Book

Supernatural encounters : demons and the restless dead in medieval England, c.1050-1450

Gordon, Stephen, 1985- author

Overview

\"The belief in the reality of demons and the restless dead formed a central facet of the medieval worldview. Whether a pestilent-spreading corpse mobilised by the devil, a purgatorial spirit returning to earth to ask for suffrage, or a shape-shifting demon intent on crushing its victims as they slept, encounters with supernatural entities were often met with consternation and fear. Chroniclers, hagiographers, sermons writers, satirists, poets and even medical practitioners utilised the cultural 'text' of the supernatural encounter in many different ways, showcasing the multiplicity of contemporary attitudes to death, disease, and the afterlife. In this volume, Stephen Gordon explores the ways in which conflicting ideas about the intention and agency of supernatural entities were understood and articulated in different social and literary contexts. Focusing primarily on material from medieval England, c.1050-1450, Gordon discusses how writers such as William of Malmesbury, William of Newburgh, Walter Map, John Mirk and Geoffrey Chaucer utilised the belief in demons, nightmares and walking corpses for pointed critical effect. Ultimately, this monograph provides new insights into the ways in which the broad ontological category of the 'revenant' was conceptualised in the medieval world\"-- Provided by publisher.

• Publisher: Routledge
• Subject: Occultism England History To 1500. / Demonology England History To 1500. / Supernatural History To 1500.
• ISBN: 9781138361744, 1138361747

Item info:

1 item available

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Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
BF1434.G7 G67 2020	1	BOOK	AUTOSTORE