In which (recorded) history barely passes the Bechdel test

[zeborah]

Awesome website: Epistolae, subtitled "Medieval Women's Latin Letters" though there are some in medieval French too. English translations are provided. They're letters (and some charters) written either by or to medieval women. I scanned through looking for some which are both by and to women, and found... fewer. On the order of a dozen out of a thousand-odd?

Anyway, my favourites were:

• Paula and Eustochium to Marcella, arguing that she should totes come join them in Jerusalem, with proof. One of the reasons this is my favourite is because some idiot guy has apparently said, "Well, obviously this was actually written by Jerome under their name," because, you know, it's all scholarly and stuff, women wouldn't have been able to do that!
• Hrotsvit dedicating a book to Gerberga and talking about how Rikkardis (also a woman) and Gerberga taught her.
• Elfed to Adolana regarding N's journey to Rome - all three abbesses

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

because some idiot guy has apparently said, "Well, obviously this was actually written by Jerome under their name," because, you know, it's all scholarly and stuff, women wouldn't have been able to do that!

Sigh...