Saxon Female Monasticism c.852–1024

Abstract The suggestion that early medieval Saxon female monasticism is unique or exceptional for its intensity and prestige dominates current scholarship. Explanations for this exceptionality have focused on an apparent preponderance of widows in Saxony and a regional association of commemoration with women rather than reformed monks or clerics. Instead, this chapter argues that Saxony’s later conversion to Christianity, compared to the rest of the Carolingian Empire, is a more crucial factor in the spread of female monasteries throughout this region. It traces the timeline of the known convents in Saxony to highlight that the foundation of new female monasteries was not steadily increasing across the ninth and tenth centuries, but rather experienced ebbs and flows of popularity in response to other social and political factors.