Women during the Reformation

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A wife was expected to be a companion to her husband, but she was always his subordinate and the object of restrictive regulations imposed by him and other male authorities. Obedience was demanded by husbands, and women were restricted in what they wore, in what they said, and in where they went. Most legal codes acknowledged the husband's right to beat his wife without impunity and often with the approval of the community. A divorce was practically impossible to get, except under very rare circumstances, and was then only available to the wealthy. As a result, these marriages were often loveless and filled with flirtations, illicit affairs, and adultery.

Poor women were denied any formal education. Middle and upper class women were taught to be silent, obedient, and to perform household tasks. The goals of education for these women were to guide them to develop a concept of marriage in which the man was the boss, and to train her in those skills most useful in becoming a proper housewife. She was taught to look after the children, care for the home, make clothing for her family, and also tend to the livestock. Apart from being a housewife, the only other choices were a life of prostitution or a life devoted to God, but even these options were not available if a woman was involved in an arranged marriage.

Women who practiced folk medicine, folk charms or chanting, spoke out against the church or challenged its authority, or just did not fit in, were often accused of being witches. They were accused of meeting regularly with the devil, flying on a broomstick rubbed with bat's blood, or dancing naked. The accused would be asked how long she had been a witch, and if she chose to deny the accusation she was tortured until she answered the questions to the satisfaction of the examiner. She was then repeatedly tortured until she confessed. The punishment for being a witch was death by strangulation, drowning, public burnings, or even being beheaded.

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