This dissertation analyzes the function of animal speakers in political poetry by William Langland, Geoffrey Chaucer, and John Gower, and it claims that late fourteenth-century poets describe the marginalized voices of emerging politicians by using animal expressions and noises. These writers invent a playful yet earnest poetics of acknowledgment in comparing politicians’ calls to animal cries. In unveiling novel interpretations of Langland’s mouse, Chaucer’s goose, and Gower’s jay, I argue that the speeches of animals contribute to significant argumentative strains within several late fourteenth-century poems, which remain obscure if the reader ignores the signal contribution of the animal. Finally, I study the use of animal speech in the Lancastrian poem, Richard the Redeless, to understand the ways in which the anti-Ricardian regime appropriated this malleable animal imagery to pursue its own political agenda.

Medieval castle slighting is the phenomenon in which a high-status fortification is demolished in a time of conflict. At its heart are issues about symbolism, the role of castles in medieval society, and the politics of power. Although examples can be found throughout the Middle Ages (1066–1500) in England, Wales and Scotland there has been no systematic study of the archaeology of castle slighting. Understanding castle slighting enhances our view of medieval society and how it responded to power struggles. This study interrogates the archaeological record to establish the nature of castle slighting: establishing how prevalent it was chronologically and geographically; which parts of castles were most likely to be slighted and why this is significant; the effects on the immediate landscape; and the wider role of destruction in medieval society. The contribution of archaeology is especially important as contemporary records give little information about this phenomenon. Using information recovered from excavation and survey allows this thesis to challenge existing narratives about slighting, especially with reference to the civil war between Stephen and Matilda (1139–1154) and the view that slighting was primarily to prevent an enemy from using a fortification. The thesis proposes a new framework for understanding how slighting is represented in the archaeological record and how it might be recognised in the future. Using this methodology, a total of 60 sites were identified. Slighting often coincides with periods of civil war, illustrating the importance of slighting as a tool of social control and the re-assertion of authority in the face of rebellion. Slighting did not necessarily encompass an entire site some parts of the castle – halls and chapels – were typically deliberately excluded from the destruction. There are also examples which fit the old narrative that slighting was used to prevent a fortification falling into enemy hands, but these cases are in the minority and are typically restricted to Scotland during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Given the castle’s role in shaping the landscape – acting as a focus for seigneurial power and precipitating the creation and growth of towns – it is important to understand how slighting effected nearby associated settlements. The evidence suggests that larger towns were able to prosper despite the disruption of slighting while smaller settlements were more likely to decline into obscurity. Importantly towns themselves were very rarely included in the destruction of slighting.

In Buddhism birth is regarded as the origin of suffering and impurity, whereas it also forms the physical basis indispensible for seeking and attaining awakening. Birth is both the starting points of incuring defilement and achieving sanctity. Pointing out this paradox on birth in Buddhism and situating the issue within the context of Chinese religion and history, this dissertation extensively investigates Buddhist discourses and practices of reproduction in medieval China. It anwsers how Buddhist discourses and practices of childbirth were transmitted, transformed, and applied in medieval China, and how they interacted with indigenous healing resources and practices in both Chinese religious and medical realms. Through examining the primary sources such as the excavated Day Books (Chapter One), Buddhist hagiographies (Chapter Two), Buddhist obstetric and embryological discourses (Chapter Three and Four) and healing resources preserved in Tripiṭaka and Dunhuang manuscripts, Dunhuang transformation texts and tableaux, and miracle tales and anecdote literature (Chapter Four and Five), I argue that not only was there a paradoxical dualism at the heart of Buddhism's relationship with reproduction, but also Buddhism provides abundant healing resources for dealing with childbirth on the practical level. Overall I contend that Buddhist healing resources for childbirth served as an effective channel through which Buddhist teaching, worldview and concepts of gender and body were conveyed to its supplicants. Through this investigation, this dissertation contributes to the understanding of the association of Buddhism with medicine, the influence of Buddhist discourses and practices of reproduction on China, and the transmission of Buddhist views of gender, the body, and life to China through its healing activities related to childbirth.

O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a imagem do casamento ao longo dos séculos XI e XII, a partir dos novos ideais reformadores da Igreja. A intenção é fazer um estudo comparativo das representações da literatura e dos novos ideais religiosos de casamento, que estavam sendo propostos pela Igreja aproximadamente no mesmo período, a partir de quatro documentos diferentes: o Decretum de Burchard de Worms, o Concordia discondantium canonum de Graciano, os três primeiros Concílios de Latrão e os decretais de Alexandre III, presentes no Líber Extra.. Como fontes literárias serão utilizadas as obras Eric et Enide, Cligès, Lancelot ou Le Chevalier de la Charrette, e Ivain ou Le Chevalier au Lion, todas de Chrétien de Troyes, autor do século XII. Houve transformações na constituição da doutrina do casamento nesse período? Se houve, é possível percebê-las também na literatura? Através destas comparações seria possível identificar como a sociedade era afetada por tais transformações? Estas são as perguntas que orientarão o estudo. / The goal of this research is to analyse the image of marriage throughout the 11th and 12th having the reforming ideals of the Church as the basis. The intention is to make a comparitive study of the literary representations and the new religious ideals for marriage proposed by the Church at the same period. Four documents will be used: the Decretum by Burchard de Worms, the Concordia discordantium canonum by Gratian, the first three Lateran Councils and the decretal letters of Alexandre III, found in the Liber Extra. The literary sources will be Eric et Enide, Cliges, Lancelot, and Ivain, all written by Chretien de Troyes, a 12th century author. Were there transformations in the marriage doctrine in this period? If there were, is it possible to see them in the literature? Could we identify how the society was affected by such transformations through a comparative study? These are some of the questions that will guide the present study.

Uma das principais peregrinações da Idade Média, as viagens a Santiago de Compostela foram responsáveis pela criação de rotas que permitissem um deslocamento mais confortável àqueles que seguiam rumo às relíquias do apóstolo. No intuito de atender as privações que estes viajantes apresentavam no decorrer do percurso, estabeleceu-se uma rede de assistência que provesse a eles suas necessidades físicas e espirituais, influência dos ensinamentos bíblicos em relação à caridade, além do incentivo à visitação de santuários menores que se encontravam nas rotas. Hospitalidade iniciada nos mosteiros, logo permitiu o surgimento de ordens religiosas e militares que se destinaram a auxiliar os peregrinos. Reis e nobres também tiveram um papel fundamental na edificação de instalações hospitaleiras, a fim de auxiliar os caminhantes de Deus. Neste sentido, este trabalho propõe uma reflexão acerca da importância que foi dada à assistência aos peregrinos jacobeus durante os séculos XII e XIII, período em que as peregrinações a Compostela encontravam-se em apogeu. A partir de um guia para peregrinos e documentos que demonstram a preocupação monárquica e nobiliárquica em relação a eles, procuraremos analisar como o auxilio ao peregrino foi observado e abordado naquela época e, ainda, o papel de reis e nobres na constituição das instituições de assistência. / One of the major pilgrimages of the Middle Ages, the travels to Santiago de Compostela were responsible for the creation of routes that would allow a most comfortable ride to those who followed towards the apostle´s relics. In order to meet the hardships that these travelers had on the route course, it was established a support network that could provide them their physical and spiritual needs, influence of biblical teachings regarding charity, besides encouraging visitation of smaller shrines that were on the routes. Hospitality started in monasteries soon allowed the emergence of religious and military orders which were intended to assist the pilgrims . Kings and nobles also had a key role in building hospitable facilities in order to assist the walkers of God. Thus this work proposes a reflection about the importance given to the assistance to the Jacobean pilgrims during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a period when the pilgrimages to Compostela were at peak. From a guide for pilgrims and documents showing the monarchy and nobility concern about them, we will try to analyze how the aid to the pilgrim was observed and discussed at that time and also the role of kings and nobles in the constitution of welfare institutions.

Este trabalho trata da Idade Média nos livros didáticos brasileiros, compreende o estudo da crise do século XIV nas coleções escolares. O estudo, de cunho documental, foi desenvolvido utilizando-se como fonte os livros didáticos em circulação nas escolas públicas de Ensino Médio ao longo do período de vigência das duas primeiras versões do Programa Nacional do Livro para o Ensino Médio (PNLEM). A averiguação se deu tendo como norte a busca de explicações para o seguinte problema: que relações existem entre os esquemas explicativos apresentados nos livros didáticos e as interpretações formuladas pela historiografia acadêmica da primeira metade do século XX? O corpus documental foi extraído das 14 (quatorze) obras que integram a relação das fontes utilizadas e foi trabalhado por meio da análise do conteúdo. As análises foram desenvolvidas a partir de algumas questões norteadoras. De modo geral, discutiram-se os limites da apropriação de que a historiografia escolar tem feito das teses inauguradas pela historiografia acadêmica da primeira metade do século XX. Nesse estudo, verificou-se que a questão em torno do diálogo entre a historiografia escolar e a acadêmica deve ser relativizada. Considerou-se que, em certa medida e no que tange a determinados aspectos da relação, o diálogo existe, pois há correspondentes, porém, é um diálogo restrito, submetido a regras específicas que a escrita escolar impõe. Na tentativa de reafirmar um padrão unilateral de verdade, as obras escolares acabam por sugerir alterações que tendem a não expressar fielmente os pressupostos, as proposições e os elementos oriundos das teses que as inspiraram. Valendo-se de fios, até certo ponto frágeis, as obras se ocupam em coser esquemas originários de teses diversas, na tentativa de desenvolvimento de uma explicação que, embora própria, se mostra pouco hábil em superar as limitações da tradição presente na escrita dos livros didáticos. / This research deals with the Middle Ages in Brazilian textbooks, it includes the study of the \"fourteenth-century crisis\" in school collections. Through documentary evidence, the study made use of source textbooks in circulation in public schools during high school throughout the period of the first two versions of the National Book Program for Secondary Education (PNLEM). The investigation aimed at searching for a plausible answer to the following problem: what are the existent relationships between the explanatory schemes presented in textbooks and the interpretations made by the academic historiography of the twentieth century first half? The documentary corpus was extracted from the fourteen (14) works that are part of the list of sources used and it was worked through analysis of its contents; analyses were developed from some guiding questions. Overall, it discusses the limits of ownership that school historiography has done from the theses inaugurated by academic historiography of the twentieth century first half. The study verified that the question about the dialogue between the school and the academic historiography should be relative. It was felt that to some extent and with respect to certain aspects of the relationship, there is a dialogue, as there are equivalent elements. However, it is a restricted dialogue, subject to special rules imposed by school writing. In an attempt to reassert a unilateral standard of truth, the school works eventually suggest changes, which tend not to express faithfully the assumptions, propositions and the elements derived from theories that inspired them. The school textbooks end up making use of fragile threads to some point and occupy themselves in \"sewing\" schemes originated in related systems to various theories in an attempt to develop a scheme that although original, proven little capable at overcoming the tradition limitations present in the textbooks writing.

Não é incomum que os historiadores estejam colocados diante da necessidade de usar conceitos de temporalidade, tais como época, etapa, situação, fase ou conjuntura: são critérios de periodização, para situar os movimentos de mudança, ou preservação, dos mais diferentes aspectos da vida econômica, social ou política das sociedades que estudam. Mas, é também freqüente que o uso dessas categorias seja, inúmeras vezes, pouco rigorosa, senão descuidado. Os mais perigosos anacronismos, um pecado mortal neste ofício são, então, possíveis. O argumento desta pesquisa busca demonstrar a importância decisiva destas noções de temporalidade, para realçar que as medidas dos tempos são, necessariamente, desiguais e diversas. O marxismo sugeriu uma série de critérios de periodização que estabelecem um elo entre os tempos longos das mudanças históricas, na escala das épocas que se sucedem, e os tempos mais curtos das etapas e situações, até o tempo acelerado das conjunturas. Mas, como se sabe, o marxismo se desenvolveu como uma corrente de pensamento plural e hetereogênea. Este trabalho procurou resgatar uma parte do debate sobre as temporalidades, à luz da teoria da revolução política e social, elaborada por Marx Engels, e alguns dos seus discípulos. Nele se discute o que seriam épocas, etapas, situações e crises revolucionárias, e se avançam um conjunto de sugestões para uma periodização histórico-política do século que se encerra. / Historians not uncommonly have to face up with the need of using concepts of temporality such as epoch, stage, situation, phase and juncture as criteria for periodization. These concepts are used to situate the movements of change and preservation of the most diverse aspects of the economic, social or political life of the societies they study. Nevertheless, the use of these categories is not quite rigorous. On the contrary, it is rather untidy. The most dangerous anachronisms – a deadly sin in this craft – are therefore possible. The reasoning of this research tries to demonstrate the paramount importance of these notions of temporality in order to highlight that the measures of times are necessarily uneven and diverse. Marxism has suggested a series of criteria of periodization which establish a link between the long time of historical changes – at the scale of epochs which take place recurrently – and the shorter times of stages and situations, ending in the accelerated time of junctures. Marxism – as it is widely known – has developed itself as a plural and heterogeneous tendency of thought. The current research aimed to rescue a portion of the debate about the temporalities, in the light of the theory of political and social revolution elaborated by Marx and Engels and their disciples. We tried to discuss in our theses what would be the meaning of revolutionary epochs, stages, situations and crises. We have also issued a set of suggestions for the making of a historical and political periodization of the current ending century.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:30:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Douglas_Colaco.pdf: 5470959 bytes, checksum: daac12a3095d3c96ecc96dda82ceba81 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-15 / This paper seeks to recognize, understand and systematize the geographic and cartographic knowledge produced in the Middle Ages. But also sought to relate this knowledge with the visual arts, especially the medieval painting. Thus, the guiding element research has been focused on trying to find and display the similarities and congruences in the production process and construction of the knowledge mentioned hours. Notably by studying the production of medieval knowledge, it is observed that geography was aimed at describing places, spaces and unreal and fanciful beings who existed only in the imagination of the Christian and medieval man, and Cartography was used to represent and locate these places and utopian spaces. This is because the design and representation of space by the medieval scholar were far from scientific accuracy of the classical period as well as the artistic and cultural effervescence lived, especially at the dawn of modernity. Clearly, the great technical and conceptual changes occurred in painting from the XIII century seem to decisively influence the development of modern design and representation of space, characterized mainly by the geometrization of form and movement, but also by the technique of creation the perspective is born originally in the sphere of Renaissance painting to then be appropriated by the Geography and Cartography. / Neste trabalho procurou-se conhecer, compreender e sistematizar o conhecimento geográfico e cartográfico produzidos na Idade Média. Mas também se buscou relacionar tais conhecimentos com as artes visuais, especialmente a pintura medieval. Desse modo, o elemento norteador da pesquisa esteve centrado na tentativa de encontrar e apresentar as congruências e similitudes no processo de produção e construção dos conhecimentos hora citados. Notadamente, ao estudar a produção do conhecimento medieval, observa-se que a Geografia esteve voltada a descrever lugares, espaços e seres irreais e fantasiosos que só existiram no imaginário do homem cristão e medieval, e a Cartografia foi utilizada para representar e localizar esses lugares e espaços utópicos. Isso porque a concepção e a representação do espaço pelo erudito medieval estavam distante da acurácia científica do período clássico, assim como da efervescência artística e cultural vivida, sobretudo, na aurora da modernidade. É evidente que as grandes transformações técnicas e conceituais ocorridas no campo da pintura a partir do século XIII parecem influenciar decisivamente o desenvolvimento da moderna concepção e representação do espaço, caracterizada, sobretudo, pela geometrização da forma e do movimento, mas também pela criação da técnica da perspectiva que nasce, originalmente, na esfera da pintura renascentista para, depois, ser apropriada pela Geografia e pela Cartografia.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:42:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Douglas_Colaco.pdf: 5470959 bytes, checksum: daac12a3095d3c96ecc96dda82ceba81 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-15 / This paper seeks to recognize, understand and systematize the geographic and cartographic knowledge produced in the Middle Ages. But also sought to relate this knowledge with the visual arts, especially the medieval painting. Thus, the guiding element research has been focused on trying to find and display the similarities and congruences in the production process and construction of the knowledge mentioned hours. Notably by studying the production of medieval knowledge, it is observed that geography was aimed at describing places, spaces and unreal and fanciful beings who existed only in the imagination of the Christian and medieval man, and Cartography was used to represent and locate these places and utopian spaces. This is because the design and representation of space by the medieval scholar were far from scientific accuracy of the classical period as well as the artistic and cultural effervescence lived, especially at the dawn of modernity. Clearly, the great technical and conceptual changes occurred in painting from the XIII century seem to decisively influence the development of modern design and representation of space, characterized mainly by the geometrization of form and movement, but also by the technique of creation the perspective is born originally in the sphere of Renaissance painting to then be appropriated by the Geography and Cartography. / Neste trabalho procurou-se conhecer, compreender e sistematizar o conhecimento geográfico e cartográfico produzidos na Idade Média. Mas também se buscou relacionar tais conhecimentos com as artes visuais, especialmente a pintura medieval. Desse modo, o elemento norteador da pesquisa esteve centrado na tentativa de encontrar e apresentar as congruências e similitudes no processo de produção e construção dos conhecimentos hora citados. Notadamente, ao estudar a produção do conhecimento medieval, observa-se que a Geografia esteve voltada a descrever lugares, espaços e seres irreais e fantasiosos que só existiram no imaginário do homem cristão e medieval, e a Cartografia foi utilizada para representar e localizar esses lugares e espaços utópicos. Isso porque a concepção e a representação do espaço pelo erudito medieval estavam distante da acurácia científica do período clássico, assim como da efervescência artística e cultural vivida, sobretudo, na aurora da modernidade. É evidente que as grandes transformações técnicas e conceituais ocorridas no campo da pintura a partir do século XIII parecem influenciar decisivamente o desenvolvimento da moderna concepção e representação do espaço, caracterizada, sobretudo, pela geometrização da forma e do movimento, mas também pela criação da técnica da perspectiva que nasce, originalmente, na esfera da pintura renascentista para, depois, ser apropriada pela Geografia e pela Cartografia.

John of Damascus was an early eighth century theologian in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. His family supplied financial administrators in Syro-Palestine for most of the seventh century, who were involved in surrendering Damascus to the Arabs if not also to the Persians. They thrived in the sectarian environment under the Umayyads. Numerous Greek Lives paint John in legendary terms; however, these are late and unreliable. I deconstruct the Lives decoupling his timeline from Byzantine Iconoclasm, arguing that there is no evidence and good reason to think that he did not leave the Arab administration because of vexed piety, persecution or administrative language change. Rather, focusing on the chronicler's treatment of John's family, I argue that John left office for his own reasons. I propose that John was instrumental in a quid pro quo: cathedral for patriarchate negotiation. Consequently, the Arabs built the Damascus Mosque on the site of the cathedral church of St John the Baptist, and the (dyothelite) Chalcedonian party moved to Jerusalem, where they reestablished the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Thus, I argue the context of John's polemical works is Jerusalem and patriarchal policy. Further, I argue that John was commissioned to produce something like 'proto-school' texts in the context of debate in the Anastasis with internal Maronite and external West and East Syrian interlocutors. Then I look at one example of John's theological creativity to show how this context impinged on his theological program. John appropriates Maximus the Confessor's term perichoresis and reduces its scope to the Incarnation while moving it into the doctrine of God for the first time. I show that he does this for polemical reasons in order to contravene each of his interlocutors with a simple biblical rhetorical model providing Chalcedonian monks in debate with a simple formula against better educated foes. This thesis demonstrates that reading John out of context fails to appreciate his creative response to these local exigencies.