Thinking Partners, The Wife of Bath, & Sovereignty

One of my dear friends, who’s also a book client & official “thinking partner,” just finished walking the Cotswold’s Way in England and a leg of the Camino in Spain.

She’s been working on her memoir about her pilgrimages, in order to find herself.

While walking in England, she shared that they are heading into Bath, which instantly made me think of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and the infamous Wife of Bath. The wife’s tale is about a knight who must discover what women truly want, which is sovereignty if you’re unfamiliar with this tale.

The Wife of Bath, as an independently wealthy widow, said what she wanted to say and did what she wanted to do, an uncommon way to live for women in the middle ages. She used her voice and refused to be silenced. She embraced her sovereignty.

Unfortunately, many women don’t have that freedom.

The Wife of Bath, as an independently wealthy widow, said what she wanted to say and did what she wanted to do, an uncommon way to live for women in the middle ages.

She used her voice and refused to be silenced. She embraced her sovereignty.

She’s one of the more famous women in Medieval literature because she unapologetically spoke up, refused to be silenced, and lived life on her own terms.

Yet even today, hundreds of years later, women don’t have the sovereignty to use their voices and live life on their terms.

I am SO grateful that I have my voice, that you have your voice.

Let’s share our stories.