Wills, Dowry Contracts, Folklore, And Court Cases. Poska Examines How Peasant Women Asserted And Perceived Their Authority Within The Family And The Community And How The Large Numbers Of Female-headed Households In The Region Functioned In The Absence Of Men. From Sexual Norms To Property Acquisition, Galician Peasant Women Consistently Defied Traditional Expectations Of Women's Behaviour.--jacket. Introduction : Gendering Peasant Society -- Women Without Men -- Single Women And Property -- Sex And The Single Woman -- 'a Married Man Is A Woman' : Gender Tensions In Galician Marriages -- Widowhood -- Modelling Female Authority -- Beyond Finisterre. Allyson M. Poska. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [247]-266) And Index. Using a wide array of archival documentation, including Inquisition records, wills, dowry contracts, folklore, and court cases, Poska examines how early modern Spanish peasant women asserted and perceived their authority within the family and community and how the large numbers of female-headed households in the region functioned in the absence of men. - ;While scholars have marvelled at how accused witches, mystical nuns, and aristocratic women understood and used their wealth, power, and authority to manipulate both men and institutions, most early modern women were not privileged by money o During the reign of Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE), the Greek geographer Strabo made an astounding assertion about the gender norms of the native peoples of north-western Spain: it is the custom among the Cantabrians for the husbands to give dowries to their wives, for the daughters to be left as heirs, and the brothers to be married off by their sisters.