Medieval marginalia
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Medieval marginalia
During the Middle Ages in Europe, women spent a significant part of every day spinning flax.
Medieval marginalia showed many women industriously at work with their distaffs. Such images sometimes compare the act of spinning flax with that of speaking or writing: note the lady above, spinning her thread as the gentleman unwinds his speech scroll, in this 14th century collection of Arthurian tales from the BnF.
Medieval marginalia showed many women industriously at work with their distaffs. Such images sometimes compare the act of spinning flax with that of speaking or writing: note the lady above, spinning her thread as the gentleman unwinds his speech scroll, in this 14th century collection of Arthurian tales from the BnF.