Readings in Medieval Civilizations and Cultures – serie

This fascinating account is the principal source for a number of momentous political developments leading up to the millennium. These include struggles among the Carolingians, the rise of the Saxon dynasty in Germany, and various Viking and Magyar raids. Academics please note that this is a title classified as having a restricted allocation of complimentary copies; complimentary copies remain readily available to adopters and to academics very likely to adopt this title in the coming academic year. When adoption possibilities are less strong and/or further in the future, academics are requested to purchase the title at an academic discount, with the proviso that University of Toronto Press will happily refund the purchase price (with or without a receipt) if the book is indeed adopted.

To study the interactions between Muslims and Christians in the medieval period is to observe a history of conflict and co-existence encompassing warfare, piracy, and raiding as well as commerce, intellectual exchanges, and personal relationships that transcended religious differences. With particular focus on the Mediterranean world, this collection of more than 80 readings includes sources from Byzantine, Jewish, Muslim, and Latin Christian authors that explore the conflicts and contacts between Muslims and Christians from the seventh to the fifteenth century. Jarbel Rodriguez has selected geographically diverse readings and multiple sources on the same event or topic so that readers gain a better understanding of the relationship that existed between Muslims and Christians in the Middle Ages.

This exciting new collection of documents from across Europe gives a fresh perspective and sharp taste of everyday life in a medieval town. The sources range from the standard chronicles and charters to the less often viewed accounts of marriage disputes, urban women, families, the environment, the dangers of town life, and civic ritual. Deliberately wide-ranging, these sources acknowledge the contributions of other disciplines-such as archaeology, architecture, demography, law, and environmental studies-to our understanding of urban life in the Middle Ages. Towns from Spain to Germany to Russia are covered, while the focus is on the more urbanized regions of medieval Europe, particularly Italy, the Low Countries, France, and England. In all, 150 primary sources are included, 35 of which are translated for this volume from Latin, Old French, Anglo-Norman, Franco-Venetian, medieval Danish, and other languages.

This short reader includes selections from Stouck's longer volume, Medieval Saints: A Reader, along with new material. It is designed to briefly introduce students to many of the most famous and representative saints of the age, and can be used to supplement other texts in a more general medieval history course.

Including such remarkable accounts as Attila the Hun's meeting with the Pope, Queen Balthild's life, and Gregory of Tours' vivid descriptions of what happens when daily life is enmeshed with politics, From Roman to Merovingian Gaul documents events that are both remarkable in themselves and that demonstrate what made this era of history distinct.

This text includes a number of writings by or about women saints, as well as a large percentage of material which, prior to this book, was not available in English.

Medical knowledge and practice changed profoundly during the medieval period. In this collection of over 100 primary sources, many translated for the first time, Faith Wallis reveals the dynamic world of medicine in the Middle Ages that has been largely unavailable to students and scholars. The reader includes 21 illustrations and a glossary of medical terms.

Medieval Popular Religion, 1000-1500: A Reader, second edition, brings together a unique collection of 82 sources that casts light on the beliefs and practices of ordinary Christians in the Middle Ages whose religious lives have often been overlooked by historians and theologians. Documents new to this edition include a new translation of the English peasant Thurkill's thirteenth-century vision of hell, a substantial excerpt from the twelfth-century Play of Adam, two pilgrims' travelogues to Jerusalem, and a complete translation of a thirteenth-century handbook for administering confessions.

Among the readings included are several existing letters by Emma (Einhard's wife), The Life of Charlemagne, and The History of His Relics. The latter work transports us into an almost unknown world as Einhard, the cool rationalist, arranges for a relic salesman, a veritable bone seller, to acquire saints’ relics from Italy for installation into his new church. The reader is taken on an intrigue-filled trip to Rome, where Einhard's men creep into churches at night to steal bones and then spirit them away to Einhard in the north. The relics are received in town after town as if they were the living saints come to cure the infirm. Einhard's descriptions of the sick, the lame, and the blind of northern Europe vividly expose us to a side of medieval life too rarely encountered in other medieval sources.

How did medieval society deal with private justice, with grudges, and with violent emotions? This ground-breaking reader collects for the first time a number of unpublished or difficult-to-find texts that address violence and emotion in the Middle Ages.The sources collected here illustrate the power and reach of the language of vengeance in medieval European society. They span the early, high, and later middle ages, and capture a range of perspectives including legal sources, learned commentaries, narratives, and documents of practice. Though social elites necessarily figure prominently in all medieval sources, sources concerning relatively low-status individuals and sources pertaining to women are included. The sources range from saints' lives that illustrate the idea of vengeance to later medieval court records concerning vengeful practices. A secondary goal of the collection is to illustrate the prominence of mechanisms for peacemaking in medieval European society.The introduction traces recent scholarly developments in the study of vengeance and discusses the significance of these concepts for medieval political and social history.

Pilgrimage inspired and shaped the distinct experiences of commoners and nobles, men and women, clergy and laity for over a thousand years. Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages: A Reader is a rich collection of primary sources for the history of Christian pilgrimage in Europe and the Mediterranean world from the fourth through the sixteenth centuries. The collection illustrates the far-reaching significance and consequences of pilgrimage for the culture, society, economics, politics, and spirituality of the Middle Ages. Brett Edward Whalen focuses on sites within Europe and beyond its borders, including the holy places of Jerusalem, and provides documents that shed light upon Eastern Christian, Jewish, and Islamic pilgrimages. The result is an innovative sourcebook that offers a window into broader trends, shifts, and transformations in the Middle Ages.

The purpose of a prologue in the ancient and medieval world was to define the subject of the work, explain the author's motives and methodology, and obtain the reader's approval of his position. This volume brings together for the first time the most important historical prologues of the European tradition for a period of almost two millennia.The volume consists of more than 80 historical prologues and prefatory epistles from the fifth century BC to the fourteenth century. Each individual prologue is preceded by a brief introduction that provides basic information and context about the author and his work and directs the reader's attention to important ideas and themes. Taken together, they help to bridge the gap that separates the ancient and medieval world from our own.

Since the publication of the first edition of The Crusades: A Reader, interest in the Crusades has increased dramatically, fueled in part by current global interactions between the Muslim world and Western nations.

The Medieval Devil is a unique collection of primary sources that examines the development of medieval society through the lens of how people perceived the devil. In exploring where and how Europeans discerned his presence, detected his machinations, and sought to counter his actions, readers will be afforded a new and important point of entry into medieval history.Each chapter begins with an introduction to familiarize readers with critical issues and to contextualize the primary sources against broader developments of the period. Questions for discussion and reflection, twelve black-and-white illustrations, and a short bibliography are included.

The Medieval Devil is a unique collection of primary sources that examines the development of medieval society through the lens of how people perceived the devil. In exploring where and how Europeans discerned his presence, detected his machinations, and sought to counter his actions, readers will be afforded a new and important point of entry into medieval history.Each chapter begins with an introduction to familiarize readers with critical issues and to contextualize the primary sources against broader developments of the period. Questions for discussion and reflection, twelve black-and-white illustrations, and a short bibliography are included.

Magic, witches, and demons have drawn interest and fear throughout human history. In this comprehensive primary source reader, Martha Rampton traces the history of our fascination with magic and witchcraft from the first through to the seventeenth century. In over 80 readings presented chronologically, Rampton demonstrates how understandings of and reactions toward magic changed and developed over time, and how these ideas were influenced by various factors such as religion, science, and law. The wide-ranging texts emphasize social history and include early Merovingian law codes, the Picatrix, Lombard’s Sentences, The Golden Legend, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By presenting a full spectrum of source types including hagiography, law codes, literature, and handbooks, this collection provides readers with a broad view of how magic was understood through the medieval and early modern eras.Rampton’s introduction to the volume is a passionate appeal to students to use tolerance, imagination, and empathy when travelling back in time. The introductions to individual readings are deliberately minimal, providing just enough context so that students can hear medieval voices for themselves.

The new edition of Medieval England, 500-1500, edited by Emilie Amt and Katherine Allen Smith, spans several centuries in 102 documents that present the social and political history of England. The documents include constitutional highlights and records such as the Magna Carta and Froissart's Chronicles, as well as narrative sources describing the lived experiences of a range of historical actors. These narratives fit into thematic clusters covering topics such as the Anglo-Saxon monarchy, lay piety, later medieval commercial life, queenship, and Jewish communities.Thirty-nine new sources discuss significant events like the conquest of Wales, the Gregorian mission, and the Viking invasions. They also allow for multiple examples of particular genres, such as wills and miracle collections, to facilitate comparative analysis. Introductions and questions situate each source in the historical landscape and facilitate engagement with the text, inspiring readers to delve into the medieval past. The book also features 40 illustrations, a map, and an index of topics. Additional resources, including essay questions, web resources, and a timeline, can be found on the History Matters website (www.utphistorymatters.com).

Medieval Warfare: A Reader examines how armed conflict was experienced in the Middle Ages both on the field of battle and at home. This comprehensive collection of more than 130 primary-source materials—some translated here for the first time—traces over one thousand years of military developments, including the fall of Rome, the fight for Jerusalem, the building of castles and other fortifications, the rise of gunpowder, and the negotiation of treaties. Developed by two of the leading experts in medieval military history, the readings tell stories of terrors and tragedies, triumphs and technologies in the Middle Ages. By reclaiming the voices of victims and veterans that have previously been ignored, the editors stake out a powerful new perspective on the long history of military conflict and suffering.

In this collection of primary sources, Eugene Smelyansky highlights instances of persecution and violence, as well as those relatively rare but significant episodes of toleration, that impacted a broad spectrum of people who existed at the margins of medieval society: heretics, Jews and Muslims, the poor, the displaced and disabled, women, and those deemed sexually deviant. The volume also presents a more geographically diverse Middle Ages by including sources from Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Mediterranean. Each document is preceded by a brief introduction and followed by questions for discussion, making The Intolerant Middle Ages an excellent entrance into the lives and struggles of medieval minorities.

Since its first appearance in 2004, The Crusades: A Reader has been the go-to sourcebook in the field. S.J. Allen and Emilie Amt cover the entire crusading movement, from its origins to its modern afterlife, using key primary source documents.The third edition features a new introduction that includes a guide for students on how to use the book. The editors have also added more content on women, material culture, Jewish and Byzantine perspectives, Muslim-Crusader interactions, and modern use of Crusade imagery and rhetoric by the Far Right. The geographic range is broad, covering not only Crusades in the Middle East, but also in Spain and in northern Europe and against European heretics.While scholarship, courses, and textbooks on the Crusades have proliferated over the past twenty years, The Crusades: A Reader remains the only comprehensive, up-to-date, and in-print sourcebook available on the subject.

Filling a major gap in medieval studies, Medieval Eastern Europe is the first collection of primary sources in English translation covering the history of the whole eastern region of the European continent between 500 and 1300. Florin Curta, a leading scholar of medieval eastern Europe, gathers sources from a geographic area ranging from the Czech lands in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east, and from northern Russia to Greece.Curta begins with a discussion of why this region has been relatively ignored. His collection includes traditional narrative sources, such as chronicles and annals, as well as treaties, charters, letters, and legal texts. Each primary source is preceded by a brief introduction and followed by guiding questions. Organized chronologically into thematic chapters, the selections touch upon a wide variety of topics, including political developments; conversion to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism; economic and social issues; literature; laws; religious beliefs and practices; and much more.

Filling a major gap in medieval studies, Medieval Eastern Europe is the first collection of primary sources in English translation covering the history of the whole eastern region of the European continent between 500 and 1300. Florin Curta, a leading scholar of medieval eastern Europe, gathers sources from a geographic area ranging from the Czech lands in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east, and from northern Russia to Greece.Curta begins with a discussion of why this region has been relatively ignored. His collection includes traditional narrative sources, such as chronicles and annals, as well as treaties, charters, letters, and legal texts. Each primary source is preceded by a brief introduction and followed by guiding questions. Organized chronologically into thematic chapters, the selections touch upon a wide variety of topics, including political developments; conversion to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism; economic and social issues; literature; laws; religious beliefs and practices; and much more.

The fourth edition of The Viking Age provides an extensive deep dive into the world of the Vikings, spanning from the eighth and ninth centuries to the present, while also featuring key scholarly interpretations from the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Building on the structure and content of previous editions, nearly every chapter has been reworked and expanded, with the addition of an entirely new chapter on commerce and trade. This edition broadens the range of materials while preserving the innovations of earlier editions and advancing them in new directions. In The Viking Age, readers are submerged in a comprehensive exploration of the Viking era, covering essential topics such as the role of women in Viking society, the significance of slavery in the Viking economy, commerce and trade, the use of Arabic sources, Viking religion, fertility gods, guardian spirits, the exploits of the Norse kings of Man and the Isles, the importance of Scandinavian and maritime law, the enduring legacy of the Vikings, and more. This extensively revised edition ultimately brings the Vikings and their world to life for twenty-first-century students and instructors.

In this extensively revised third edition of The Viking Age: A Reader, Somerville and McDonald successfully bring the Vikings and their world to life for twenty-first-century students and instructors. The diversity of the Viking era is revealed through the remarkable range and variety of sources presented as well as the geographical and chronological coverage of the readings.The third edition has been reorganized into fifteen chapters. Many sources have been added, including material on gender and warrior women, and a completely new final chapter traces the continuing cultural influence of the Vikings to the present day. The use of visual material has been expanded, and updated maps illustrate historical developments throughout the Viking Age. The English translations of Norse texts, many of them new to this collection, are straightforward and easily accessible, while chapter introductions contextualize the readings.

It is widely believed that people living in the Middle Ages seldom traveled. But, as Medieval Travel and Travelers reveals, many medieval people – and not only Marco Polo – were on the move for a variety of different reasons.Assuming no previous knowledge of medieval civilizations, this volume allows readers to experience the excitement of men and women who ventured into new lands. By addressing cross-cultural interaction, religion, and travel literature, the collection sheds light on how travel shaped the way we perceive the world, while also connecting history to the contemporary era of globalization. Including a mix of complete sources, excerpts, and images, Medieval Travel and Travelers provides readers with opportunities for further reflection on what medieval people expected to find in foreign locales, while sparking curiosity about undiscovered spaces and cultures.

It is widely believed that people living in the Middle Ages seldom traveled. But, as Medieval Travel and Travelers reveals, many medieval people – and not only Marco Polo – were on the move for a variety of different reasons.Assuming no previous knowledge of medieval civilizations, this volume allows readers to experience the excitement of men and women who ventured into new lands. By addressing cross-cultural interaction, religion, and travel literature, the collection sheds light on how travel shaped the way we perceive the world, while also connecting history to the contemporary era of globalization. Including a mix of complete sources, excerpts, and images, Medieval Travel and Travelers provides readers with opportunities for further reflection on what medieval people expected to find in foreign locales, while sparking curiosity about undiscovered spaces and cultures.