For centuries, we have wondered what makes the ideal woman. Our modern ideal of what a woman should be has changed slightly over recent years, but how much have our ideas changed over time? The best way to see how our ideas have evolved over time is to examine how other eras of history viewed women. Take, for example, the Medieval era. What was it like to be an ideal medieval woman? How should women love, and how should they appear to men? In other words, how were medieval women supposed to be in a very male-dominated world? Eleanor Janega examines these questions in her book, “The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society.”

I have been following Eleanor Janega online for a few years now, and I have heard about this particular book, but I had yet to read it. I decided to give it a shot because I wanted to see what new information Janega would provide on the subject of medieval women.

As Janega explains in her introduction, this book is broken down into five sections: the ancient philosophy that influenced how medieval scholars viewed women, how men looked at women, how women were expected to love, women’s working roles in society, and why understanding how medieval women were viewed matters for the modern world. We begin with the philosophy of Greece and Rome, as well as ancient Christian theology, to better understand what medieval scholars thought of men and women and the opposite sex. We then look at different examples of women throughout history, like Eve, the Virgin Mary, and Helen of Troy, to show what the ideal standard of beauty was and what medieval motherhood was idolized.

We get to see how women were expected to make love and to express love towards their husbands in order to have children. But women did more than get married and have children. They had jobs, so Janega takes the time to explore different occupations women could do outside of the household for any class, from commoners to queens to even nuns. Finally, we explore how our views on women have changed and how, by studying medieval women, we can strive to build a better future for the women who come after us.

I found this a rather enjoyable read, full of tons of information that I did not know. It gave me a better appreciation for the women of the past. If you want to study more about medieval women, I highly recommend you read “The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society” by Eleanor Janega.