Europe is in turmoil. The lands are fragmented into petty fiefs, the emperor struggles with the Pope, and the Holy Father declares that all those who go to liberate the Holy Land will be freed of their sins. This is the time for greatness, the time to create the most powerful dynasty of medieval Europe. In the dark ages of Medieval Europe in the universally acclaimed strategy/RPG you need to protect your dynasty at all costs from characters that each want to kill you in gruesome ways, where loyalties shift and alliances are broken in glorious medieval detail.
We are proud to present a few of the women that changed the Medieval Era:
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) - How I Changed the World:
At France’s lowest hour in the Hundred Years’ War, I became a symbol of hope and national pride. Guided by visions and the hand of God, I inspired French troops to break the siege of Orleans and win a series of battles against the invaders. My importance to the French people was so great that our enemies specifically targeted me for capture and execution. I was only a teenage girl, but became a saint and one of my country’s greatest heroines.
You May Not Know This: My troop deployment at Troyes was considered “expert’ by the celebrated General Dunois, and the city surrendered the next day.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) - How I Changed the World:
I married two kings, sired three kings and bore two queens. But my greatness lay in how I challenged the traditional roles of queens in the 12th century by standing for my own lands and fighting for my own prominence at court. On my own, as Duchess of Aquitaine, I took up the cross for the Second Crusade. My “court of love” at Poitiers became a cultural center for troubadours and popularized the ideas of courtly love and chivalry – to be expected from someone as educated and well-spoken as I was. I encouraged my sons by the English king to plot against him and ensure the power of the French territories in the Angevin crown.
You May Not Know This: Well into middle age, I was considered one of the most beautiful women in Europe.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) - How I Changed the World:
I was one of the 12th century’s leading scholars and writers. My mystic visions were given papal sanction as “divinely inspired” and my transcriptions of what I saw have become classic works of faith and revelation. My “visionary” scholarship explored the relationship between man and God, from Creation to the Resurrection. I was also a celebrated religious composer and scholar of medicine and language. My achievements are such that I was the fourth woman to be named a Doctor of the Church, so honored by Benedict XVI in 2012.
You May Not Know This: I invented my own alphabet system and wrote in a new form of Latin to help solidify the unity between me and my sisters at the convent.
Christine de Pizan (1364-1430) - How I Changed the World:
Now seen as one of the first feminist writers of note, I wrote 40 works over three decades, many questioning the assumptions about the place of women in medieval society. I engaged in debates with male authors and pioneered techniques of rhetoric and satire that became cornerstones of literary style. My City of Ladies posited a parallel world where women were honored and not oppressed or considered chattel, where feminine reason and instinct were celebrated and respected. I supported myself on the proceeds of my writing and through the beneficence of patrons.
You May Not Know This: My sponsors included Philip the Bold of Burgundy and Isabel of Bavaria.
Empress Matilda (1102-1167) - How I Changed the World:
Though my example was used as a warning by the desperate Henry VIII centuries later, I was a legitimate claimant to the throne of England. Widowed at 23 on the death of the Holy Roman Emperor, I returned to my homeland and was named the heir to the English crown by my father. On his death, my cousin Stephen took the throne and I was forced to call on nobles that had sworn their allegiance to me and my father. Never officially crowned Queen, I led a rebellion that persisted throughout the reign of my rival. I remained unchallenged in Normandy, and my son Henry II, ascended to the throne of both lands on Stephen’s death.
You May Not Know This: My claim to the throne was challenged on the grounds that my mother was a nun, and therefore ineligible for marriage.
Joanna I of Naples (1326-1382) - How I Changed the World:
Queen of Naples, Countess of Provence, Princess of Achaea, Queen of Jerusalem, Queen of Sicily…for 40 years I was at the center of European politics. A devoted administrator who became involved in the details of rule, I was the model monarch of the 14th century. Crowned in my own right in 1344, I faced down intrigue and invasions while building a lavish court filled with eastern delights and one of the best public health systems in Europe, possibly inspired by the Neapolitan experience with the plague.
You May Not Know This: The controversy over my coronation and the competing Hungarian claims to Naples were only ended when disease devastated the invading Hungarian army.
Hroswitha of Gandersheim (935-1002) - How I Changed the World:
I was a secular poet and dramatist of the early middle ages, and one of the first playwrights of the post-classical era. Though I was a nun and lived in a Bavarian abbey, my works were not necessarily religious in nature. Even my religious themed works, like a play on the conversion of Constantine, did more dramatically than simply evangelize. My comedies were so popular that they superseded those of Terence in some regions. Though people doubted that a woman would have the talent to write these highly praised works, I held that God’s inspiration could touch anyone. I wrote Gallicanus as a plea to let women live their own lives, free from interference.
You May Not Know This: My heroic poem in honor of Emperor Otto I was a commission from the throne through my abbess, evidence of how highly my work was esteemed.
Trota of Salerno (fl. 1140s – 1160s) - How I Changed the World:
My work was long forgotten, subsumed into a compendium of medical texts known as the Trotula. But recent scholarship has rediscovered my voice as one of the earliest doctors of gynecological medicine. I recommended sedatives like opium for women in labor (despite church teachings), wrote about menstrual issues and advised on cosmetics. I was recognized as a major medical authority in my time, teaching at the University in Salerno, but it took centuries for my contributions to be distinguished from the mass of materials that accumulated under a collective name.
You May Not Know This: In the Renaissance, it was doubted that I even existed, and Trotula was understood as a corruption of a classical term, since the learning was too advanced to come from the Dark Ages – it had to be Roman or Greek.
View attachment Ck2_Pregnant_woman_4.png
Arwa al-Sulayhi (1048-1138) - How I Changed the World:
I ruled Yemen in my own right for 71 years, directing every major activity within the kingdom. I was honored with a high religious title and sent Ismailist Shi’ite missionaries to India to help spread the word of the Prophet. Throughout my reign, I invested heavily in the people of Yemen, building road and schools and expanding the grand mosque of Sana’a. I relocated our capital to Jibla for strategic reasons and made it a new religious center. I am buried in Jibla, near the mosque I built and pilgrims still come to pay respect.
You May Not Know This : It was under my rule that Yemen broke itself from the yoke of the Fatimid Caliphate and established its independence.
Anne Komnene (1083-1153) - How I Changed the World:
Educated with all the assets available to a Byzantine princess, I became one of the most important historians of the middle ages. Forced into a convent because I insisted on my rights to the throne of Constantinople, I devoted my time in retirement to a history of my father Alexios I. Though colored by my own poor treatment at the hands of my family, The Alexiad has become an essential resource for understanding the Byzantine court, Byzantine military systems and the politics of the 11th and 12th centuries. But I was no mere bookworm; before my exile I ran a major hospital in Constantinople and trained medical staff.
You May Not Know This: My account of the First Crusade is the only surviving text from a Greek pen.
View attachment CrusaderKingsII_LegacyofRome_Byzantine_Princess.png
Many were called, few were chosen.
Can you recall other strong women of the Medieval Era,
Then please make your voice heard and post in this thread!
Want to read about women from different eras?
Europa Universalis IV – How we changed the world
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...a-Universalis-IV-%96-How-we-changed-the-world
Hearts of Iron IV: How we changed the world
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?760924-Hearts-of-Iron-IV-How-we-changed-the-world
The Women of the Victorian era that changed history
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...n-of-the-Victorian-era-that-changed-the-world
Runemaster – The Stories of Women from Norse Mythology
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...%96-The-Stories-of-Women-from-Norse-Mythology
We are proud to present a few of the women that changed the Medieval Era:
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) - How I Changed the World:
At France’s lowest hour in the Hundred Years’ War, I became a symbol of hope and national pride. Guided by visions and the hand of God, I inspired French troops to break the siege of Orleans and win a series of battles against the invaders. My importance to the French people was so great that our enemies specifically targeted me for capture and execution. I was only a teenage girl, but became a saint and one of my country’s greatest heroines.
You May Not Know This: My troop deployment at Troyes was considered “expert’ by the celebrated General Dunois, and the city surrendered the next day.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) - How I Changed the World:
I married two kings, sired three kings and bore two queens. But my greatness lay in how I challenged the traditional roles of queens in the 12th century by standing for my own lands and fighting for my own prominence at court. On my own, as Duchess of Aquitaine, I took up the cross for the Second Crusade. My “court of love” at Poitiers became a cultural center for troubadours and popularized the ideas of courtly love and chivalry – to be expected from someone as educated and well-spoken as I was. I encouraged my sons by the English king to plot against him and ensure the power of the French territories in the Angevin crown.
You May Not Know This: Well into middle age, I was considered one of the most beautiful women in Europe.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) - How I Changed the World:
I was one of the 12th century’s leading scholars and writers. My mystic visions were given papal sanction as “divinely inspired” and my transcriptions of what I saw have become classic works of faith and revelation. My “visionary” scholarship explored the relationship between man and God, from Creation to the Resurrection. I was also a celebrated religious composer and scholar of medicine and language. My achievements are such that I was the fourth woman to be named a Doctor of the Church, so honored by Benedict XVI in 2012.
You May Not Know This: I invented my own alphabet system and wrote in a new form of Latin to help solidify the unity between me and my sisters at the convent.
Christine de Pizan (1364-1430) - How I Changed the World:
Now seen as one of the first feminist writers of note, I wrote 40 works over three decades, many questioning the assumptions about the place of women in medieval society. I engaged in debates with male authors and pioneered techniques of rhetoric and satire that became cornerstones of literary style. My City of Ladies posited a parallel world where women were honored and not oppressed or considered chattel, where feminine reason and instinct were celebrated and respected. I supported myself on the proceeds of my writing and through the beneficence of patrons.
You May Not Know This: My sponsors included Philip the Bold of Burgundy and Isabel of Bavaria.
Empress Matilda (1102-1167) - How I Changed the World:
Though my example was used as a warning by the desperate Henry VIII centuries later, I was a legitimate claimant to the throne of England. Widowed at 23 on the death of the Holy Roman Emperor, I returned to my homeland and was named the heir to the English crown by my father. On his death, my cousin Stephen took the throne and I was forced to call on nobles that had sworn their allegiance to me and my father. Never officially crowned Queen, I led a rebellion that persisted throughout the reign of my rival. I remained unchallenged in Normandy, and my son Henry II, ascended to the throne of both lands on Stephen’s death.
You May Not Know This: My claim to the throne was challenged on the grounds that my mother was a nun, and therefore ineligible for marriage.
Joanna I of Naples (1326-1382) - How I Changed the World:
Queen of Naples, Countess of Provence, Princess of Achaea, Queen of Jerusalem, Queen of Sicily…for 40 years I was at the center of European politics. A devoted administrator who became involved in the details of rule, I was the model monarch of the 14th century. Crowned in my own right in 1344, I faced down intrigue and invasions while building a lavish court filled with eastern delights and one of the best public health systems in Europe, possibly inspired by the Neapolitan experience with the plague.
You May Not Know This: The controversy over my coronation and the competing Hungarian claims to Naples were only ended when disease devastated the invading Hungarian army.
Hroswitha of Gandersheim (935-1002) - How I Changed the World:
I was a secular poet and dramatist of the early middle ages, and one of the first playwrights of the post-classical era. Though I was a nun and lived in a Bavarian abbey, my works were not necessarily religious in nature. Even my religious themed works, like a play on the conversion of Constantine, did more dramatically than simply evangelize. My comedies were so popular that they superseded those of Terence in some regions. Though people doubted that a woman would have the talent to write these highly praised works, I held that God’s inspiration could touch anyone. I wrote Gallicanus as a plea to let women live their own lives, free from interference.
You May Not Know This: My heroic poem in honor of Emperor Otto I was a commission from the throne through my abbess, evidence of how highly my work was esteemed.
Trota of Salerno (fl. 1140s – 1160s) - How I Changed the World:
My work was long forgotten, subsumed into a compendium of medical texts known as the Trotula. But recent scholarship has rediscovered my voice as one of the earliest doctors of gynecological medicine. I recommended sedatives like opium for women in labor (despite church teachings), wrote about menstrual issues and advised on cosmetics. I was recognized as a major medical authority in my time, teaching at the University in Salerno, but it took centuries for my contributions to be distinguished from the mass of materials that accumulated under a collective name.
You May Not Know This: In the Renaissance, it was doubted that I even existed, and Trotula was understood as a corruption of a classical term, since the learning was too advanced to come from the Dark Ages – it had to be Roman or Greek.
View attachment Ck2_Pregnant_woman_4.png
Arwa al-Sulayhi (1048-1138) - How I Changed the World:
I ruled Yemen in my own right for 71 years, directing every major activity within the kingdom. I was honored with a high religious title and sent Ismailist Shi’ite missionaries to India to help spread the word of the Prophet. Throughout my reign, I invested heavily in the people of Yemen, building road and schools and expanding the grand mosque of Sana’a. I relocated our capital to Jibla for strategic reasons and made it a new religious center. I am buried in Jibla, near the mosque I built and pilgrims still come to pay respect.
You May Not Know This : It was under my rule that Yemen broke itself from the yoke of the Fatimid Caliphate and established its independence.
Anne Komnene (1083-1153) - How I Changed the World:
Educated with all the assets available to a Byzantine princess, I became one of the most important historians of the middle ages. Forced into a convent because I insisted on my rights to the throne of Constantinople, I devoted my time in retirement to a history of my father Alexios I. Though colored by my own poor treatment at the hands of my family, The Alexiad has become an essential resource for understanding the Byzantine court, Byzantine military systems and the politics of the 11th and 12th centuries. But I was no mere bookworm; before my exile I ran a major hospital in Constantinople and trained medical staff.
You May Not Know This: My account of the First Crusade is the only surviving text from a Greek pen.
View attachment CrusaderKingsII_LegacyofRome_Byzantine_Princess.png
Many were called, few were chosen.
Can you recall other strong women of the Medieval Era,
Then please make your voice heard and post in this thread!
Want to read about women from different eras?
Europa Universalis IV – How we changed the world
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...a-Universalis-IV-%96-How-we-changed-the-world
Hearts of Iron IV: How we changed the world
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?760924-Hearts-of-Iron-IV-How-we-changed-the-world
The Women of the Victorian era that changed history
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...n-of-the-Victorian-era-that-changed-the-world
Runemaster – The Stories of Women from Norse Mythology
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...%96-The-Stories-of-Women-from-Norse-Mythology
Last edited:
