Le Ménagier de Paris
Le Ménagier de Paris (French: [lə menaʒje də paʁi]; often abbreviated as Le Ménagier; English: “The Parisian Household Book”) is a French medieval guidebook from 1393 on a woman’s proper behaviour in marriage and running a household. It includes sexual advice, recipes, and gardening tips. Written in the (fictional) voice of an elderly husband addressing his younger wife, the text offers a rare insight into late medieval ideas of gender, household, and marriage. Important for its language and for its combination of prose and poetry, the book’s central theme is wifely obedience.
This website relies on the author’s understanding of the original manuscripts, as well as references the following:
The Good Wife’s Guide (Le Ménagier de Paris). Translated by G. Greco and C. Rose, Cornell University Press, 15 Sept. 2012.
