Female Widowhood in the Construction of Kinship among Christians in al-Andalus
In: Medieval EncountersSearch for other papers by Ana Echevarría in
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Abstract
The situation of widows was a serious problem in the multi-religious societies resulting from the first Islamic conquests, both among the elite and in the lower echelons of society, where poverty stalked those women who did not have a protective and supportive family environment. Several possibilities were open to Christian widows at the time of their insertion into the new society: their entry into a monastery, a solution that did not suit the reproductive strategies of either group; or several kinds of marriage: within the same social and religious group, or with Muslim conquerors, bringing them into the host society. The few testimonies from chronical sources will be analyzed in contrast to legal treatises, fatwa compilations, Islamic legal formularies, and canon collections produced by Andalusi Christians to obtain a perspective from both sides. The dynamics of these sources, which show the evolution from the 8th to the 11th century, will help us to understand the continuity of Christian religious practices in Andalusi society and the role of widows in Medieval families.
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Female Widowhood in the Construction of Kinship among Christians in al-Andalus
In: Medieval EncountersSearch for other papers by Ana Echevarría in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The situation of widows was a serious problem in the multi-religious societies resulting from the first Islamic conquests, both among the elite and in the lower echelons of society, where poverty stalked those women who did not have a protective and supportive family environment. Several possibilities were open to Christian widows at the time of their insertion into the new society: their entry into a monastery, a solution that did not suit the reproductive strategies of either group; or several kinds of marriage: within the same social and religious group, or with Muslim conquerors, bringing them into the host society. The few testimonies from chronical sources will be analyzed in contrast to legal treatises, fatwa compilations, Islamic legal formularies, and canon collections produced by Andalusi Christians to obtain a perspective from both sides. The dynamics of these sources, which show the evolution from the 8th to the 11th century, will help us to understand the continuity of Christian religious practices in Andalusi society and the role of widows in Medieval families.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 397 | 77 | 5 |
| Full Text Views | 51 | 5 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 115 | 15 | 0 |
