Regelverstöße und ihre Ahndung in den Gesetzen der Langobarden. Überlegungen zur rechtlichen Stellung der Frau in der langobardischen Gesellschaft

Abstract

In this paper I will analyse women’s legal position in Langobardic society as it reveals itself by some specific written rules preserved in Langobardic legal texts from King Rothari’s Edict onwards. It is well known that Langobardic legal texts contain many rules which regulate the rights and obligations of women and their guardians – fathers, husbands, brothers or other male relatives -, but there are others as well which show that women are entitled to a particular protection due to social and legal differences between the sexes when moving outside the family borders or in case of violation of the rules within the family. My study will focus on violent acts against women within and outside the family and the legal sanctions for those who break the rules.