Nové stredoveky Séria

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.