Heroes and Marvels of the Middle Ages
Jacques Le GoffA history of the fabled heroes and miracles of the Middle Ages.
Heroes and Marvels of the Middle Ages is a history like no other: it is a history of the imagination, presented through two celebrated groups of the period. One group consists of heroes: Charlemagne, El Cid, King Arthur, Orlando, Pope Joan, Melusine, Merlin the Wizard, and also the fox and the unicorn. The other is the miraculous, represented here by three forms of power that dominated medieval society: the cathedral, the castle and the cloister.
This imaginative history is a continuing story that presents the heroes and marvels of the Middle Ages as the times defined them: venerated, then bequeathed to future centuries where they have continued to live and transform through remembrance of the past, adaptation to the present and openness to the future.
A history of the fabled heroes and miracles of the Middle Ages.
Heroes and Marvels of the Middle Ages is a history like no other: it is a history of the imagination, presented through two celebrated groups of the period. One group consists of heroes: Charlemagne, El Cid, King Arthur, Orlando, Pope Joan, Melusine, Merlin the Wizard, and also the fox and the unicorn. The other is the miraculous, represented here by three forms of power that dominated medieval society: the cathedral, the castle and the cloister.
This imaginative history is a continuing story that presents the heroes and marvels of the Middle Ages as the times defined them: venerated, then bequeathed to future centuries where they have continued to live and transform through remembrance of the past, adaptation to the present and openness to the future.
-
'
This welcome translation makes Jacques Le Goff’s Heros et merveilles du Moyen Age, originally published in 2005, available to an Anglophone audience. The work of this French historian emphasized the multi-layered nature of history and the importance of social and economic trends alongside political or diplomatic themes. Le Goff’s contributions to the reassessment of medieval civilization continued throughout his life, and his influence has been far-reaching.
'Folklore
-
'
At the time of his death in 2014, Le Goff was a leading scholar of medieval Europe. In these nineteen short essays – originally published in French in 2005 – he offers case studies of "the medieval imaginary" to argue that many creations of medieval culture not only had long lives but are still present today. The papers fall into several groups – some focus on the lore surrounding a real historical figure like Charlemagne or El Cid, while others look at creations of folk lore and literature (ie, Robin Hood or Merlin). Impersonal constructs like the castle or cathedral also figure in, as do mythical animals (like the unicorn) and collective groups like knights or troubadours. In each case Le Goff explains the subject’s medieval origins and the diffusion of the myth or cult across Europe before turning to its post-medieval and modern life in many forms of culture and entertainment. The erudition is smoothly presented with an implicit argument for the basic similarity between medieval culture and its modern heirs. That these products of the medieval imagination remain fruitful sources for contemporary literary and artistic production (with a bow to film and comics) is a powerful case for the continuity of intellectual life over many centuries. Recommended
'Choice
Preface
Introduction
Arthur
The Cathedral
Charlemagne
The Castle
Knights and Chivalry
El Cid
The Cloister
The Land of Cockaigne
The Jongleur
The Unicorn
Melusina
Merlin
Pope Joan
Reynard
Robin Hood
Roland
Tristan and Iseult
Troubadours and Trouvères
The Valkyrie
Bibliography
A renowned specialist in the Middle Ages and member of the École des Annales, Jacques Le Goff (1924-2014) was Director of Studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris. He was the author of many books including The Middle Ages Explained in Pictures (2013).