Renaissance Woman: Internet Links

These links are grouped according to the same themes as the course, with a few other categories thrown in. Some overlapping is inevitable, but consider this only a start. If you have or find a site that should be on this list, email me acarr@alleg.edu.

Introduction: What is the Renaissance?

• For the purposes of this class, the "renaissance" is broadly conceived to cover the period from 1350-1600. However, the earlier part of that period falls into the traditional timespan alloted to the Middle Ages. For all things medieval, see the mammoth site known as the Labyrinth Older versions of the Labyrinth Georgetown University maintains this site that collects links to things medieval, including images, scholarly databases, professional societies, and more.
  
• The Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index is a guide to scholarship on women, gender and sexuality, covering journals, books reviews and essays from many disciplines. Begun in 1995, with over 7000 articles indexed already. In some cases, full text is available.
• There is no equivalent resource for the Renaissance proper, but you might try the collection of links on Yahoo: Renaissance History. The Renaissance Women Online is a subsection of Brown's collection of women writers online.
• Jack Lynch of Rutgers collects Renaissance Literary Sources online, including links to cultural and historical sites.

Introduction: What is Woman?

• WSSLINKS Women and Gender Studies Web Sites
• Feminist Theory and Feminist Jurisprudence on the Web. Source apparently unavailable

Mary: Alone of All Her Sex?

The Catholic Encyclopedia online contains articles on Mary. Check the index for the Letter M, also the Assumption, The Mary Page is maintained by the Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton in Ohio. See Resources especially Women's Ordination This site presents the case for ordaining women in the Catholic Church. Among the useful documentation on this site, see the chapter from Uta Ranke-Heinemann's book Eunuchs for Heaven Female Blood: The Ancient Taboo and its Christian Consequences , Discussion of the "latent tradition" of Mary as a Priest Saints Catholic Online Saints, including Mary Magdalene, St. Bridget of Sweden Mary Magdalene: "Where sin abounded, there did grace much more abound" The Catholic Encyclopedia online contains an article on St Mary Magdalene Bridget of Sweden, among other Saints. For sources and bibliography on Sts Bridget, Clare of Assisi, Catherine of Genoa, and St Catherine of Siena, see the Women of Medieval Europe and women of Early Modern Europe sections of Paul Halsall's Medieval Sourcebook. Religious Women, a list of contemporary communities, with links to websites.

The Priesthood of the Virgin (Mary Presenting the Eucharist) French School, 1437 Louvre Museum

Eve and her Daughters: The power of women

• Life of Adam and Eve , an electronic edition of an apocryphal version of the text dating between 3rd-7th centuries. Scholarly, with reference to the Genesis versions.
• Temptation of Adam and Eve: Images Alan Humm maintains this topics page. Also see his site on Lilith.
• And Adam Knew Eve, A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible. Bibliography included, page by Ronald Ecker.
• Sexual Relations in Renaissance Europe is an essay by Mormon Garn LeBaron Jr, with bibliography. (Not currently available)
• Women as witches? Check out the Witchcraft Bibliography Project site, now maintained by Jonathan Durrant, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History, University of Glamorgan.
• Early Modern Europe: The Witch Hunts is an excellent site that collects both primary documents and secondary sources.

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Venus and Dame Venus: Classicism and Courtly Love

• Perseus Project is a digital library of things classical, including ancient sources on the Goddess and also some Renaissance materials (although this database is in its early stages). Website is searchable.
• Planetenkinder , features a facsimile of the popular 15th-century blockbook that outlined the traits of people born under the influence of the seven planets, including Venus. Marianne Hansen's informative text discusses aspects of printing and astrology.

Real Women: The Heroic, Ravishing, Noble, and Ordinary

• Danuta Bois maintains a site on distinguished women, including the saintly Joan of Arc, historic rulers, Renaissance artists, and author Christine de Pizan, with links to similar biographical webpages.
• Individual Renaissance women have sites devoted to them: St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), author Aemilia Lanyer (1569-1645), including texts of her works).
• Mantuan palaces, including the areas built by Isabella d'Este and decorated by major Renaissance artists.
• Medieval Women: An Interactive Exploration This used to be a site called SYBILS.
• 4000 Years of Women in Science
• Sarah Whitworth's pages document Early Music by Women Composers, including a CD-discography

Marriage: Business as Usual?

• Would you believe that there is Medieval and Renaissance Wedding Information page? Geared to someone planning a neo-medieval wedding, to be sure, but full of scholarly information as well as menus and dress designs. There is also a lot of information on a Medieval, Celtic and Norse section of this huge wedding site.
• Shakespeare's play Taming of the Shrew raises questions about marriage. The Bard is definitely online. Consult the e-texts Play texts directly. Or have a look at the various sites, including the reconstructed theater Shakespeare's Globe, or Shakespeare Alive! . There's even a link to the famous TV parody of Shrew on Moonlighting.

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