Giftermål, födslovåndor och trovärdiga vittnen : Kvinnosynen i medeltida mirakelberättelser

Sammanfattning: The object of this study of medieval miracles is to illuminate how women were viewed in medieval Sweden through analysis of testimonies to miracles and the canonization processes, marriage, the part the mother and the father respectively had in their children’s lives, how work is split, and how people are characterized. To achieve this, two methods are used. One is a hermeneutic method, which is a qualitative method where texts are analysed with focus on the cultural and social ideas of the period in question. The other method is a quantitative one which is used to count the male and female witnesses respectively, as well as the adjectives used to describe the witnesses. The source material being used is medieval miracle collections as well as the witness inquiries from two canonization processes. Additionally, texts written by Anders Fröjmark, Nina Sjöberg, Yvonne Hirdman, Ann-Sofie Ohlander and Ulla-Britt Strömberg among others helps complete the analysis. The study finds that the women are subordinated to the men in the social hierarchy and the results mostly agree with the results of previous research.