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This thesis discusses presentations of madness in medieval literature, and the ways in which these presentations are affected by (and effect) ideas of gender. It includes a discussion of madness as it is commonly presented in classical literature and medical texts, as well as an examination of demonic possession (which shares many of the same characteristics of madness) in medieval exempla. These chapters are followed by a detailed look at the uses of madness in Malory’s Morte Darthur, Gower’s Confessio Amantis, and in two autobiographical accounts of madness, the Book of Margery Kempe and Hoccleve’s Series. The experience of madness can both subvert and reinforce gender roles. Madness is commonly seen as an invasion of the self, which, in a culture which commonly identifies masculinity with bodily intactness, can prove problematic for male sufferers. Equally, madness, in prompting violent, ungoverned behaviour, can undermine traditional definitions of femininity. These rules can, however, be reversed. Malory’s Morte Darthur presents a version of masculinity which is actually enhanced by madness; equally divergent is Margery Kempe’s largely positive account of madness as a catalyst for personal transformation. While there is a certain consistency in the literary treatment of madness – motifs and images are repeated across genres – the way in which these images are used can alter radically. There is no single model of madness in medieval literature: rather, it is always fluid. Madness, like gender, remains open to interpretation.
Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
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Award: | Doctor of Philosophy |
Keywords: | medieval; gender; madness; insanity; demonic possession; medieval literature; Gower; Hoccleve; Margery Kempe; Malory; Morte Darthur; Confessio Amantis; |
Faculty and Department: | |
Thesis Date: | 2010 |
Copyright: | Copyright of this thesis is held by the author |
Deposited On: | 23 Apr 2010 15:33 |
Last Modified: Summer 2013 | Disclaimer | Trading name | Powered by EPrints 3
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Philippe de mézières and the order of the passion : crusade ideology, propaganda, and strategy in the late fourteenth century , intersecting views on the franco-scottish alliance : representation of the other and identity in the making, 13th-16th century , voices of medieval english maritime towns : petitions concerning the cinque ports, 1272-1377 , lords and lordship in languedoc (1400-1541) , virginitas and castitas : virginity dilemma in seventh- and eighth-century england .
Medievalists.net
Where the Middle Ages Begin
Fairies and the Fairy World in Middle English Literature: the Orpheus Tradition from the Classical Era to the Middle Ages
By Beatrice Berti
Master’s Thesis, Università degli Studi di Padova, 2016
Introduction: Having grown up with Disney classics such as Cinderella and Pinocchio (and many others, of course), I have always imagined fairies to look like Fairy Godmother and Blue Fairy. One day, while flipping through Burrow’s and Turville-Petre’s A Book of Middle English, my attention was caught by a relatively short poem called Sir Orfeo. I read the introduction to it and thumbed through most of the poem, which made me realise that Disney fairies were likely to have nothing to do with those of that poem.
I decided I wanted to know more about those “medieval fairies”: were there other Middle English poems where I could find them? And how far in history were the origins of fairy creatures to be found? So, when I discovered that Middle English literature is such a reservoir of fairy world material, I decided to devote my master thesis to it.
Click here to read this thesis from Università degli Studi di Padova
Top Image: Text of Sir Orfeo from British Library MS Harley 3810 f. 1
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In my recent blog discussing a new form of theatrical medievalism in which I have become immersed—allowing me both a creative and intellectual outlet—I centered my discussion on my creative direction and process and how my studies in medieval literature informed my directive style at two local Renaissance Faires in North Central Massachusetts which I was involved with managing, organizing and directing, Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire at the Community Park in Winchendon, MA and Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA. Wyndonshire, the first of these faires, will be the center of my discussion today as I explore the way this project engaged local performers, vendors and community members who came together to cocreate an event that revitalized the town and region. It was also a lot of fun, especially when it all came together on the final weekend in April last year.
Wyndonshire began with an idea proposed by Parks and Recreation Member Dawn Higgins, who championed the initiative and served as RenFaire Coordinator this past year, helping coordinate costume clinics for character actors with Costume Coordinator, Ashley Rust, and vendors with then Park and Recreation Coordinator, Tiffany Newton. My wife, Rajuli Fahey, and I joined on as community members and part of the Planning Group for Winchendon’s RenFaire initiative, but came to wear many hats and serve in numerous roles, including as Creative, Theatrical and Entertainment Directors. Well before directing and academic consulting, I began with world-building a fantasy kingdom, drawing inspiration from town history, and applying my knowledge of medieval culture and lore to imbue the scripts I created as Wyndonshire Playwright . I drew also from my studies and love of medievalism in considering the audience and to both appeal to and surprise patrons. And, as mentioned in my previous blog , I modeled my approach in part on the aesthetic of wonder operative in many of my favorite works of medieval literature.
Creating the characters was a blast. I conceived of three main houses, and three primary nobles vying for power: the Blue King (James Higgins), the Green Queen (Tammy Dykstra), and the Red Baron (Dave Fournier). Rajuli created the graphic art for Wyndonshire, and she suggested noble family’s crest included a local animal as a sigil, so we chose the stag for the king, the otter for the queen and the fox for the baron. I also created a host of characters to populate the kingdom: townsfolk, rogues, pirates, vikings, knights, ministers, and additional nobility. There are also wondrous creatures from literature, myth and legend: fairies, merfolk, witches and sirens. Of course, this conglomerate of fictitious characters borrows from medieval and modern traditions, and reaches into the realm of the imaginary. Wyndonshire can only be described as a historical and literary anachronism and amalgamation. In this way, this faire is full fantasy, designed to appeal broadly to audiences interested in premodern and early modern times or their perception of those earlier historical periods. In other words, designed to meet the expectations of those who would typically attend a modern Renaissance Faire.
It was at this point that magic truly began happening, and it came from the local community. At our auditions, the synergy was palpable—dozens of folks came out to try and embody one of my characters or contribute their creative touch to this growing community project. There were people from different backgrounds coming together to cocreate immersive theater—some folks were part of community theater productions, others were veteran “Rennies” and even Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying groups got involved. Everyone rose up and became a creative team. One example of many was the work of Tammy Dykstra, who was cast as the Green Queen, and later stepped into the role of Music Director, taking on a group of singers, with a spectrum of training and experience. Assisted by Planning Group member, Jacque Ellis, Tammy and the Wyndonshire Singers produced a masterful “pub sing” that was engaging for both spectators and participants, and provided some ribaldry, entertainment and comic relief against a plot that was otherwise often grim and tragic.
Rajuli also organized a collaborative Belly Dance Showcase which paid homage to this RenFaire tradition and brought three regional performance troupes together: her own group, Nagashri Dancers , Our Dance Space led by Rachel Moirae & PsyBEL led by Cheryl Kalilia. Each troupe choreographed its dance and performance contributions to the showcase, but when others were performing, spectating troupes added percussive accompaniment which highlighted the collaborative and community spirit of the faire. From there, Wyndonshire spired outward, as performers and vendors were reaching out looking to get involved in the expanding project.
Numerous performance, historical reenactment, theatrical and musical groups donated services, sometimes for free and more often at discounted rates, to help get this event off the ground since initial funding was limited and in large part came from Massachusetts Cultural Council grants. Everyone pitched in to make the event possible, including The Knights of Lord Talbot , Meraki Caravan , The Phoenix Swords , The Shank Painters , The Harlot Queens , The Warlock Wondershow , The Misfits of Avalon , Dead Gods are the New Gods, The Green Sash, The Mt. Wichusett Witches , and solo performers, such as stilts walker, LaLoopna Hoops , and fire dancer, Noodle Doodle.
Signage was of course an essential element of the faire as well, both because signs add to the atmosphere and create the physical space, and because they helpfully direct patrons where to go. Another community member, Micayla Sullivan, who also played the Robber Baroness, took the lead on this and other crucial aspect of stagecraft as our “Sign Smith” along with a handful of other character actors. All the raw wood for the signs was donated from a local lumber company, Killay Timber Company in Royalston, MA, which made the production of Wyndonshire signage possible even without a budget. Similarly, local hardware store, Belletetes in Winchendon, MA, donated lumber to create the Wyndonshire gate, which James Higgins (who played the Blue King) and Dawn Higgins constructed for the event. Furthermore, local recording studio Blu3Kat Records volunteered to support the event’s sound management, and members from the local artist collective, Eldwood Council (especially Jacob Bohlen and Tom Fahey), partnered with FaeGuild Wonders , in order to create and build second main stage, the Mirage Stage, at Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire .
As performers and vendors were signing up to be part of the Wyndonshire, characters deepened and developed alongside and in tandem with my scripting. The first act of this faire, which will run one more year (June 21-22, 2025), involves conflict between the Blue King and the Green Queen for sway over the realm of Wyndonshire, with the Red Baron biding his time and waiting for any opportunity to climb into greater power. To avoid open war, in an attempt at “peace-weaving” if you will, the Blue King offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to the Green Queen’s son, thereby uniting the realm and settling the question of authority. Of course, each noble is still plotting their opponent’s’ demise, as the game of thrones continues subversively, and breaks out at the wedding feast, resulting in usurpation and regicide.
In order to achieve the action scene in a manner that was safe and professional, we called upon the expertise of Frank Walker (Green Champion) who embraced the role of Combat Coordinator and worked out the staged combat with his historical reenactment group, The Knights of Lord Talbot , and in particular David Geary (Blue Champion) and Cameron Hardy (Red Champion), who were also performing combat demonstrations and facilitating a tournament of champions with historical weaponry and armor earlier in the day. Needless to say, this dramatically enhanced the plot and overall theatrical delivery of the climactic scene, and highlights how it was not just the cast of character actors but also performing groups who were collaborating to produce the drama of the Wyndonshire Wedding.
Some performing groups contained some scripted character actors that were part of the core cast. For example, the Mt. Wichusetts Witches came to Wyndonshire and set the stage for the carnage, and instrumental in twisting fate and turning the wheel of fortune. They contributed to the physical space by creating the Witches’ Den on the borders of the Faywood, where desperate Wyndonshire nobility come to make illicit pacts in service of their respective aims. The Mt. Wichusetts Witches, especially Wyndonshire’s Weird Sisters (Kate Saab, Chrissy Brady and Siobhan Doherty), who engaged in multiple immersive skits where they made magical bargains with representatives of the noble houses, culminating in a flash mob spell at the royal wedding that allowed the Green Prince (Drew Dias) to escape with the Fairy Prince (Sasha Khetarpal-Vasser) and the Blue Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony) with the Siren (Jessa Funa), before smoke clears and the subsequent chaos erupts.
But the regicide was not the end of the action. After the Green Queen seems to have consolidated power and claims unilateral victory, there is another surprise in store: a peasants revolt instigated by a rogue rebellion, overlooked by the Sheriff of Shirewood (Jennifer MacLean) and led by the Robber Baroness (Micayla Sullivan) with the Hooded Rogue (Mitch Lang), Masked Bandit (Mandaline Blake), the Pirate Queen (Katharine Taylor) with her Pirate Quartermaster [Jarod Tavares] and the Green Sash, led by Viking Jarl (Jason Sumrall) with his Berserker (Andrew Hamel), Shieldmaidens (Sylvia Sandridge, Sara Hulseberg, Ashley Sumrall & Gabrielle Emond) and Thanes (Gary Joiner, Daniel Berry, Jeffery Allen Evans, Matthew LeBlanc, Henry Peihong Tsai, Gavin Leo, Richard Sprusanky, Joshua Coffin, et al. ).
Indeed, The Green Sash, a “live history” and historical reenactment group (organized by Jason Sumrall) built and became our Viking settlement at the RenFaire. This group not only helped build the world of Wyndonshire, but like The Knights of Lord Talbot and Mt. Wichusetts Witches, The Green Sash became an integral part of the plot and interwoven into the story, contributing numerous immersive theatrical skits throughout the event, including singing and raiding Wyndonshire Town with the Wizard, conspiring with rogues and pirates to overthrow the nobility, and ultimately aiding the people’s revolution at the conclusion of the faire.
Another interwoven subplot at Wyndonshire involved the misadventures of the Fairy Court in the Faywood, which was primarily organized by Amy Boscho in partnership with Emilie Davis and many others. Amy is a local business owner and community member who was also part of the Planning Group for the faire, and she both directed the immersive theatrics surrounding the Fairy Court and coordinated the vendors at the Fay Marketplace in the Fairy Grove near Wyndonshire Gate. Moreover, to further develop the mythic elements near Faywood, professional mermaids, led by Tolkien scholar, Shae Rossi, adorned the shore of the nearby pond at the Winchendon Community Park.
By the end of the process, almost every character was cocreating at some level with the actor playing them, and in one case, one of the character actors, Jessa Funa, (who played the Siren character) even collaborated with me on an immersive subplot centered on fairy romance between herself and the Blue Princess. The sheer extent of community contributions to this event was truly incredible and has inspired me to interlace the storyline of Wyndonshire with its sister faire, so the two plots will interact and events at Wyndonshire will ultimately affect the fate of Enchanted Orchard. A project of this scope and magnitude takes a team—a village—and I am honored to be part of such a collaborative community, now FaeGuild Wonders , which was inspired to participate in a this exciting form of public medievalism.
Additionally, Park and Recreation Chair, Deb Bradley stepped up when the faire needed a liaison, and served as a stage manager during the event, a second representative from the Winchendon Park and Recreation Commission who played a critical role in the planning and operations of the faire. And, Red Apple Farm partnered in advertising the event and as one of the major food vendor, providing standard RenFaire snacks and specialty cider imported from the neighboring agrarian realm of Enchanted Orchard . In 2026, the plot for Wyndonshire progresses to Act 2, “The Reign of the Rogue Council” which picks up with the Green Queen in the Wyndonshire Dungeon, and the rogue leaders in power. As we plan to run Act 1 “The Wyndonshire Wedding” again next year, if you missed out this spring, luckily there is still another chance to attend in 2025 (June 21-22 nd ).
Richard Fahey Ph.D. in English Medieval Institute University of Notre Dame Creative, Entertainment & Theatrical Director Playwright & Academic Consultant Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire
I am always looking for my next adventure, and so this past year I took a risk and wandered into new territory. Through creative partnership with my wife, Rajuli Fahey, and the many folks involved in what became FaeGuild Wonders , we together built not one but two inaugural Renaissances Faires in Massachusetts . Rajuli served as Art & Entertainment Director, and Stage Manager (and one of the Vending Coordinators at the latter faire), I served as Creative & Theatrical Director, Playwright and Academic Consultant for both Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire at the Community Park in our resident town of Winchendon, MA and Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire at Red Apple Farm just down the road in nearby Phillipston, MA.
Public medievalism has long been a professional interest and personal passion of mine, and although I enjoy scholarship and traditional ways of academically engaging with medieval history, literature and culture, I am also drawn to the fantastic and wondrous, to the creative and adaptive, and it has long been a personal dream to produce full-scale Renaissance Faire that takes medieval literature and the aesthetic of wonder as its creative direction. Indeed, during my PhD studies at the University of Notre Dame, I organized a small-scale theatrical production called Grendelkin , which featured innovative and avant-garde performances related to Beowulf , which brought together musical artists, professional dancers and early medieval English scholars.
The project’s scope expanded well beyond anything I might have anticipated when I signed on to be a Member of a Planning Group in our small Town of Winchendon , agreeing to create characters and produce a script, storyline and lore for Park & Recreation Member Dawn Higgins ’ RenFaire initiative. Of course, there were many challenges to overcome along the way, some from the nature of startup projects and some from the circumstances surrounding organizing two distinct faires with very different models and storylines, which debuted back-to-back weekends this spring. While my blog today is in part a celebration of both events, it will center primarily on the creative inspiration and direction that shape both Renfaires and the world-building aspects that allowed me to leverage my expertise and love of medieval literature, especially that which contains monstrous and wondrous elements, in my creative process.
However, before we dive too deep into the creative process, a brief description of both faires is in order: Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire
For this faire, Rajuli and I both volunteered our professional services in order to support our town, local community and the beautiful amphitheater at the Winchendon Community Park. As the project grew so did our roles in the production of Wyndonshire. What began as a modest endeavor bloomed into a full-blown production that welcomed and engaged the local art community. Although all of the characters are fictitious (some cocreated with the character actors themselves), I based the House names around prominent families from Winchendon (the Murdocks and Whitneys in particular), though there is no intended relationship (allegorical or otherwise) between the Wyndonshire nobles and said historical families. This year’s plotline centered around “The Wyndonshire Wedding” between the Blue Princess (played by Melony “Melegie” Lemony) and Green Prince (played by Drew Dias). The wedding is coupled with political intrigue and subterfuge, resulting in a contest for power between the Blue King (played by James Higgins), Green Queen (played by Tammy Dykstra) and Red Baron (played by Dave Fournier) and culminating in a peasant revolt featuring rogues, pirates and marauders led by the Robber Baroness (played by Micayla Sullivan), the Pirate Queen (played by Katharine Taylor) and the Viking Jarl (played by Jason Sumrall).
Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire
After Wyndonshire was underway, this faire was conceived in collaboration with a local farm and festival venue, Red Apple Farm , owned by Al and Nancy Rose, who were excited to cocreate an event such as this in order to advertise their growing business, provide interactive and experience-based agricultural awareness, bring tourism to the surrounding area and support both the regional economy and artist community. Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire features fictitious characters and storylines that are centered on sustainable farming practices and agrarian life which was the bedrock for the medieval world. The main conflict concerns a disagreement between the nobles as to whether or not to expand the orchard or preserve the forest, with the Orchard King (played by Paul Taft) and Blossom Baroness (played by Jen Knight) advocating for conservation and the May Queen (played by Tammy Dykstra) and Duke of Thorns (played by Dave Fournier) opposing and advocating for preservation, ending with an unexpected marriage proposal and announcement between the Prince of Leaves (Michael Barboza-McLean) and the Blueberry Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony).
These events included performances by musical and theatrical groups such as The Knights of Lord Talbot , Meraki Caravan , The Phoenix Swords , The Shank Painters , The Harlot Queens , The Warlock Wondershow , The Misfits of Avalon , Diva Di , Dead Gods are the New Gods, The Green Sash, The Mt. Wichusett Witches , Skeleton Crew Theater , Massachusetts Historical Swordsmanship [HEMA] , The Ditrani Brothers , Nagashri Dancers , PsyBEL , Our Dance Space and numerous solo performers.
Obviously, RenFaires are at their core fantasy. They do not reflect in any consistent or credible way the historical realities of the medieval or early modern period, and even those groups and projects that are purportedly more focused and committed to historical accuracy, such as the Society for Creative Anachronism [SCA] and Pennsic Wars , acknowledge the deep limitations of attempting to recreate a historical past in the present: it’s simply not possible.
Although folk certainly do not (and cannot despite best efforts) actually travel back in time when attending a RenFaire, and many of the performance groups embed non-historical or fantastic elements, the desire to experience something historically adjacent, something medievalish, to invoke modern perceptions (and at times misconceptions) of premodern times, and to be immersed in a world of medievalism, has bloomed in recent years and will likely continue to grow. As a medievalist interested in the intersection between medieval studies and medievalism, my goal in cocreating and directing these RenFaires was never to recreate the historical past or attempt to conjure the authentic premodern world, but rather to evoke the experience and aesthetic of wonder that imbues so many of the works of medieval literature I love most and which dramatize the monstrous, the magical, the mysterious, miraculous and the uncanny. I asked myself and the Muses two essential questions: 1.) what would it be like to walk into a work of medieval literature? And, 2.) what would it be like to walk into a medievalesque fantasy world?
I knew I wanted the experience to be highly immersive. I wanted folks attending to feel part of something—to have almost crossed into a fairyworld or an uncanny realm. I wanted the experience to be overwhelming, with too much to possibly see or do. I wanted to create the illusion of entering a world that is alive with everything from town gossip to its own historiography and mythography. Most of all, I wanted the patrons to experience the wonder that is embedded throughout medieval literature and that makes medievalism such a joy to modern audiences. I decided to include both stage performances and many immersive skits, as well as multiple interlacing subplots that come together at various points throughout the events.
In the end, both faires were a wicked good time and proved to be huge successes—for the town and for the farm—and from these experiences a community formed into a sort of immersive theater company, FaeGuild Wonders . Because of our unique approach to these Renaissance Faires, the immersive and theatrical dramatizations in particular, and the inclusive spirit of community present at these events, we received some local press leading up to and after their debuts . But the best part of the entire process for me, personally, was not even seeing my vision come to life—it was the community building and getting to collaborate with my friends and family.
I could talk about each event in detail, exploring the ways I engage the medieval aesthetic of wonder as well as the modern imaginary, but those will likely be the substance of future blogs on Wyndonshire and Enchanted Orchard. Most exciting of all for me to share is a brand-new event that Rajuli and I are planning and directing this winter, again in collaboration with the Red Apple Farm team led by the Roses (because they were such awesome partners): the Northfolk Nightmarket on February 22 nd and 23 rd 2025. This will offer me the incredible opportunity to dramatize the story of Beowulf , the subject of my dissertation and the majority of my scholarship, and interweave the story into an inaugural event which will draw inspiration directly from medieval lore, literature, myth and legend. Perhaps we’ll see you there? Richard Fahey, PhD in English Medieval Institute University of Notre Dame
When more than a dozen undergraduates successfully banded together last year to petition the administration for me to teach the first ever course in Old Norse language and literature at my (now former) institution, I vowed not to disappoint them. [1] Knowing that these students would likely never have another opportunity to spend a semester learning and reading Norse in a formal setting, I soon realized that in two one-hour meetings per week over a single semester we could hope for little more than a forced march through any standard textbook, yielding some sense of the rules of the language but no real experience reading it.
Broadening my search, I came across Guðbrandur Vigfusson’s 1879 Icelandic Prose Reader . Vigfusson recommends jumping right into reading, ideally beginning by muddling through the Gospel of Matthew, with which he assumes students will be familiar, before moving on to a shorter saga—he recommends Eirik the Red. He offers this advice:
The beginner should at first trouble himself as little as possible with grammatical details, but try the while to get hold of the chief particles, the pronouns, and a few important nouns and verbs—the staple words of the language…The inflexive forms are of less import; they will be more easily learnt and better remembered, if they are allowed to grow bit by bit on the mind, as they occur in the reading. Grammar is, after all, but the means to an end, and much of one’s freshness and power of appreciation is lost, if it is incessantly diverted from the subject before one, to the ungrateful study of dry forms. [2]
Though the reader does come equipped with a brief grammar consisting primarily of tables and charts, Vigfusson underscores his grammar-deemphasized, reading-first method by featuring the texts first in the volume, grammar second .
Though Vigfusson gave very little concrete advice for teaching besides a general idea to dump students in and let them swim, it got me thinking about how else we might teach and learn old north germanic languages. How did medieval students and teachers approach language learning?
The Anglo-Saxons (despite or perhaps due to King Alfred’s lamentations about the state of Latin learning in his realm) were particularly accomplished language learners, as anyone considered truly literate had to read and write a completely foreign language—Latin. This literacy included many skills besides grammatical analysis. To quote R.W. Chambers, “their aim was to read Latin, write Latin, and dispute in Latin.” [3] Recalling Vigfusson’s suggestion to start with the Gospel of Matthew, the youngest students of written Latin would begin with the Psalms, which they had previously learned by heart, along with the letters of the alphabet and various Latin prayers. [4] The upshot is, medieval students had a lot of the target language in their ears and memorized by heart before they ever began a program of study directly aimed at mastering grammar, learning to read, and creating in the language.
Then they’d move on to the Latin colloquy, question-and-answer dialogues meant to be memorized, acted out, and expanded through creative variation. One of the best-known colloquies, written for young scholars by prolific homilist and grammarian Ælfric of Eynsham at the turn into the eleventh century, was paired close to the time of Ælfric himself with an interlinear Old English gloss. I’d like to suggest a way of using this text in class in a way that goes beyond reading or translating the Old English (or the Latin, for that matter). [5]
The early part of the colloquy is set up as a question-and-answer between the teacher and a classfull of students, who take the parts of people working diverse jobs, a ploughman, a monk, a hunter, a cook, etc.
Here the teacher (perhaps played by one of the students) introduces us to the ploughman.
Hwæt sæᵹest þu, yrþlinᵹc? Hu beᵹæst þu weorc þin?
Eala, leof hlaford, þearle ic deorfe. Ic ᵹa ut on dæᵹræd þywende oxon to felda, and iuᵹie hiᵹ to syl; nys hit swa stearc winter þæt ic durre lutian æt ham for eᵹe hlafordes mines, ac ᵹeiukodan oxan, and ᵹefæstnodon sceare and cultre mit þære syl, ælce dæᵹ ic sceal erian fulne æcer oþþe mare.
A passage like this gives ample opportunity for working in the target language even beyond memorizing and acting out the dialogue (both excellent for building vocabulary and familiarity with grammatical structures). It also allows for imitation and creative response to a series of questions based on the text.
One question is already built into the dialogue.
Eala yrþlinᵹc, hu beᵹæst þu weorc þin?
But we can ask other questions that test comprehension and encourage active imitation.
For example:
Hwæt þēoweþ sē yrþlinᵹc ut to felda?
Even without knowing exactly how to conjugate the verb, the student gets to employ the correct form in context through recognition and imitation. I say “þēoweþ,” and the student recognizes it as the form needed in the response.
I can drill conjugation, though, if I want:
Eala yrþlinᵹc, hwæt þēowst þu to felda? (Exaggeratedly pointing a finger at the student to emphasize the second person singular pronoun)
The student will quickly begin to recognize that “þēowst þu” needs “ic þēowe” as a response. If a student says “ic þēowst” or similar, I might repeat back “ þu þēow st , ic þēow e ” (with approriate finger pointing) and move right along.
We can work with different verbs:
Eala yrþlinᵹc, hwæt iugast þu to syl?
And play with conjugation:
Hwæt iugiaþ sē yrþlinᵹc to syl?
But there are plenty of other questions we could ask about the same bit of dialogue.
Eala yrþlinᵹc, hwaenne gæst þu ut to felda?
Hwon gæþ sē yrþlinᵹc ut to felda?
Students might start out with one- or two-word responses. “Yea.” “Oxon.” “On dægræd.” But with encouragement and practice with mirroring back much of the content of the question, they will start to put together more complex utterances.
I might ask:
Hwæþer sē yrþlinᵹc gæþ ut to felda nihtes?
Hwæþer sē yrþlinᵹc willaþ gan ut to felda?
These examples give some idea of the approach I’ve used, alongside extensive reading of accessible texts, to great result in my Old Norse and Latin classes. The method can be applied to other readings, even if you spend most of the class translating. Pull out a few sentences you’d like to drill down into and ask questions about in the target language.
As a postscript, we did read the gospel of Matthew and the saga of Eirik the Red, and my former students have kept up a Norse reading group, without further help or interference from me.
Rebecca M. West, Ph.D. The Center for Thomas More Studies Hillsdale College
[1] An earlier version of this material was presented at ICMS 2024.
[2] Vigfusson, An Icelandic Prose Reader , vi.
[3] R. W. Chambers, Thomas More , 58.
[4] See Garmonsway, Ælfric’s Colloquy, 12.
[5] I took inspiration from the Latin colloquy in developing new materials for my Old Norse class, but the teacher of Old English is saved this laborious step.
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Dissertations by Author. Rahim Acar (NELC, 2002): Creation: A comparative study between Avicenna's and Aquinas' positions. Catherine Adoyo (Romance Languages, 2011): The order of all things: Mimetic craft in Dante's Commedia. Panagiotis Agapitos (Classics, 1990): Narrative structure in the Byzantine vernacular romances: A textual and literary ...
itch, sorceress, or magic woman as sheappears in medieval literature is. largely in line with these sentiments. The alluring realm of magic must contend with accusations of heresy, deflec. ing such accusations by working withinthe acceptable confines of behavior dictated l. gally and. n which t. of women.
PhD Dissertations on Medieval Topics at Fordham. with Dr. Richard Gyug (León, 2011). The Center for Medieval Studies serves as an umbrella organization for all medievalists on campus, which include in any one year, thirty to forty PhD students in one of our associated doctoral departments (Classics, English, History, Philosophy, and Theology).
This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Longwood University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, ... Throughout the corpus of medieval literature, especially fourteenth-century romance, chivalry plays a significant role as a social construct for gauging both successful and disastrous
Medieval literature is no exception when it comes to a preoccupation with the theme of revenge, and one need not look far to find numerous striking examples of vengeance desired and taken, both human and divine. Thoughts of revenge are what inspire the men in the Old English Battle of Maldon to continue fighting despite losing odds; one after ...
This thesis re-approaches medieval literature in terms of its investment in visuality in general and chromatic perception in particular. The introduction raises the philosophical problem off-colour: its status as an object for science, role in perception, and relationship to language and meaning as expressed within inter-subjective evaluation.
Ultimately, the thesis demonstrates that a more open analysis of infertility is necessary for understanding with greater precision the experience of childlessness, and the importance of fertility for both gendered roles of kingship and queenship. 2021. The Transformation of the Sleeping Corpse Motif in Medieval and Early Modern Literature
This thesis argues that studying medieval literature is rarely undertaken with an interdisciplinary approach, and that this lack of contextual understanding has led to interpretations that do not take into account the importance of medieval belief and practice in literary manifestations.
Though other scholars have examined magic in medieval literature, this study provides a specific analysis of valkyries, their use of magic as a means of attaining adequate social power to gain freedom from a wholly domestic existence, and an analysis of how this representation contrasts with other contemporary English and French literary tendencies. This study examines the valkyries without ...
infirm. In contrast, medieval Irish texts show the same range of somatic responses to grief in both women and men. My final chapter, "Envisioning the Afterlife," offers a sustained comparison of the development of the idea of the afterlife and the otherworld in medieval Irish and Norse literature.
Scholarship on medieval and Arthurian chivalry in recent decades has focused largely on the Gawain Poet's 1375 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Sir Thomas Malory's 1470 Le Morte D'Arthur. These two romances seem to offer more critical looks at the chivalric system than the glorification of knightly life provided by romances from the previous centuries of the high medieval period. In ...
Shame and Honour in Late Medieval English Literature An analysis of two narratives from the Sir Gawain Cycle: The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle and The Avowing of Arthur Thesis supervisor: Dr. M.P.J. Cole Second reader: Dr. L.J. Stelling Jennifer Jansen 5544866 BA Thesis English Language and Culture 4th June 2017 Word count: 8171
The Program in Medieval Studies at Princeton University encourages interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages: its art, literature (Latin and vernacular), music, religion, science, philosophy, politics, and economic and social structures. Supported by the vast resources for medieval studies at Princeton University (including an outstanding ...
Jacques Le Goff's famous thesis about the relatively sudden adoption of clock time in late medieval Europe describes the replacement of "Church time" or "God's time" by what he calls "merchant time," and his work has helped to inspire scholarship on the commodification of time in the writings of medieval authors, including Chaucer.4 We
Middle English literature. Her work has appeared in the Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Chaucer Review and Medium Ævum. is Professor of Medieval Literature and Head of the School of English at the University of St Andrews. He specialises in Middle English literature, medieval literary theory, translation and devotional textuality ...
This dissertation contributes to the larger context of literary and gender studies by demonstrating that literature prescribes behavior and it fulfills a pedagogical function. In the introduction, I set up the theoretical framework for my three chapters.
1 The thesis explores the representation and meaning of the Grail quest in medieval and modern literature, using the methodologies of historically informed criticism and gender criticism. It opens new perspectives on the Grail quest, regarding the quest as a unifying structural and moral motif that enables medieval and modern authors to engage with core existential issues - death, gender ...
This thesis discusses presentations of madness in medieval literature, and the ways in which these presentations are affected by (and effect) ideas of gender. It includes a discussion of madness as it is commonly presented in classical literature and medical texts, as well as an examination of demonic possession (which shares many of the same characteristics of madness) in medieval exempla.
Hu, Jiazhu (University of St Andrews, 2021-06) - Thesis. This thesis explores the political communication between royal and local governments in late medieval England. It focuses on the petitionary language used by medieval English maritime towns, especially by the confederation ...
So, when I discovered that Middle English literature is such a reservoir of fairy world material, I decided to devote my master thesis to it. The aim of this dissertation is thus to analyse and try to understand what is the role of fairies in Middle English literature, by focusing in particular on the anonymous fourteenth-century poem Sir Orfeo.
The present paper provides a critical overview of the 36 medieval history dissertations concluded at Portuguese universities between 2010 and 2018. Their comparatively modest numbers (825 theses ...
In my recent blog discussing a new form of theatrical medievalism in which I have become immersed—allowing me both a creative and intellectual outlet—I centered my discussion on my creative direction and process and how my studies in medieval literature informed my directive style at two local Renaissance Faires in North Central Massachusetts which I was involved with managing, organizing ...