How medieval mothers took back control
From HistoryExtra Long Reads by History Extra
May 17, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 146
About this episode
This episode explores how medieval mothers challenged societal norms surrounding motherhood.
In the Middle Ages, the bearing and raising of children defined women’s lives. But, as this Long Read written by Elinor Cleghorn explains, there were women who had other ideas and boldly challenged attitudes towards motherhood. Today's feature originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Topics covered
- medieval mothers
- motherhood
- women's history
- Middle Ages
- social attitudes
- childbearing
- feminism
Keywords
- medieval
- mothers
- motherhood
- Elinor Cleghorn
- HistoryExtra
- women's lives
- social change
- attitudes
- childbearing
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: RNIB, HistoryExtra Magazine
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