The cultural life of England over the long period from the Norman Conquest to the Reformation was rich and varied in ways that scholars are only now beginning to understand in detail. This Companion introduces a wide range of materials that constitute the culture – or cultures – of medieval England, across fields including political and legal history, archaeology, social history, art history, religion, the history of education, and above all the literatures of medieval England in Latin, French, and English, plus post-medieval perspectives on the “Middle Ages.” In a linked series of essays experts in these areas show the complex relationships between them, building up a comprehensive account of rich patterns of life and literature in this period. The essays are supplemented by a chronology and guide to further reading to help students build on the unique access this volume provides to what can seem a very foreign culture.
Chronology; Introduction: medieval English culture and its companions Andrew Galloway; Part I. Theaters of Culture: Political, Legal, Material: 1. From court to nation Scott Waugh; 2. The legal revolution and the discourse of dispute in the twelfth century Paul Hyams; 3. Archaeology and post-Conquest England David Hinton; Part II. Cultural Ideals and Cultural Conflicts: 4. Social ideals and social disruption Richard Kaeuper; 5. 'Celtic' visions of England David Dumville; 6. The idea of sanctity and the uncanonized life of Margery Kempe Rebecca Krug; Part III. Literacies, Languages, and Literatures: 7. Visual texts in post-Conquest England Laura Kendrick; 8. Literacy, schooling, universities Ralph Hanna; 9. Anglo-Latin literature in the later Middle Ages David Carlson; 10. The vernaculars of medieval England, 1170-1350 Elaine Treharne; 11. English literary voices, 1350-1500 David Lawton; Part IV. Legacies and Re-creations: 12. Literary reformations of the middle ages Helen Cooper; 13. Re-creating the middle ages Clare Simmons; Guide to further reading; Index.
Reviews for The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Culture
'The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Culture is rich in content and insight. It covers a wide variety of areas, ranging from legal history to post-medieval literature and cultural identities ... [a] valuable addition to the field for intermediate or advanced scholars.' Geert van Iersel, English Studies 'Its essays are accessible and useful to a wide range of students, instructors, and researchers, especially those seeking to usefully broaden their understanding of the period beyond the scope of their own specialty.' Keri Behre, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (SMART) 'The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Culture is rich in content and insight. It covers a wide variety of areas, ranging from legal history to post-medieval literature and cultural identities ... [a] valuable addition to the field for intermediate or advanced scholars.' Geert van Iersel, English Studies 'Its essays are accessible and useful to a wide range of students, instructors, and researchers, especially those seeking to usefully broaden their understanding of the period beyond the scope of their own specialty.' Keri Behre, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (SMART)
