Historical Anthropology of the Middle AgesAaron Gurevich has long been considered one of the world's leading medievalists and a pioneer in the field of historical anthropology. This book brings together eleven of his most important essays—many difficult to find and some never before available in English. Gurevich's writing, while informed by the history of mentalities as practiced by the French school of Le Goff and Duby, reflects a broader view of European culture outside France. He rejects reductionist concepts and operates with a total view of culture, using a wide range of sources—legal as well as ecclesiastical, popular as well as learned, oral and visual as well as literary. This collection amply demonstrates this breadth of Gurevich's work and highlights his ability to synthesize historical, anthropological, and semiotic approaches to culture. Especially valuable are pieces such as Gurevich's essay Wealth and Gift-Bestowal Among the Ancient Scandinavians, about the importance of gift exchange in the medieval world. One of the first studies for this practice, this classic essay has for years been unavailable. Other pieces range from the deities and heroes of Germanic poetry to the image of the Beyond in the Middle Ages. |
Contents
Medieval culture and mentalité according to the | 21 |
Perceptions of the individual and the hereafter in | 65 |
On heroes things gods and laughter in Germanic | 122 |
Wealth and giftbestowal among the ancient | 177 |
commentary on Hyndlolióð | 190 |
Notes | 210 |
65 | 214 |
228 | |
Common terms and phrases
actions Æsir ancient Scandinavians Angantyr Annales Annales school archaic Ariès Atlamál Atlaqviða Atli Atli's behaviour believe brothers Burgundian Chartier and Revel Christian comic concept consciousness culture death deeds demons devil Dronke Duby eddic lays Elder Edda epic epic poetry epoch explained expression fact fate feast Freya Germanic gifts gods Goff gold Gudrun Gunnar Gurevich Hamðismál Hávamál Heimskringla hell heroes heroic lay heroic poetry historians historical anthropology historiography Hlöd Högni human Hunnish Huns Icelandic idea individual interpretation Jörmunrekk king land Last Judgement laughter legend literature Locasenna Loki meaning medieval mentalité Middle Ages motif murder myth mythological Nibelungenlied noble Norway Norwegian nouvelle histoire óðal Óðin Óláf Óttarr pagan parody possession problem religious Revel eds ritual sagas scene scholars Sigurd skald skaldic poetry Snorri social society souls Starkad texts thirteenth centuries Thor tradition treasure vision warriors wealth words world-view Ynglinga Ynglinga saga Ynglingar