Wallada bint al-Mustakfi (1001-1091) is best known as a poet from the early High Middle Ages. Living in Islamic Spain, Wallada was the daughter of Muhammad III, a Cordoban ruler. Her poetry often disc..
Wallada bint al-Mustakfi (1001-1091) is best known as a poet from the early High Middle Ages. Living in Islamic Spain, Wallada was the daughter of Muhammad III, a Cordoban ruler. Her poetry often discussed love in the abstract, as well as her specific relationships. Nine of her poems have been preserved, and eight of those nine are about Ibn Zaydún, who is often seen as the greatest love of her life. As the sole heir to her father and as a prominent female writer, Wallada transgressed some cultural and societal norms in a variety of ways. However, she also fulfilled other norms. This poster will consider both how Wallada bint al-Mustakfi met and deviated from the norms of Islamic Spain. In doing so this poster will analyze the poems that she wrote, while using secondary sources to further contextualize Wallada’s life in the Middle Ages. In considering the life and career of Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, this study demonstrates that the role of medieval European woman encompassed more variety than is commonly presented.
