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      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        August 2016

        Approaching the Bible in medieval England

        by Steve Rigby, Eyal Poleg

        How did people learn their Bibles in the Middle Ages? Did church murals, biblical manuscripts, sermons or liturgical processions transmit the Bible in the same way? This book unveils the dynamics of biblical knowledge and dissemination in thirteenth- and fourteenth-century England. An extensive and interdisciplinary survey of biblical manuscripts and visual images, sermons and chants, reveals how the unique qualities of each medium became part of the way the Bible was known and recalled; how oral, textual, performative and visual means of transmission joined to present a surprisingly complex biblical worldview. This study of liturgy and preaching, manuscript culture and talismanic use introduces the concept of biblical mediation, a new way to explore Scriptures and society. It challenges the lay-clerical divide by demonstrating that biblical exegesis was presented to the laity in non-textual means, while the 'naked text' of the Bible remained elusive even for the educated clergy. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        July 2016

        The Divorce of King Lothar and Queen Theutberga

        Hincmar of Rheims's De Divortio

        by Rosemary Horrox, Rachel Stone, Charles West, Simon Maclean

        In the mid-ninth century, Francia was rocked by the first royal divorce scandal of the Middle Ages: the attempt by King Lothar II of Lotharingia to rid himself of his queen, Theutberga and remarry. Even 'women in their weaving sheds' were allegedly gossiping about the lurid accusations made. Kings and bishops from neighbouring kingdoms, and several popes, were gradually drawn into a crisis affecting the fate of an entire kingdom. This is the first professionally published translation of a key source for this extraordinary episode: Archbishop Hincmar of Rheims's De divortio Lotharii regis et Theutbergae reginae. This text offers eye-opening insight both on the political wrangling of the time and on early medieval attitudes towards magic, penance, gender, the ordeal, marriage, sodomy, the role of bishops, and kingship. The translation includes a substantial introduction and annotations, putting the case into its early medieval context and explaining Hincmar's sometimes-dubious methods of argument. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Medieval history
        April 2016

        Religious Franks

        Religion and power in the Frankish Kingdoms: Studies in honour of Mayke de Jong

        by Edited by Rob Meens, Dorine van Espelo, Bram van den Hoven van Genderen, Janneke Raaijmakers, Irene van Renswoude

        This volume in honour of Mayke De Jong offers twenty-five essays focused upon the importance of religion to Frankish politics, a discourse to which De Jong herself has contributed greatly in her academic career. The prominent and internationally renowned contributors offer fresh perspectives on various themes such as the nature of royal authority, the definition of polity, unity and dissent, ideas of correction and discipline, the power of rhetoric and the rhetoric of power, and the diverse ways in which power was institutionalised and employed by lay and ecclesiastical authorities. As such, this volume offers a uniquely comprehensive and valuable contribution to the field of medieval history, in particular the study of the Frankish world in the eighth and ninth centuries.

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        February 1993

        Chronicles of the Revolution, 1397–1400

        The reign of Richard II

        by Chris Given-Wilson

        This collection of sources covers one of the most controversial and shocking episodes in medieval English history, the 'tyranny' and deposition of Richard II and the usurpation of the throne by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who became King Henry IV. Contemporaries were sharply divided about the rights and wrongs of both Richard and Henry, and this division is reflected in the texts which form the major part of these sources. All the principal contemporary chronicles are represented in this collection, from the violently partisan Thomas Walsingham, chronicler of St Alban's Abbey who saw Richard as a tyrant and murderer, to the indignant Dieulacres chronicler, who claimed that the 'innocent king' was tricked into surrender by his perjured barons. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        August 1994

        The Black Death

        by Translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox

        This series provides texts central to medieval studies courses and focuses upon the diverse cultural, social and political conditions that affected the functioning of all levels of medieval society. Translations are accompanied by introductory and explanatory material and each volume includes a comprehensive guide to the sources' interpretation, including discussion of critical linguistic problems and an assessment of recent research on the topics covered. From 1348 to 1350 Europe was devastated by an epidemic that left between a third and one half of the population dead. This source book traces, through contemporary writings, the calamitous impact of the Black Death in Europe, with a particular emphasis on its spread across England from 1348 to 1349. Rosemary Horrox surveys contemporary attempts to explain the plague, which was universally regarded as an expression of divine vengeance for the sins of humankind. Moralists all had their particular targets for criticism. However, this emphasis on divine chastisement did not preclude attempts to explain the plague in medical or scientific terms. Also, there was a widespread belief that human agencies had been involved, and such scapegoats as foreigners, the poor and Jews were all accused of poisoning wells. The final section of the book charts the social and psychological impact of the plague, and its effect on the late-medieval economy. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        June 1999

        The Twelfth-century Renaissance

        by R.N. Swanson

        This volume surveys the wide range of cultural and intellectual changes in western Europe in the period c.1050-c.1250 An up-to-date survey of previous historical work in this field, the book provides a useful starting point for those new to this period. . . . ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        July 1997

        Picturing women in late medieval and renaissance art

        by Christa Grossinger

        This extensively illustrated book discusses the representation of women in the art of the late Middle Ages in Northern Europe. Drawing on a wide range of different media, but making particular use of the rich plethora of woodcuts, the author charts how the images of women changed during the period and proposes two basic categories - the Virgin and Eve, good and evil. Within these, however, we discover attitudes to sinful, foolish, married and unmarried women and the style and use of these images exposes the full extent of the misogyny entrenched in medieval society. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        January 1997

        Chaucer in context

        Society, allegory and gender

        by S. H. Rigby

        Amongst the most written about works of English literature, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales still defy categorization, claims the author of this book. Was Chaucer a poet of profound religious piety or a sceptic who questioned all religious and moral certainties? Do his pilgrims reflect the society of the day, or were they a product of an already well-established literary tradition and convention? Surveying and assessing competing critical approaches to Chaucer's work, this text emphasizes a need to see Chaucer in historical context; the context of the social and political concerns of his own day. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        September 1997

        The Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade

        by Michael Coston

        Clear introduction to a fascinating subject. Brings together new material on the social background of the 'heresy'. Lovely illustrations and maps. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        June 1999

        The debate on the Norman Conquest

        by Marjorie Chibnall, Roger Richardson

        The debate on the Norman Conquest is still ongoing. Because of the great interest that has always been shown in the subject of conquest and its aftermath, interpretations have been numerous and conflicting; students bewildered by controversies may find this book a useful guide through the morass of literature. In the medieval period writers were still deeply involved in the legal and linguistic consequences of the Norman victory. Later the issues became direcly relevant to debates about constitutional rights; the theory of a "Norman yoke" provided first a call for revolution and, by the 19th century, a romantic vision of a lost Saxon paradise. When history became a subject for academic study controversies still raged round such subjects as Saxon versus Norman institutions. These have gradually been replaced in a broader social setting where there is more room for consensus. Interest has now moved to such subjects as peoples and races, frontier societies, women's studies and colonialism. Changing perspectives have shown the advantage of studying a period from the late 10th to the early 13th century rather than one beginning in 1066. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        May 2016

        Roadworks

        Medieval Britain, medieval roads

        by Anke Bernau, Valerie Allen, Ruth Evans

        Roadworks: Medieval Britain, medieval roads is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary study of roads and wayfinding in medieval England, Wales and Scotland. It looks afresh at the relationship between the road as a material condition of daily life and the formation of local and national communities, arguing that the business of road maintenance, road travel and wayfinding constitutes social bonds. It challenges the long-held picture of a medieval Britain lacking in technological sophistication, passively inheriting Roman roads and never engineering any of its own. Previous studies of medieval infrastructure tend to be discipline-specific and technical. This accessible collection draws out the imaginative, symbolic, and cultural significance of the road. The key audience for this book is scholars of medieval Britain (early and late) in all disciplines. Its theoretical foundations will also ensure an audience among scholars of cultural studies, especially those in urban studies, transport studies, and economic history. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Medicine
        February 2016

        Fools and idiots?

        Intellectual disability in the Middle Ages

        by Irina Metzler, Julie Anderson, Walton Schalick

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        February 2016

        Fools and idiots?

        Intellectual disability in the Middle Ages

        by Irina Metzler, Julie Anderson, Walton Schalick

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        June 2016

        Towns in medieval England

        Selected sources

        by Rosemary Horrox, Gervase Rosser, Simon Maclean

        This is the first collection of translated sources on towns in medieval England. It draws on the great variety of written evidence for this significant and dynamic period of urban development, and invites students to consider for themselves the challenges and opportunities presented by a wide range of primary written sources. The introduction and editorial commentary situate the extracts within the larger context of European urban history, against a longer chronological backdrop and in relation to the most up-to-date research. Suggestions for further reading enable the student to engage critically with the materials and encourage new work in the field. Collectively, the texts and commentary provide an overview of English medieval urban history, while the emphasis throughout is on the particular character and potential of each type of written evidence, from legal and administrative records to inventories of shops, and from letters and poetry to legendary civic histories. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        June 2016

        Towns in medieval England

        Selected sources

        by Rosemary Horrox, Gervase Rosser, Simon Maclean

        This is the first collection of translated sources on towns in medieval England. It draws on the great variety of written evidence for this significant and dynamic period of urban development, and invites students to consider for themselves the challenges and opportunities presented by a wide range of primary written sources. The introduction and editorial commentary situate the extracts within the larger context of European urban history, against a longer chronological backdrop and in relation to the most up-to-date research. Suggestions for further reading enable the student to engage critically with the materials and encourage new work in the field. Collectively, the texts and commentary provide an overview of English medieval urban history, while the emphasis throughout is on the particular character and potential of each type of written evidence, from legal and administrative records to inventories of shops, and from letters and poetry to legendary civic histories. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        February 2016

        Heresy and inquisition in France, 1200–1300

        by Rosemary Horrox, Simon Maclean

        Heresy and inquisition in France, 1200-1300 is an invaluable collection of primary sources in translation, aimed at students and academics alike. It provides a wide array of materials on both heresy (Cathars and Waldensians) and the persecution of heresy in medieval France. The book is divided into eight sections, each devoted to a different genre of source material. It contains substantial material pertaining to the setting up and practice of inquisitions into heretical wickedness, and a large number of translations from the registers of inquisition trials. Each source is introduced fully and is accompanied by references to useful modern commentaries. The study of heresy and inquisition has always aroused considerable scholarly debate; with this book, students and scholars can form their own interpretations of the key issues, from the texts written in the period itself. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        February 2016

        Heresy and inquisition in France, 1200–1300

        by Rosemary Horrox, Simon Maclean

        Heresy and inquisition in France, 1200-1300 is an invaluable collection of primary sources in translation, aimed at students and academics alike. It provides a wide array of materials on both heresy (Cathars and Waldensians) and the persecution of heresy in medieval France. The book is divided into eight sections, each devoted to a different genre of source material. It contains substantial material pertaining to the setting up and practice of inquisitions into heretical wickedness, and a large number of translations from the registers of inquisition trials. Each source is introduced fully and is accompanied by references to useful modern commentaries. The study of heresy and inquisition has always aroused considerable scholarly debate; with this book, students and scholars can form their own interpretations of the key issues, from the texts written in the period itself. ;

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        July 2016

        Constructing kingship

        The Capetian monarchs of France and the early Crusades

        by Steve Rigby, James Naus

        Crusading kings such as Louis IX of France and Richard I of England exert a unique hold on our historical imagination. For this reason, it can be easy to forget that European rulers were not always eager participants in holy war. The First Crusade was launched in 1095, and yet the first monarch did not join the movement until 1146, when the French king Louis VII took the cross to lead the Second Crusade. One contemporary went so far as to compare the crusades to 'Creation and man's redemption on the cross', so what impact did fifty years of non-participation have on the image and practice of European kingship and the parameters of cultural development? This book considers this question by examining the challenge to political authority that confronted the French kings and their family members as a direct result of their failure to join the early crusades, and their less-than-impressive involvement in later ones. ;

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