But they were the exception rather than the rule.
Those who argue that women were oppressed during this time point to the heiresses and widows who were forced to marry by their male relatives so that they could claim her wealth for their own, and such things did certainly occur.
There were of course exceptions heiresses and widows could manage their lands in their own right and be considered the legal owner. Their wealth and property was owned on their behalf by their father until they married upon which it became the concern of her husband. As a general rule they could not hold their own land, or for that matter anything of their own. Women of the time were restricted by law in many ways. There are almost no mentions of women acting as soldiers or leading armies in the medieval West, but that would make for a very short video game if you showed up and were immediately told to go home. In Calradia, while women are not unheard of as soldiers they are generally confined to a domestic sphere the latter of which accurately reflects the medieval world. Whereas men can befriend noblewomen which can then prompt them to work in their favour, increasing their relationships with other lords, dialogue between two women is limited to who are you and where is your husband? If you want to impress a lord you have to do it yourself which in itself is harder as a woman. Your dialogue options with other women especially, are extremely limited. As a woman you are faced with a struggle to be taken seriously, even after you have distinguished yourself many times over. As the medieval world was dominated by men, the game is that much harder ot play as a female character, something which the game warns you of when you choose this option. The game is praised for its realism and the believable way in which society is presented (altered somewhat to make a fun video game). Hell, maybe I will protect your villages from bandits and raiding parties, keep you army fed, protect your king’s interests, garrison castles, maintain your household, and I’ll stop now, you probably get the picture. After statting up your character you can go on to raise an army, gain support from neighbouring lords, engage in political intrigue, manage fiefs, I could go on.
Set in the fictional kingdom of Calradia during the 13th century this ARPG is practically a medieval simulator. I’ve written before about how the games Mount and Blade and its sequel, Warband, are a, shall we say challenging, experience for the female character.
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