Diese Serie taucht in die faszinierende Welt des Mittelalters ein und bietet eine neue Perspektive auf eine prägende Epoche. Sie erforscht eine Zeit, die reich an politischen Intrigen, ritterlichen Idealen und tiefer Spiritualität ist. Leser können detaillierte historische Einblicke und durchdachte Analysen des Lebens und Denkens der Menschen dieser Zeit erwarten. Dies ist eine unerlässliche Lektüre für Geschichtsinteressierte und alle, die von Geschichten fasziniert sind, die die Komplexität der Vergangenheit beleuchten.
The book presents a new interpretation of erotic discourse in medieval literature, focusing on the nature of erotic attachments among notable writers such as Abelard and Heloise, Marie de France, Jean de Meun, Dante, Boccaccio, and Chaucer. Each chapter provides insightful analyses that highlight the influence of Augustine and Ovid on these authors, offering fresh perspectives on their works and the complexities of love and desire during the medieval period.
Exploring the often-overlooked experiences of women who embraced same-sex love in the medieval era, this collection of essays delves into how lesbian desire and affection were expressed and represented. The contributors challenge the prevailing notion that little can be said about homosexuality in the Middle Ages, providing a nuanced examination of historical narratives and cultural contexts surrounding female same-sex relationships. This work enriches the understanding of gender and sexuality in medieval studies.
Focusing on the interplay of gender and species in Chaucer's poetry, this analysis employs an ecofeminist perspective to explore how medieval discourse is adapted. It examines texts featuring animals or anthropomorphized creatures, revealing fresh insights into how medieval literature addresses societal 'others.' By highlighting these interactions, the book sheds light on Chaucer's unique contributions to understanding the complexities of identity and representation in his works.
Little attention has been focused the representation of Muslims in medieval Germany. Proceeding from a grounded use of contemporary cultural theory and close textual analysis, this study focuses Muslims in several core texts representing drama, epic, and lyric written by the most important writers of medieval Germany. Far from simply adding medieval Germany to the growing scholarly list of the 'pre-post-colonializing' European cultures, the study provides important new perspectives.
The letters of Heloise and Abelard are iconic romantic and intellectual documents, rivaling the fame of Romeo and Juliet among tragic lovers. This edition by Mart Martin McLaughlin presents their complete correspondence along with commentary for the first time.
The Formation and Diffusion of a Saintly Cult, c. 300-c. 800
The book delves into the cult of Saint Michael, examining how early Christians revered this Archangel through miracles, hagiography, and liturgical practices across Western Europe. It traces the development and spread of his veneration from around 300 to 800 AD, engaging with modern discussions on angelology and the significance of relics associated with Michael. This study highlights the complex interplay between faith, culture, and the evolution of religious practices surrounding one of Christianity's most enigmatic figures.
Exploration of the emotionologies of several medieval, romance emotional communities through both fictional and non-fictional narratives. The contributors analyze texts from different linguistic traditions and different periods, but they all focus on women characters.
The Ethics and Epistemology of Love in Late Medieval Thought
This book examines William Langland’s late medieval poem, The Vision of Piers Plowman, in light of contemporary intellectual thought. David Strong argues that where the philosophers John Duns Scotus and William of Ockham revolutionize the view of human potential through their theories of epistemology, ethics, and freedom of the will, Langland vivifies these ideas by contextualizing them in an individual’s search for truth and love. Specifically, the text ponders the intersection between reason and the will in expressing love. While scholars have consistently noted the text’s indebtedness to these higher strains of thought, this is the first book-length study in over thirty years that explores the depth of this interconnection, and the only one that considers the salience of both Scotus and Ockham. It is essential reading for medieval literary specialists and students as well as any cultural historian who desires to augment their knowledge of truth and love.
The study delves into the unique autobiography of Margery Kempe, exploring her journey as a laywoman, mystic, and visionary. It traces the manuscript's history from a Carthusian monastery, illuminating the complexities of text transmission from the medieval period to contemporary times. Chappell's analysis enhances our understanding of Kempe's work and its significance in the context of historical literature.
This multi-disciplinary collection of essays draws on various theoretical approaches to explore the highly visual nature of the Middle Ages and expose new facets of old texts and artefacts. The term 'visual culture' has been used in recent years to refer to modern media theory, film, modern art and other contemporary representational forms and functions. But this emphasis on visuality is not only a modern phenomenon. Discourses on visual processes pervade the works of medieval secular poets, theologians, and scholastics alike. The Middle Ages was a highly visual society in which images, objects, and performance played a dominant communicative and representational role in both secular and religious areas of society. The essays in this volume, which present various perspectives on medieval visual culture, provide a critical historical basis for the study of visuality and visual processes.
Exploring queer themes within the French literary canon, this work examines notable texts such as Perceval and the Romance of the Rose, alongside lesser-known works like Yde and Olive, which features a cross-dressed heroine. The book integrates contemporary French theory, including insights from Kristeva and Barthes, with detailed readings of medieval literature. It also addresses significant recent contributions to pre-modern queer studies in the US, marking a pioneering effort in queer studies of medieval French literature.
Focusing on medieval women as postcolonial writers, the study explores their unique literary strategies that challenge dominant cultural narratives. By revealing the constraints of gender, these authors created 'unhomely' spaces and inverted traditional gender roles to celebrate female identity. They envisioned idealized feminist societies through fantasy and reclaimed domesticity as a source of autonomy. The works of notable figures like Hrotsvit of Gandersheim and Christine de Pizan exemplify how these women navigated and transformed their literary landscapes, contributing to a minor literature for displaced voices.
The unique autobiography of Margery Kempe, a lay woman who became a mystic and visionary, is explored in depth, revealing insights into her life and experiences. The study traces the manuscript's journey from a Carthusian monastery, enhancing our understanding of how medieval texts have been transmitted through history. Chappell's work addresses gaps in previous interpretations, offering a fresh perspective on Kempe's significance and the broader context of her writings.
Representations of the Body in Middle English Biblical Drama combines epistemological enquiry, gender theory and Foucauldian concepts to investigate the body as a useful site for studying power, knowledge and truth. Intertwining the conceptualizations of violence and the performativity of gender identity and roles, Estella Ciobanu argues that studying violence in drama affords insights into the cultural and social aspects of the later Middle Ages. The text investigates these biblical plays through the perspective of the devil and offers a unique lens that exposes medieval disquiets about Christian teachings and the discourse of power. Through detailed primary source analysis and multidisciplinary scholarship, Ciobanu constructs a text that interrogates the significance of performance far beyond the stage.
This book is an edition, translation, and philosophical commentary on Hildegard of Bingen's 'Unknown Language' - a list of the things of her Twelfth-century world recast in words of her own creation.
An English Translation of the Complete Works (1376/77-1445)
The book presents the first complete English translation of the poems by Oswald von Wolkenstein, a prominent late-medieval German poet known for his innovative and deeply religious-conservative works. Recognized for their poetic imagery and musicality, his songs reflect a unique blend of tradition and innovation. The author, Classen, explores Oswald's exploration of themes such as love, sexuality, travel, war, and individuality, highlighting his significant contribution to the literary landscape of the late Middle Ages.
Through an in-depth analysis of nearly forty years of personal letters and her will, along with new archival findings, the study reveals Margaret Paston as a key figure in understanding the integration of lay piety into the everyday lives of medieval individuals. Her experiences illustrate the complexities of faith and daily life during this period, offering valuable insights into the social and religious dynamics of the time.