Ladies of the arthurian court an elaborate tapestry cushion woven in a wool blend giving a heavy hard wearing textured weave two main factors determined a woman39s position in medieval society and her prospects her rank whether she was of noble decent bourgeois or peasant and her marital status whether she was a maiden a married woman or widow aristocratic women had two choices wedlock most women could be expected to be married by the age of 14 or the nunnery both require