ABSTRACT
Although Johannes Praetorius shared the misogyny of his age, his writings reveal, upon closer inspection, an astute observer of women’s lives. He explores gender and social status as they play out in the roles of wives and their servants, while his sharp criticism of contemporary mores is often tempered by empathy for the women’s lot and by his tongue-in-cheek humor. The Comedy reviews the social pressures, superstitions, anxieties, and interactions that governed the lives of early modern middle-class women of childbearing age. People read about the prohibitions and rituals associated with pregnancy, birthing, and lying-in – a wealth of knowledge gathered over generations and passed from mother to daughter, from woman to woman. The confidences exchanged in the intimacy of the lying-in chamber also reveal just how much the women know about other women in their community and about their familial and social relationships.
