Medieval Studies Commons^™

The 1999 Cistercian Studies Conference, The Institute Of Cistercian Studies

Conference on Cistercian Studies Programs

Program for the 1999 Cistercian Studies Conference at Western Michigan University in conjunction with the 34th Annual International Congress on Medieval Studies. This conference happened between May 6-9 1999.

34th International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 34th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 6-9, 1999).

Rabbi Ezra Ben Solomon Of Gerona, Commentary On The Song Of Songs And Other Kabbalistic Commentaries, Seth Brody

TEAMS Commentary Series

The commentary of Rabbi Ezra ben Solomon of Gerona (d. ca. 1245) on the Song of Songs is one of the most important texts of the first clearly identified circle of Kabbalists, those operating in the Catalonian town of Gerona at the middle of the thirteenth century.

Visual Images Of Late Anglo-Saxon Kings And Kingship, Kevin L. Glick

Masters Theses

The role of ideology in the creation of tenth- and eleventh-century Anglo-Saxon visual representations of Anglo-Saxon kings is the focus of this study. This study assesses Anglo-Saxon images in manuscripts and on coins, seals, and textiles produced during the tenth and eleventh centuries. Each image included depicts Anglo-Saxon kings who ruled during the tenth and eleventh centuries. The thesis begins with a discussion of the term ideology and a historical introduction to the political developments in rulership and monasticism that influenced images of kings. The thesis covers each art form separately, examining what evidence exists, what problems exist in dealing …

Delectatio Et Utilitas In Hrotsvit Of Gandersheim's Resuscitatio Drusianae Et Calimachi, Mary Maxine Browne

Masters Theses

Hrotsvit of Gandersheim (935-1002 A.D.) wrote her play, Resuscitatio Drusianae et Calimachi, as the other five plays which Hrotsvit composed, as an adaptation of a hagiography from the apocryphal Acta Johannis. Written in the spirit of the tenth-century didactic esthetic delectatio et utilitas, Hrotsvit adapted the narrative of the legend to the Terentian comedic form, that she might instruct her monastic audience according to the delectatio et utilitas esthetic.

This discussion focuses on the sources and backgrounds of Hrotsvit's play, followed by Hrotsvit' s adaptive treatment of the characters in Resuscitatio Drusianae et Calimachi with a …

The 1998 Cistercian Studies Conference, The Institute Of Cistercian Studies

Conference on Cistercian Studies Programs

Program for the 1998 Cistercian Studies Conference at Western Michigan University in conjunction with the 33rd International Congress on Medieval Studies. This conference happened between May 7-10 1998.

33rd International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 33rd International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 7-10, 1998).

The Old English Prose Homily On The Phoenix, Patricia Relf Hanavan

Masters Theses

The Old English prose homily on the phoenix, which is found in two manuscripts, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 198 (eleventh century), and London, British Library, MS Cotton Vespasian D. xiv (twelfth century), is the subject of this thesis. The study addresses the homily's imagery, sources, and context.

Comparison of the homily with two of its closest analogues, the Old English verse Phoenix and its source, the Latin De ave phoenice attributed to Lactantius, reveals that, in spite of similarities, the homily was based upon neither; its source likely was an overtly Christian Latin text unknown to us today. In …

Magical Results Of Eating And Drinking In Medieval Narrative, Deborah A. Oosterhouse

Masters Theses

One of the most famous stories in Norse literature is the tale of Sigurd, who kills the dragon Fafnir. While roasting the heart of the dragon so that his companion, Regin, may eat it, Sigurd ingests some of the blood that bums his thumb and immediately understands the speech of the birds, who advise him to eat the heart himself in order to become wiser. Sigurd is not unique in being magically influenced by a substance that he eats. Foods and beverages that have magical effects on those who ingest them are a widespread occurrence in the literature of many …

Prostitutes And Prostitution In Late Medieval Barcelona, Jana L. Byars

Masters Theses

Prostitution was by the late Middle Ages a well established, legal, and regulated institution in Barcelona and indeed many European cities. After a discussion of modern scholarship in chapter one, I proceed to examine, with original, unedited archival materials, the civic and ecclesiastical position on the prostitute, procurers and procuresses, and the institution of prostitution in Barcelona.

Through laws and ordinances, witness testimony, and expulsion records, I am able to demonstrate that the prostitute was a widely tolerated and common member of society. Despite the existence of legal brothels and the efforts of municipal authorities, illicit brothels flourished and independent …

Early Latin Commentaries On The Apocalypse, Francis X. Gumerlock

TEAMS Commentary Series

Many commentaries on the Apocalypse were produced in the early Middle Ages. This book provides translations of two Apocalypse commentaries from the seventh and eighth centuries. On the Mysteries of the Apocalypse of John is part of a large one-volume "Reference Bible" composed about 750. Written probably by an Irish teacher residing in northern France, it answers difficulties arising from the biblical text. The Handbook on the Apocalypse of the Apostle John, attributed erroneously to Jerome and written before 767, contains brief moral and allegorical interpretations of particular words and phrases of the Apocalypse. The introduction highlights the unique …

Nicholas Of Lyra's Apocalypse Commentary, Philip D.W. Krey

TEAMS Commentary Series

Surveys of the history of biblical exegesis and, in particular, the history of Apocalypse commentaries rarely fail to allude to Nicholas of Lyra O.F.M. (1270-1349) as the greatest biblical exegete of the fourteenth century. Late medieval and Reformation verses were written about him. Nicholas was born in the town of Lyre, near Evreux in Normandy. Since Evreux was a center of Jewish studies, he was able to cultivate his interest in Hebrew and to become thoroughly acquainted with the Talmud, Midrash, and the works of Rashi (Solomon ben Issac, 1045-1105). Lyra's attraction to Rashi's literal method would have a profound …

Women's Autonomy In Late Anglo-Saxon England Based On The Place-Name Evidence, Norman B. Frost

Masters Theses

My thesis discusses two related and highly significant points and then demonstrates the usefulness of a new methodology, in the form of place names. Firstly it elaborates the importance of presenting accurate women's history to both women and the historical profession as a whole and the necessity for making every attempt to explore any possible resource for accomplishing that goal.

Secondly it addresses the importance of language as an historical tool that can represent a very broad base of a past society in revealing the common cultural thoughts, morals, and ethics of the population within a specific area and time …

The 1997 Cistercian Studies Conference, The Institute Of Cistercian Studies

Conference on Cistercian Studies Programs

Program for the 1997 Cistercian Studies Conference at Western Michigan University. This conference happened in conjunction with the International Congress on Medieval Studies. This conference happened between May 8-9 1997.

32nd International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 32nd International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 8-11, 1997).

Making An English Bestiary: An Examination Of The Tradition And A Modern Experience Of The Technical Aspects Of Production, Pamela S. Rups

Masters Theses

My thesis involves the compilation of information on the physical characteristics and production methods of English Bestiaries in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries as well as the actual production of my own Bestiary. Working with microfilm copies of six manuscripts, color slides and illustrations, and color reproductions of the miniatures of a seventh, I will examine and compare briefly the images, paleography and sources for the purpose of analyzing aspects of production.

Along with this written analysis I am producing my own Bestiary using authentic materials and methods as much as possible. I am limiting my own manuscript …

Medieval Exegesis In Translation: Commentaries On The Book Of Ruth, Lesley Smith

TEAMS Commentary Series

This book brings together and translates from the medieval Latin a series of commentaries on the biblical book of Ruth, with the intention of introducing readers to medieval exegesis or biblical interpretation. . . . Ruth is the shortest book of the Old Testament, being only four chapters long. It is partly for this reason that it lends itself so well to a short book introducing medieval exegesis; but it is also of interest in itself. Ruth poses a number of exegetical problems, including the basic one of why such an odd book, in which God never appears as an …

A Slice Of Life: Selected Documents Of Medieval English Peasant Experience, Edwin Brezette Dewindt

TEAMS Documents of Practice

"Since the audience for this text is assumed to be primarily students of medieval history, nothing from a specifically literary text has been included. Further, since archaeology deals in artifacts and other physical remains, it is impractical to supply material from that discipline. Therefore, only material from record sources is provided . . . These are the only written materials that permit some measure of personalized contact with specific men and women from the past, so this gives them a special importance." - from the Introduction

The Commercialization Of The Medieval Ideal: The Spanish Forger And Handbooks Of Illumination, Amy E. Dawson

Masters Theses

This study analyzes the commercialization of popular medievalism that occurred in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. By examining the works of a forger of medieval manuscripts this research identifies a market created for works that expressed a particularly "Romantic" vision of medieval society. Moreover, this study offers a discussion of late nineteenth century handbooks that teach techniques of illumination. These works are examined to gain an understanding of the audience for which "medieval" works were created. Publication information reveals the popularity of these handbooks. The. prefatory material examined here pinpoints the idealization of the "medieval" that made handbooks …

Some Aspects Of The Evolution Of The Medieval Tournament Up To The Reign Of Maximilian I: An Introduction, Kathryn L. Woodruff

Masters Theses

An introductory exploration of the evolution of the medieval tournament up to the reign of Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) is the subject of this study. This exploration begins with the eleventh-century origins of the tournament in northern France as a military training exercise and continues with a discussion of the evolution of the tournament, by the sixteenth century, into a sporting event and public spectacle with a number of variations including the melee, behourd, round table, and passage of arms.

Some of the influences of the Church and of chivalric literature upon the tournament and upon the knightly class …

Sources For The History Of Medicine In Late Medieval England, Carole Rawcliffe

TEAMS Documents of Practice

The material contained here derives from a wide variety of printed and manuscript sources, chosen to give some idea of the rich diversity of evidence available to the historian of English medicine and its place in society during the fourteenth, fifteenth, and early sixteenth centuries. Latin and French have been translated into modern English, while vernacular texts have been slightly modified, and obsolete or difficult words explained. Middle English has otherwise been retained to give the past an authentic voice and to emphasize the similarities as well as the differences between the experience of modern readers and that of the …

The 1996 Cistercian Studies Conference, The Institute Of Cistercian Studies

Conference on Cistercian Studies Programs

Program for the 1996 Cistercian Studies Conference at Western Michigan University in conjunction with the International Congress on Medieval Studies.

31st International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 31st International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 9-12, 1996).

Anti-Jewish Polemics In Carolingian Gaul: The Campaigns Of Agobard And Amulo Against The Jews Of Lyons, David Harrison Horton

Masters Theses

The Carolingian emperors were relatively tolerant towards the Jewish communities within their realm. They exempted the Jews from many feudal obligations and gave them charters that protected the role of the Jews as merchants within the empire. These charters also protected the Jewish community from undue persecutions of the Church. The privileges guaranteed within these charters drew criticism from many of the leading churchmen at the time.

The anti-Jewish campaign of Agobard, Bishop of Lyons from 814 to 840, has received a fair amount of scholarly attention, whereas the ensuing campaigns of Amulo, Bishop of Lyons from 841 to 852, …

The Commentary On Book Five Of Boethius' "Consolation Of Philosophy" By Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas And Josse Bade, Janet Suzanne Evenson

Masters Theses

A transcription, translation and discussion of Book Five of the Dual Latin Commentary of Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy by the scholastic Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas and the humanist Josse Bade is the focus of this study.

The commentary of Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas possesses the scholastic preoccupation with using ancient philosophy to aid understanding of Christian doctrine. The commentary of Josse Bade embodies the humanist focus on the importance of eloquence in written expression.

The findings of this study were that Josse Bade and Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas were products of two different educational philosophies, yet they shared the same goal of wanting to educate university …

The Politics Of Arthurian Legend In The Plantagenet Empire: A Study Of Literary And Historical Sources From The Time Of Henry Ii To Edward I, Laura J. Radiker

Masters Theses

This study looks at both medieval chronicles and romances--the primary sources of Arthurian legend--to seek mutual influences between the politics of the Plantagenet Empire and Arthurian legend. The authors of the works used in this study performed within the sphere of the Plantagenet Empire, during the time period with which this study concerns itself. Secondary sources provide background information, such as the historical, literary, and cultural milieu surrounding the primary works, archaeological and linguistic evidence, and current scholarly debate.

From the evaluation of the primary sources and their historical framework, several aspects of Arthurian legend emerge which have connections with …

The 1995 Cistercian Studies Conference, The Institute Of Cistercian Studies

Conference on Cistercian Studies Programs

Program for the 1995 Cistercian Studies Conference at Western Michigan University in conjunction with the International Congress on Medieval Studies. This conference happened between May 4-7 1995.

30th International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 30th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 4-7, 1995).

Consanguinitas Et Ius Sanguinis: Kinship Calculation And Medieval Marriage, Sandra Masters

Masters Theses

Consanguinity, or blood-relatedness, was one of the most important criteria which determined the formation of marriage in the medieval era. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive study in English which describes the development of consanguinity prohibitions and which explains fully the types of kinship calculation used as a part of the restrictions which developed. In order to fill this void, my goal in this thesis has been to offer a well-researched, comprehensive study of this topic.

I have examined the studies completed by other researchers and combined any pertinent information from those sources with my own research on medieval attitudes and …

The 1994 Cistercian Studies Conference, The Institute Of Cistercian Studies

Conference on Cistercian Studies Programs

Program for the 1994 Cistercian Studies Conference at Western Michigan University in conjunction with the International Congress on Medieval Studies. This conference happened between May 5-7 1994.