Christian Household in Medieval Europe, C850-C1550: Managing Power, Wealth, and the Body

Book Description
This volume asks whether there was a common structure, ideology, and image of the household in the medieval Christian West. In the period under examination, noble households often exercised great power in their own right, while even quite humble households were defined as agents of government in the administration of local communities. Many of the papers therefore address the public functions and perceptions of the household, and argue that the formulation of domestic (and family) values was of essential importance in the growth and development of the medieval Christian state. Contributors to this volume of collected essays write from a number of disciplinary perspectives (archaeological, art-historical, historical, and literary). They examine socially diverse households (from peasants to kings) and use case-studies from different regions across Europe in different periods from the medieval epoch from c.850 to c.1550. The volume both includes studies from archives and collections not often covered in English-language publications, and offers new approaches to more familiar material. It is divided into thematic sections exploring the role of households in the exercise of power, in controlling the body, in the distribution of wealth and within a wider economy of possessions. The majority of the papers were first given at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds in 2001, in a strand on 'Domus and Familia' organised by the Urban Household Group of the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York.


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This is one of two volumes of selected papers that emerged from the 2001 conference. European and North American medievalists specializing in history, literature, archaeology, and art history examine households ranging from peasants to kings in some places not usually covered by English works—such as Croatia and Portugal—as well as the more familiar Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, and France. Most of the 28 papers here look at how texts—particularly legal, literary, and devotional ones—suggest that power, wealth, and body were managed within and helped define the household and its role in society and politics. Others deal with similar issues but using material evidence. There is no index. Distributed by The David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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