"This study looks at a wide range of medieval Englisih romance texts, including the works of Chaucer and Malory, from a broad cultural perspective, to show that while they employ magic in order to create exotic, escapist worlds, they are also grounded in a sense of possibility, and reflect a complex web of inherited and current ideas." --Book Jacket.
Drawing upon feminist and gender theory, as well as cultural analyses of race, class and colonialism, this book revises our understanding of the literary genre of medieval romance. It argues that the romance genre arose in the 12th century as a cultural response to the trauma of war.
Radio City claimed Kathy Barham early. In the 1970s it provided the soundtrack to her adolescence, inspiring a devotion to music, disc jockeys and request writing. It took a shock telephone call in 2002 to send Kathy back to those days. 194 Radio City - The Heart of Liverpool is the story of her journey to understand how those lost times, voices and songs influenced and shaped not only her life, but the lives of many. Amusing, insightful and full of fresh stories from the people who made Radio City great, this book will strike a chord in anyone who cares about the magic of radio. If you listened to Radio City in the early years, or are simply nostalgic for the 1970s, 1980s and the music of that time, this is the book for you.
In this book, Marijane Osborn translates into modern English nine lively medieval verse romances, in a form that both reflects the original and makes the romances inviting to a modern audience. All nine tales contain elements of magic: shapeshifters, powerful fairies, trees that are portals to another world, and enchanted clothing and armor. Many of the tales also feature powerful women characters, while others include representations of “Saracens.” The tales address issues of enduring interest and concern, and also address sexuality, agency, and identity formation in unexpected ways.
The Kingdom of Lyonesse, symbol of power and strength in the Western Kingdoms, ancient home of the mysterious druids and Temple Knights who serve in the light of Sunna. A beautiful land of rolling green hills and azure waters where people live in grace and harmony, wanting for nothing except to show kindness to their fellow countrymen. Yet beneath the fabled trusses of this happy land of plenty, a dark malevolence lurks hidden and waiting in the shadows. The beautiful dream is shattered when suddenly Lyonesse teeters on the brink of civil war, endangering the reign of the heirless royal family, and threatening the stability of the Western Kingdoms. A vile evil, born of the Infernal Planes and imprisoned for centuries, prepares to release its rage framed in violence and cruelty none have experienced since the early days of the Kingdom. It creeps behind the smiling visage of one trusted and powerful, corrupting everything that it touches, growing stronger, spreading its wicked depravity silently, unnoticed. Will chaos and evil bring boundless ruin upon the realm? Will hopeless despair, a ravaged country, and tyranny prevail? Enter Perault, a young man barely a Knight, who may unwittingly hold the key to the answers. A key that may open doors leading him to a fight for his very soul, the soul of a kingdom, the soul of a woman he loves more than life itself, and the destiny of a bloodline fated to change the course of history. Nothing is certain in this timeless battle. Except death.
The Routledge History of Medieval Magic brings together the work of scholars from across Europe and North America to provide extensive insights into recent developments in the study of medieval magic between c.1100 and c.1500. This book covers a wide range of topics, including the magical texts which circulated in medieval Europe, the attitudes of intellectuals and churchmen to magic, the ways in which magic intersected with other aspects of medieval culture, and the early witch trials of the fifteenth century. In doing so, it offers the reader a detailed look at the impact that magic had within medieval society, such as its relationship to gender roles, natural philosophy, and courtly culture. This is furthered by the book’s interdisciplinary approach, containing chapters dedicated to archaeology, literature, music, and visual culture, as well as texts and manuscripts. The Routledge History of Medieval Magic also outlines how research on this subject could develop in the future, highlighting under-explored subjects, unpublished sources, and new approaches to the topic. It is the ideal book for both established scholars and students of medieval magic.
