Women in Medieval Europe with Dr. Danielle Mead Skjelver

The Extreme History Project: The Dirt on the Past

Join us as we discuss women who followed medieval mercenary armies with Dr. Danielle Mead Skjelver. During the late medieval period, it was not uncommon for women to travel with mercenary armies, either as wives or as camp followers. These women often provided essential support services to the soldiers, such as cooking, cleaning, and nursing. Some women also took on more active roles, such as selling goods or even participating in battles. Dr. Skjelver has found in her research that these women had more agency and autonomy while engaged with these military campaigns. Dr. Danielle Mead Skjelver is a Professor of History at the University of Maryland Global Campus, which was founded to serve the U.S. Military. Skjelver serves as lead editor of History of Applied Science and Technology. The first of its kind, this open access textbook is digital, living in nature, and global in approach and authorship. She has produced scholarship on the intersection of gender, language, and power in 16th-century Europe. Join us for this fascinating discussion and learn more about the lives of women in late medieval Europe!