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Res Historica, Volume 5, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta, Lindsay Rae Smith Privette Phd

Res Historica

The 2026 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lindsay Rae Smith Privette, Julia Ackerman, Callyn Wright, Logan Davis, and John Hinton. Cover art by Mary Beth Lee.

Sir Ywain, Knight Of The Lion, Connor J. Jones

Arthurian Hero Character Design Project

Yvain, the noble and chivalric “Knight of the Round Table,” exemplifies many knightly qualities throughout his life in combat. However, his greatest conflict is not in battle, but within himself as he struggles between his marital obligation and personal pursuit of chivalric responsibility as a member of Arthur’s court. As he matures and grows as a noble knight, his devotion shifts toward aiding the helpless and combating evil. This growth, beginning with his withdrawal from society, reflects his emergence as an honorable knight and is evident in his exceptional Strength, Wisdom, and Charisma. His unique feats and spells, such as …

Sir Yvain, Knight Of The Lion, Paul J. Schwartz

Arthurian Hero Character Design Project

Sir Yvain is one of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. He appeared in quite a few stories associated with the Matter of Britain, although almost never as a major character. He was typically portrayed as a loyal supporter and knight of his king. He was also one of the few Arthurian characters seemingly based on a real individual, Owain, a Brythonic king of Rheged; he was engaged in warfare against the Picts, and maybe the early Anglo-Saxon migrations in the late 6th century.1 By examining his martial abilities, his bond with his lion companion, his noble origins, and …

Merlin, Wizard Of Dyfed, Dermot J. Drew

Arthurian Hero Character Design Project

Merlin is a legendary figure of the Arthurian era and appears across numerous medieval texts. The Life of Merlin describes him as having “lived his life under many kings” and enjoyed the fame as he predicted the future for rulers.[1] Through the use of the Dungeon and Dragons Player’s Handbook and medieval texts, I have created Merlin with an identity as a Human Wizard, sage background, profound intelligence and wisdom, powerful abilities, and a neutral good alignment.

[1] 'The Life of Merlin', trans. Neil Wright, in Richard Barber (ed), Myths and Legends of the British Isles (Woodbridge, 1999), pp. …

Reconstructing The Medieval Palette: Making Paints And Inks Using Medieval Recipes, Cael Sinclair

Graduate Research Posters

When considering the medieval period, most people imagine brilliantly painted and gilded manuscripts but not many people actually imagine the labor behind making those manuscripts. Similarly, modern perception of a scribe tends to be a single, solitary person slaving away at the entire manuscript. Contrary to these beliefs, the process of producing a manuscript was a highly collaborative and, more importantly, highly documented process. Throughout the period, numerous treatises (or handbooks) were created documenting instructions and advice for making ink and paint, for drawing and painting, and everything in between. While it is possible for one to just read these …

Arthurian Mock Epistolary, Connor P. Underwood

Arthurian Epistolary Project (HUM 270-001)

King Arthur’s Proclamation to the Britons Concerning “King” Rion

Arthurian Mock Epistolary, Claire Haupt

Arthurian Epistolary Project (HUM 270-001)

King Arthur Pardons Sir Lancelot

Arthurian Mock Epistolary, Alexander J. Lamoureux

Arthurian Epistolary Project (HUM 270-001)

King Uther’s Last Letter to Prince Arthur

Professor Christopher Berard And The Knights Of The Seminar Table, Michael Hagan

Arthurian Epistolary Project (HUM 270-001)

From https://news.providence.edu/king-arthur-course/

A new course offered by Christopher Berard, Ph.D. ’07, adjunct professor of humanities, introduced students to selections in translation from the massive Lancelot-Grail Cycle of Old French prose Arthurian romances (c. 1210–30), the most comprehensive and canonical version of the Arthurian legend ever written.

The 1.5-credit course, King Arthur: Monarch of the Medieval Imagination, culminated in a creative writing project in which students composed a mock letter according to the formal conventions of medieval epistolary documents such as public acts and private letters. Each student assumed the persona of one Arthurian character, addressed the document to another …

Courtly Love: A Comparative Study, Danya Larosa

2025 CoLA Student Showcase

Presented at the 2025 College of Liberal Arts Showcase, LaRosa dives into the medieval European concept of Courtly Love.

The Argument For “New Aquileia”: Literary Responses From The Venetian Church To The Synod Of Mantua (827 - 1049 C.E.), John Ferraro

2025 CoLA Student Showcase

Ferraro analyses the literary responses of the church of Grado and the origins and development of the early medieval schism within the church of Aquileia.

Arthurian Mock Epistolary, Alexander J. Lamoureux

Arthurian Epistolary Project (HUM 270-001)

King Arthur’s Letter to King Rion

English Birth Girdles: Devotions For Women In “Travell Of Childe”, Mary Morse

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

In medieval England, women in labor wrapped birth girdles around their abdomens to protect themselves and their unborn children. These parchment or paper rolls replicated the “girdle relics” of the Virgin Mary and other saints loaned to queens and noblewomen, extending childbirth protection to women of all classes. This book examines the texts and images of nine English birth girdles produced between the reigns of Richard II and Henry VIII. Cultural artifacts of lay devotion within the birthing chamber, the birth girdles offered the solace and promise of faith to the parturient woman and her attendants amid religious dissent, political …

Res Historica, Volume 3, Lynneth Miller Renberg Phd, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta

Res Historica

The 2024 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg, Johnathan Sorce, and Samuel Sanders.

Poets And Scribes In Late Medieval England: Essays On Manuscripts And Meaning In Honor Of Susanna Fein, Michael Johnston, Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, Derek Pearsall

Festschriften, Occasional Papers, and Lectures

This collection of essays, inspired by Susanna Fein’s remarkable breadth and range, reflects upon her deep commitment to unpacking how we can use manuscript evidence to recover the voices of medieval poets in their original reading environments. Drawing upon her critical insights, this volume gathers contributions from scholars whose own research is indebted to Fein’s enduring contributions. From seasoned veterans of Middle English studies to mid-career scholars to emerging voices within the field, this book brings together essays by eleven scholars indebted to Fein’s work, ranging across Middle English manuscripts, lyrics, Chaucer, Pearl, devotional poetry, scribal culture, multilingualism, gender, …

Æthelflæd, Lady Of The Mercians, And Women In Tenth-Century England, Rebecca Hardie

Richard Rawlinson Center Series

Æthelflæd (ca. 870–918), political leader, military strategist, and administrator of law, is one of the most important ruling women in English history. Despite her multifaceted roles and family legacy, however, her reign and relationship with other women in tenth-century England have never been the subject of a book-length study. This interdisciplinary collection of essays redresses a notable hiatus in scholarship of early medieval England. Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, and Women in Tenth-Century England argues for a reassessment of women’s political, military, literary, and domestic agency. It invites deeper reflection on the female kinships, networks, and communities that give meaning …

The Medieval North And Its Afterlife: Essays In Honor Of Heather O’Donoghue, Siân Grønlie, Carl Phelpstead

Northern Medieval World

This book showcases the variety and vitality of contemporary scholarship on Old Norse and related medieval literatures and their modern afterlives. The contents of the volume reflect the range of current research on Old Norse and related literatures, featuring original work on Old Norse poetry and saga; related languages and literatures of medieval north-western Europe; and accounts of the afterlife of Old Norse in modern English literature.

Il Digiuno Delle Donne Religioso Durante Il Rinascimento, Alessia Nicosia

Italian Renaissance Foodways

Mio advanced integration project è trovare la connessione tra religione e la cultura italiana. Il digiuno ha una relazione per dimostrare la dedizione a Dio, le donne religiosi avevano. Può vedere la intersezione tra religione e cultura con i libri di Laura Giannetti, Caroline Bynum, e Rudolph Bell, per scoprire l'identità italiana e la spiritualità di queste donne religiosi (in particolare Caterina di Benincasa (Catherine of Siena), Beata Colomba di Rieti (olumba of Rieti) e Santa Clare of Assisi) il ruolo il cibo aveva con loro, per esempio nel il digiuno e la eucaristia.

Spiritual And Material Boundaries In Old French Verse: Contemplating The Walls Of The Earthly Paradise, Jacob Abell

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

The Earthly Paradise was a vibrant symbol at the heart of medieval Christian geographies of the cosmos. As humanity’s primal home now lost through the sins of Adam of Eve, the Earthly Paradise figured prominently in Old French tales of lands beyond the mundane world. This study proposes a fresh look at the complex roles played by the Earthly Paradise in three medieval French poems: Marie de France’s The Purgatory of St. Patrick, Benedeit’s Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot, and Guillaume de Lorris’s The Romance of the Rose. By examining the literary, cultural, and artistic components that informed each …

Honorius Augustodunensis, Exposition Of Selected Psalms, Ann W. Astell, David Welch

TEAMS Commentary Series

The abbreviated Psalms commentary by Honorius Augustodunensis (ca. 1070 – ca. 1140)—a redaction of his own, much larger commentary on the entire Psalter—participates in a long tradition of Christian interpretation of the Book of Psalms. A prolific author closely associated with Anselm of Canterbury, Rupert of Deutz, and Gilbert of Poitiers, Honorius wrote a massive commentary on the Psalms when the so-called “school of Laon” was at work on the Glossa ordinaria. Honorius’s work shares the academic interest of that school, while simultaneously serving the devotion of the Benedictine Reform. His Exposition of Selected Psalms highlights a tripartite division …

William Caxton's Paris And Vienne And Blanchardyn And Eglantine, Harriet Elizabeth Hudson

TEAMS Middle English Texts

William Caxton’s Paris and Vienne and Blanchardyn and Eglantine are English versions of romances well-known in medieval and early Renaissance Europe, but outside the modern canon of early English literature. Like many of his publications, they are translations of prose works circulating at the court of Burgundy, but unlike his other romances, they do not belong to the matters of the Nine Worthies. They are independent narratives of love and adventure presenting two differing but complementary accounts of chivalry and courtly love. Following fifteenth-century fashions, they treat conventional materials with a degree of realism and imbue characters with subjectivity. Blanchardyn …

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Wills And Testaments In Medieval England From The Thirteenth To The Sixteenth Century, Robert A. Wood

TEAMS Documents of Practice

This volume explores the will-making process in late medieval England for all levels of society. Wills are some of the most studied records of the late Middle Ages and capture the evidence of what people owned and the patterns of family relationships. These documents, compiled from several archives and city records, cast a light on many aspects of medieval life, including gender distinctions and the heavy influence of the church. Included are wills from widows, tradespeople and artisans, clergy, and high-ranking wealthy people, and through these sources he shows how wills, inventories, and testaments prepared people and their souls for …

Res Historica, Volume 2, Lynneth Miller Renberg Phd, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta

Res Historica

The 2023 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg. Johnathan Sorce, and Helen Smith. Cover art for this volume by Helen Smith.

Performing Widowhood On The Early Modern English Stage, Asuka Kimura

Late Tudor and Stuart Drama

The deaths of husbands radically changed women's lives in the early modern period. While losing male protection, widows acquired rare opportunities for social and economic independence. Placed between death and life, female submissiveness and male audacity, chastity and sexual awareness, or tragedy and comedy, widows were highly problematic in early modern patriarchal society. They were also popular figures in the theater, arousing both male desire and anxiety. How did Shakespeare and his contemporaries represent them on the stage? What kind of costume, props, and gestures were employed? What influence did actors, spectators, and play-space have? This book offers a fresh …

Canon Fanfiction: Reading, Writing, And Teaching With Adaptations Of Premodern And Early Modern Literature, Christine Schott

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

For most of Western history, literary value came from retelling and reworking the literature of the past. This reinvention of source material is not unlike the process of writing fanfiction, a genre that has exploded in popularity among young adults in the internet age. It also bears a resemblance the work of literary scholars, who seek to respond, sometimes radically, to the difficult or problematic elements in texts they study. In a climate of increasing indifference toward literature and scholarship, creative writing provides novelists and students alike a powerful way to engage with literature of the past and confront the …

John Of Garland, "Integumenta Ovidii": Text, Translation And Commentary, Kyle Gervais

TEAMS Secular Commentary Series

The renowned scholar-poet John of Garland wrote the Integumenta Ovidii (“Allegories on Ovid”) in early thirteenth-century Paris at a time of renewed interest in Classical Latin literature. In this short poem, John offers a series of dense, highly allusive allegories on various Greek and Roman myths in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. This important but difficult work has fascinated and challenged generations of modern students and scholars. The text is here edited and translated for the first time in 90 years, drawing on the evidence of over two dozen manuscripts. Comprehensive explanatory notes help readers to understand John’s condensed allegories in their …

Living On The Edge: Transgression, Exclusion, And Persecution In The Middle Ages, Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel, Laura Miquel Milian

Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

This volume addresses the widespread medieval phenomenon of transgression as both a result of and the cause for the exclusion and persecution of those who were considered different. It is widely accepted that the essence of a manuscript cannot be fully grasped without studying its marginalia. Glosses sit on the margins of the text and clarify it, adding a whole new dimension to it and becoming an inextricable part of its content. Similarly, no society can be fully understood without knowledge of what lies on its margins, for the outliers of any given culture provide us with just as much …

The Bond Of Empathy In Medieval And Early Modern Literature, David Strong

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

This study examines the various means of becoming empathetic and using this knowledge to explain the epistemic import of the characters’ interaction in the works written by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and their contemporaries. By attuning oneself to another’s expressive phenomena, the empathizer acquires an inter- and intrapersonal knowledge that exposes the limitations of hyperbole, custom, or unbridled passion to explain the profundity of their bond. Understanding the substantive meaning of the characters’ discourse and narrative context discloses their motivations and how they view themselves. The aim of this book is to explore the place of empathy in select late medieval and …

Blandin De Cornoalha, A Comic Occitan Romance: A New Critical Edition And Translation, Wendy Pfeffer, Margaret Burrell

TEAMS Varia

This volume presents the first widely available edition in English of the medieval romance Blandin de Cornoalha, accompanied by a translation and introduction to the work. Composed in the second half of the fourteenth century by an anonymous author, the story offers an early recording of the Sleeping Beauty folktale, incorporated into the adventures of two knights. Many elements in this romance from the south of France are comic, suggesting that Blandin is not simply a tale of knights in battle, but also a parody of medieval romance in general.

Anglo-Danish Empire: A Companion To The Reign Of King Cnut The Great, Richard North, Erin Goeres, Alison Finlay

Northern Medieval World

Anglo-Danish Empire is an interdisciplinary handbook for the Danish conquest of England in 1016 and the subsequent reign of King Cnut the Great. Bringing together scholars from the fields of history, literature, archaeology and manuscript studies, the volume offers comprehensive analysis of England's shift from Anglo-Saxon to Danish rule. It follows the history of this complicated transition, from the closing years of the reign of King Æthelred II and the Anglo-Danish wars to Cnut's accession to the throne of England and his consolidation of power at home and abroad. Ruling from 1016 to 1035, Cnut drew England into a Scandinavian …