Medieval Academy of America's Books

Previously published as The Mongol Mission by Sheed and Ward, Ltd., 1980.

Originally published by Prentice-Hall, 1971.

From the Introduction: We need not be surprised, then, that in the Middle Ages also there were rulers who aspired to supreme political and temporal power. The truly exceptional thing is that in medieval times there were always at least two claimants to the role, each commanding a formidable apparatus of government, and that for century after century neither was able to dominate the other completely, so that the duality persisted, was eventually rationalized in works of political theory and ultimately built into the structure of European society. This situation profoundly influenced the development of Western constitutionalism.

The text is in Middle English with extensive supplemental notes that help to fully explain the context of each work. This new MART edition comes with a revised and updated bibliography by the editor.

In the past few decades, interest in the rich and varied literature of early Scandinavia has prompted a corresponding interest in its background: its origins, social and historical context, and relationship to other medieval literatures. Until the 1980s, however, there was a distinct lack of scholarship in English that synthesized the critical trends and thinking in the field, so in 1985 Carol J. Clover and John Lindow brought together several of the most distinguished Old Norse scholars to contribute essays for a collection that would finally provide a comprehensive guide to the major genres of Old Norse-Icelandic literature." "The contributors summarize and comment on scholarly work in the major branches of the field: eddic and skaldic poetry, family and kings' sagas, courtly writing, and mythology. Their essays, each with a full bibliography, make up this vital survey of Old Norse literature in English - a basic reference work that has stimulated much research and helped to open up the field to a wider academic readership." "This volume has become an essential text for instructors, and now, twenty years after its first appearance, it is being republished as part of the Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching (MART) series with a new preface that discusses more recent contributions to the field.

A collection of essays that reflect the breadth of twentieth-century scholarship in art history. Kleinbauer has sought to illustrate the variety of methods scholars have developed for conveying the unfolding of the arts in the Western world. Originally published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1971.

The Life of Christina of Markyate", a twelfth-century English recluse and later abbess of Markyate near St Albans, is a remarkable example of late medieval hagiography. Originally written at the time of or soon after Christina's death in the twelfth century, the Life is unusual both in its relative lack of miracles, and in the unknown author's decision to write Christina's life factually rather than gathering together stock elements from previously written saint's lives, as was the custom. First published in 1959, this edition contains the original Latin text with a facing-page English translation. It is accompanied by a comprehensive Introduction that discusses the codicological problems of the text, and provides other contextual and background material. 'One of the great virtues of this Life is its vivid revelations of Christina's personal circumstances, which must have been based on her own reminiscences. Although doubts have been cast on her veracity ... they do not affect the main lines of the extraordinary story she told the author.' From the General Editors' Note

A classic account of Charles the Great and the heyday of Frankish rule in Europe, evaluating the achievements and failures of the empire which has been called 'the first Europe.' Reprinted from the 1968 edition, translation first published in 1957.

A student and general reader guide to the middle period, or the most imperial era, of Byzantium's history. Jenkins strives to provide a connected account of what actually went on in the East Roman Empire.

Originally published by Prentice-Hall, 1972.

If a reader of Chaucer suspects that an echo of a biblical verse may somehow depend for its meaning on traditional commentary on that verse, how does he or she go about finding the relevant commentaries? If one finds the word 'fire' in a context that suggests resonances beyond the literal, how does that reader go about learning what the traditional figurative meanings of fire were? It was to the solution of such difficulties that R.E. Kaske addressed himself in this volume setting out and analyzing the major repositories of traditional material: biblical exegesis, the liturgy, hymns and sequences, sermons and homilies, the pictorial arts, mythography, commentaries on individual authors, and a number of miscellaneous themes. An appendix deals with medieval encyclopedias. Kaske created a tool that will revolutionize research in its designated field: the discovery and interpretation of the traditional meanings reflected in medieval Christian imagery.

Originally published by Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, 1988.

Makes available for the first time the unique text in the fifteenth-century British manuscript, MS. Bodley 283, which is among the last and largest works in the tradition of lay religious instruction mandated by the Fourth Lateran Council.

The history of medieval rhetoric can be understood only as part of medieval efforts to understand the manifold uses of language.

Twenty-seven authors approach the diverse areas of the cultural, religious, and social life of the twelfth century. These essays form a basic resource for all interested in this pivotal century. A reprint of the first edition first published in 1982.

Conduct literature is a term used to identify writings that address how one should 'conduct' oneself in social situations. In the medieval period conduct literature was essential reading for nearly all literate children and adolescents to educate them in the expected social behaviours for their culture, gender, and status. Using a comparative approach, this anthology pairs together pieces of male-directed and female-directed medieval conduct literature, many being translated into English for the first time, to present an illuminating picture of medieval gender norms, parenting, literary style, and pedagogy." "Containing texts written in six vernacular languages, each section is also accompanied by textual notes, an introduction, and an English translation. A fascinating examination of a diverse range of regions and cultures, Medieval Conduct Literature is a remarkable window into medieval life, customs, behaviour, and social expectations." --Book Jacket.

Perhaps the most famous Castilian in history, Rodrigo Diaz - also known as 'the Cid' - lived in the second half of the eleventh century, distinguishing himself during the conquest of the Muslim kingdom of Valencia. The epic poem Las Mocedades de Rodrigo (The Youthful Deeds of Rodrigo), is a fictional account of the young Rodrigo's passage from impetuous initiate to menacing force of nature, and, finally, to ally and servitor of his king. Written around 1300, the poem garnered a significant reputation in its native Spain and is still widely read today. Despite its popularity, an English translation has never been published. This bilingual edition offers both the Old Spanish version of Las Mocedades as well as the first English translation of the epic poem. In his introduction, Matthew Bailey examines the text as a compilation of oral narratives passed down from speakers to scribes. Situating it fully within the tradition of Spanish epic poetry, Bailey goes on to review the poem's critical reception, explains the hybrid nature of the narrative, and looks at the origins of the hero himself. The translation includes explanatory notes to help the contemporary English-language reader understand the social and political circumstances surrounding the poem. For those interested in the poetry of medieval Spain, the epic tradition, or for anyone looking for a good adventure story, Las Mocedades de Rodrigo will be essential reading.

The collection reveals how scholars of the 1970s through the 1990s argued the importance of previously unconsidered questions about the shape of medieval familial experience, and how their mutual information and criticism has refined and added to this investigation in the intervening period.

Book's by Medieval Academy of America

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