Keywords
medieval studies; female scribes; Iberian Peninsula; Holy Roman Empire; Las Huelgas; Kloster Seligenthal
Abstract
Within medieval studies, manuscripts and monastic culture and female scribes are becoming a well-studied topic, but the role of women in convents working as scribes in the Iberian Peninsula is not nearly as prevalent in the historiography. This may be attributed to a lack of surviving manuscripts, or a lack of resources devoted to the digitization and accessibility of the sources that do exist. Focusing on Cistercian convents on the Iberian Peninsula, including the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain, I use this case study to prove that there was significant scribal activity occurring in a female Cistercian house on the Iberian Peninsula, and that when compared to Cistercian houses in regions such as the Holy Roman Empire, there is no definitive reason to believe that they (and their female scribes) operated any differently. I compare digitized liturgical manuscripts from the Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas, produced during the 14th century, to surviving liturgical manuscripts from Kloster Seligenthal, located in modern-day Germany to showcase the range of monastic backgrounds while keeping two within the same religious order to provide a point of reference to analyze the extent of similarities or differences between the levels of activity occurring in these houses. This is worth noting because between the differences in religious order and the wealth of the patronage, many factors shaped the women who lived and worked as scribes in European convents during the early Middle Ages. There is a significance to the use of qualitative over quantitative, where there is a disconnect between the accuracy of the number of female scribes documented in quantitative reviews. This case study analyzes the understudied material manuscript culture of two works from a prominent Spanish house and compares that to a well-documented manuscript from a German house to establish that there are multiple points of similarity. Through this, I establish that not only did these female scribes exist at Las Huelgas and operate to a similarly high level as female scribes elsewhere, but that previous historiographical assumptions about these works being produced by men are incorrect.
Thesis Completion Year
2026
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Hudson, Alison
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
History
Thesis Discipline
History
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Gross, Aiyana K., "The Female Perspective: An Analysis Of Differences In Manuscript Culture Between Convents On The Iberian Peninsula And The Holy Roman Empire From 1300-1530" (2026). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 583.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/583
Included in
Accessibility Statement
This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.
Rights Statement
