This thesis argues that conceptions of commerce in the Carolingian era were intertwined with the discourse of ethics, and that concepts of the Carolingian ‘economy’ may be profitably illuminated by consideration of pre-modern ethical and social categories. I explore a pre-modern pattern of personhood that framed persons in terms of political rôles, and exchange in terms of the interactions of those rôles. In moral letters addressed to counts and kings, ethical counsel about greed for each lay rôle was grounded in particular geographic spaces and historical moments, creating a rich valence of specific meanings for greed and charity. I examine letters in which Paulinus of Aquileia, Alcuin of York, Jonas of Orléans, and Dhuoda of Uzés treated the greed of counts, and those in which Smaragdus of St. Mihiel, Sedulius Scottus, and Hincmar of Rheims treated that of kings. In each letter’s definition of greed are found interactions with specific elements exchanged, and correlative meanings of greed far from limited to the ‘love of silver’, but also not wholly vague and spiritualized. Greed and largesse constituted the language in which Carolingian writers discussed economic exploitation, tyranny, plunder, investment, credit, and noblesse oblige.

No description available.

This dissertation examines the formation of marriage in Scotland between the mid-fourteenth century and the late sixteenth century. In particular, it focuses on betrothals, marriage negotiations, ritual, and the place that these held in late medieval Scottish society. This study extends to the generation following the Reformation to examine the extent to which the Reformation influenced the marriage planning of wealthy Scots. It concludes that much of the social impact of the Reformation was not reflected in family life until at least a generation after reform. Scottish society and culture was influenced both by contemporary literature, which discussed the role of marriage formation, and by concurrent events involving high-profile marriages. These helped to define the context of marriage for society as a whole. This work relies heavily on the pre-nuptial contracts of lairds (the Scottish gentry) and nobles, which reflected certain aspects of their marriage patterns and strategies. The context and clauses of an extensive group of 272 Scottish marriage contracts from published and archival collections illuminate aspects of the formation of Scottish marriage, such as the land and money that changed hands, the extent to which brides and grooms were influenced by their kin, and the timelines for betrothals. This study is the only comprehensive work that has been done concerning the formation of marriage in medieval Scotland. The Campbells of Glenorchy and the Carnegie family both provide excellent case studies in which to examine the process of the choice of marriage partners, negotiation of marital arrangements, and the solemnizing of the unions. They also demonstrate the extent to which families were upwardly mobile through marriage. Although, until now, there has been a focus on the political potential of arranged marriage in Scotland, it is clear that there were social and financial advantages to kin groups that carried out careful marriage planning. / SSHRC

This thesis will identify what is particularly unusual about the funerary scenes of the eighteenth-dynasty Theban tomb (TT 139) and their chosen location by providing a thorough examination of both the life of the tomb owner, Pairy, and his tomb architecture. Following a discussion of the significance of the tomb chapel's decorative program, I will argue that the abbreviated scenes on two walls adjacent to the passageway to the burial chamber relate to the tomb owner’s safe journey into the underworld. Due to the lack of recent published work on the chapel hall and the deterioration of its paintings, the tomb of Pairy is in dire need of proper, comprehensive study.

This study aims to investigate the domestic and work organization at the mansions located in the south of Västmanlands county years 1705-1849. The study takes into account the manors' size, ownership, owners' status and social changes. The study includes both large manors with noble owners and smaller manors with bourgeois owners.  The study examines how the households were formed, how they changed over time and how thet may have links to the Manor's ownership and size. The organization of labour is studied on the basis of how it changed over time and what it may have links to the owners ' status and the manors size. The focus is to answer how the connection was between household size, its composition, organization of labour and the owner’s status in the society.  Also if a difference can be seen between the strategies of the noble owners compared to the bourgeois owners.

Until comparatively recently it was widely believed that the English medieval lay nobility was illiterate and apt to look upon literary pursuits as a degrading occupation. This view has now been effectively challenged, but no single long study of the subject exists, due primarily to the nature of the sources, which are scattered and difficult to use. Chapter I shows that there were many educational treatises, works on chivalry, and courtesy books circulating in Western Europe during the middle ages. Chapter II examines educational provisions within the royal household, a centre of education not only for the royal family, but also for other noble children. These arrangements were paralleled in the noble household - almost certainly the main place of education (Chapter III). Here education was shared between tutors in the child's own household and in other households, bishops, and resident schoolmasters. Chapter IV shows that noble education within the monasteries was uncommon after 1200. Recorded instances of nobles at school, at Oxford or Cambridge, or at the Inns of Court are rare, but by the fifteenth century educational opportunities were widening. The study of noble book-ownership and literary taste (Chapter V) reveals that many noble wills contained references to books and that noble women were considered worthy recipients. Although the composition of noble libraries changed, saints' lives and romances remained popular throughout, and the classical revival had made only a limited impact by c.lV?0. The original works and translations by noblemen represent a considerable achievement and nobles were also active as literary patrons (Chapter VI). Noble families or individuals, whose special interest in education, books, or the patronage of scholars deserves particular attention, are discussed in Chapter VII. While some nobles had no interest in literary pursuits, others were more sophisticated and brought educated minds to the political affairs of their day.

This thesis explores the relationship between a leading French Catholic family and the Church in the second half of the sixteenth century. This is a socio-cultural study rather than an investigation of the French Church during this period, although some insight into the Church is given. The Church is used to provide a focus for an examination of noble experience. The thesis notes that male and female religious were integral members of the family network. The means by which the dynasty maintained an alternative patrimony in the Church is outlined. Consideration is then given to the resources which high ecclesiastical office brought an individual, both tangible - in the form of economic assets - and more theoretical - access to patronage opportunities and influence, which contributed to an individual's power. The economic resources which benefice tenure brought are examined and their management analysed. Patronage is viewed more as an expression of a noble culture of interacting social networks than as a product of a hierarchical power structure. The position of the Lorraine-Guise Cardinals in relation to the French Church is assessed. Their power within the Church was a result of personal qualities rather than institutional structures. The power which came with tenure is discussed, as is any relationship between ecclesiastical and secular power. A final chapter looks at the experience of women religious. Churchmen and women could contribute in certain ways to family interests, but there is no evidence of large-scale despoliation of the Church through ecclesiastical kin.

Techn. Univ., Diss.--Berlin, 2004. / Literaturverz. S. [361] - 402.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Konstanz, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 646-670) and indexes.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Konstanz, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 646-670) and indexes.