Aspecte din istoria femeii: văduva în societatea medievală românească

Abstract

The subject of the present study is the status of the widows in the medieval society. In the Romanian Principalities widows were considered to be both the women whose husband had died and the divorced. From the moment of the divorce or the death of the husband, the widow obtained a status of independence in relation with the man. The new status brought her all the obligations of the “head of the family” in addition to the ones she already had: starting with managing the property up to defending her honor and the honor of the family. The widow was subject to all the adversities that existed in the patriarchal society. Most of the times, the widows went from a state of comfortable dependence to an independence marked by worries, responsibilities and poverty.