Introduction

Was the seizure of women for marriage an indication of female oppression or emancipation and self-determination? Historians have struggled with accessing and understanding female agency in abductions with marital intent. By studying over 650 abduction cases, this book examines how coexisting but different interpretations of marriage making worked out in practice in the late medieval Low Countries. The introduction presents the topic, research questions and case study, sheds light on the dichotomous debates on marriage, abduction and female agency and proposes a new combination of multiple legal records to fully explore the complex nature of medieval abduction and partner choice.