Attitudes to Domestic Violence in Christian Europe

Summary

IN JULY OF 1470, Margrethe de Czyrzsko appeared before the consistory court to complain to the bishop about her treatment at the hands of Zephelth, a butler residing in the city of Poznań in western Poland. She recounted how on a certain day after the feast of St. Michael, Zephelth sought her out in the home of Helene Gnyewomirova and asked her to come with him to the lord's manor house to cut a measure of cloth. Once there, he guided her into the wine cellar, and violently knew her carnally. Afterwards, on multiple occasions, he came to the manor house and knew her carnally and beat her several times with blows and beatings, “as if she was his wife.” He also got her pregnant. In the end, it was the pregnancy that prompted her to come forward: she requested thirty marks in compensation so that she might raise and educate the child.

The court's verdict and sentence in this case has not survived; therefore, we do not know whether Margrethe won the bishop's sympathy and was awarded child support. Nevertheless, there is still much to be learned from this petition. Two elements in particular stand out. First, the severity of abuse Margrethe endured before seeking intervention raises doubts about the credibility of her suit. Either she genuinely believed the courts were unable to protect her from Zephelth, or her participation was more consensual than she was willing to concede. Second, and undoubtedly far more troubling, is Margarethe's depiction of this violent treatment as being typical of a marital relationship. Knowing that Margarethe was a single woman, we need to appreciate that her assessment is that of an outsider looking in. However, this offhand remark leaves us wondering whether wife battering was in fact such an identifiable trait of medieval marriage.

Domestic violence is not an easy subject to study for the Middle Ages. Not only have our definitions of the terminology changed fundamentally since that time, but medieval authorities have left us with nebulous, ill-defined statements as a guide. The church, in particular, equipped men and women for family life with highly contradictory advice. There are even more obstacles to obtaining a truthful picture of medieval family life when we turn our gaze from marriage to parenthood.