IMC 2008: Sessions

Session 1108: Desperately Seeking the 'First Person' Narrative, II: Devotional Narratives

Sponsor:	Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York
Organiser:	Jeremy Goldberg, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York
Moderator/Chair:	W. Mark Ormrod, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York
Paper 1108-a	Ecclesiastical Tombs (Language: English) Patricia Cullum, Department of History, University of Huddersfield Index terms: Gender Studies, Mentalities, Religious Life, Social History
Paper 1108-b	Heresy Depositions (Language: English) Rob Lutton, Department of History, University of Nottingham Index terms: Daily Life, Mentalities, Religious Life, Social History
Paper 1108-c	Wills (Language: English) Jeremy Goldberg, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York Index terms: Daily Life, Gender Studies, Mentalities, Social History
Abstract	A variety of sources - depositions, letters, petitions, wills, even tombs - purport to represent the voices or perspectives of medieval people and from a wide social range. Although comparatively few are actually presented in the first person - indeed many are in fact third-person narratives - they could be seen to constitute forms of life-writing or ego-narratives. The purpose of these sessions is to interrogate these sources and determine how far they do in fact throw light on real people and actual experiences and to test just how elusive is self identity before the Renaissance.