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Conor
McCarthy, ed.
Sex and Marriage in the
Middle Ages: A Sourcebook.
London: Routledge, 2004.
304pp.
Publisher's
recommended price
Hardback ISBN 0415307457, £55.00
Paperback ISBN 0415307465, £16.99
The
emotional state of love, the physical act of sex, and the social
institution of marriage were central issues of medieval life. Conor
McCarthy brings together a wide array of writings as well as
informative introductions and explanations, to give a vivid impression
of how love, sex and marriage were discussed at the time.
Included are extracts from literary and theological works, medical and
legal writings, conduct books, chronicles and love letters. They range
from well known texts such as the letters of Abelard and Heloise, Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales to less familiar
sources such as Church legislation or court case proceedings. The
breadth of material shows the diverse and sometimes disparate
approaches to love, sex and marriage in medieval culture and
brilliantly illustrates contemporary attitudes and ideologies. This is
the first accessible collection of such a wide range of material, some
of which is available in Modern English for the first time.
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