SOURCE: "Hroswitha of Gandersheim and the Destiny of Women," The Historian, Vol. XLI, No. 3, February, 1979, pp. 295-314.

In the following essay, Frankforter studies Hroswitha's dramatic exploration of the sources and models of spiritual strength available to women in Medieval society.

There is a substantial fund of medieval literature which is relevant to the study of the roles, models, and ideals which medieval European society endorsed for women. Most of it was written by men whose educations and vocations gave them a limited capacity for the appreciation of women,' and it suggests that the medieval world was often rather harsh in its criticism of females. The version of the Christian faith which dominated the West during the Middle Ages promoted ascetic attitudes which were frequently pessimistic about feminine potentials,² and feudal society produced few women whose achievements in positions of power and respect could give the lie to...