C1 Refereed scientific book

Gendered Punishments in Medieval Nordic Law, ca. 1100-1300




AuthorsVogt, Helle; Korpiola, Mia; Mundal, Else; Tveit, Miriam Jensen

Publication year2025

Series titleGender and Power in the Premodern World

First page 1

Last page156

ISBN978-1-80270-184-5

eISBN978-1-80270-343-6

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingNo Open Access

Publication channel's open availability No Open Access publication channel

Web address https://www.arc-humanities.org/9781802701845/gendered-punishments-in-medieval-nordic-law-ca-11001300/


Abstract

This book examines gendered punishments in medieval Nordic laws, ca. 1100–1300. By exploring legislation on violence, sorcery, sexual morality, and theft, it considers whether women were seen as independent legal subjects or as extensions of their families. It identifies various gendered punishments and discriminatory treatments, revealing regional differences and the influence of European legal ideologies. It also uncovers an emphasis on individual culpability for crimes, reflecting a shift from collective to individual responsibility and women’s increasing property rights. This comparative analysis offers a nuanced view of medieval Nordic law, highlighting the complex relationship between gender, law, and society during this transformative period. It explains how criminal law was influenced by canon law and German town law and offers new insights into the legal history of the Nordic region.



Last updated on 27/01/2026 10:39:11 AM