Pagan Survivals, Superstitions And Popular Cultures In Early Medieval Pastoral Literature (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Sutdies)
Publisher: Materials Research Society
Published: June 30, 2005
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 438
ISBN-13: 9780888441515
Subjects: Christianity - History - General; Medieval; Literary Criticism; Religion - Church History; Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern); Christianity; Europe; History; History and criticism; Popular culture; Religious aspects; To 1500
Description: "This comprehensive study examines early medieval popular culture as it appears in ecclesiastical and secular law, sermons, penitentials and other pastoral works - a selective, skewed, but still illuminating record of the beliefs and practices of ordinary Christians. Concentrating on the five centuries from c. 500 to c. 1000, Pagan Survivals, Superstitions and Popular Cultures in Early Medieval Pastoral Literature presents the evidence for folk religious beliefs and piety, attitudes to nature and death, festivals, magic, drinking and alimentary customs. As such it provides a precious glimpse of the mutual adaptation of Christianity and traditional cultures at an important period of cultural and religious transition."--Jacket.