Independent women in 18th-century Iceland analysis of the economic status of poor peasant women

Abstract

ABSTRACT More often than not, a broad-brush approach has been taken in describing the past, and large sectors of society have been portrayed on the basis of simple stereotypes rather than trying to reflect the lives of real people. This applies to the history of Icelandic peasant women, which has not been based in any real way on sources originating with the women themselves. Most writings from Iceland in the 18th and 19th century are by men, about men, and primarily embody the attitudes and interests of a small, privileged class. This research establishes that far more material exists on the lives and work of women in this period than was previously believed. However, many of these sources are fragmentary, and it can be hard to contextualize them. Guðbjörg Hallgrímsdóttir´s story provides an excellent opportunity to explore the diversity of women’s status in the society of past centuries by focussing primarily on the life of one woman and applying the methods of microhistory. The study reveals that the options for women to become independent or being a farmer were in some cases not so different from men’s during the period in question.