IMC 2008: Sessions
Session 811: The Power of Words
Tuesday 8 July 2008, 16.30-18.00
| Organiser: | Martine Veldhuizen, Research Institute for History & Culture, Universiteit Utrecht |
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| Moderator/Chair: | John J. Kitchen, Department of History & Classics, University of Alberta, Edmonton |
| Paper 811-b | Gossip, Perjury, and Lies: Deviant Speech in Middle Dutch Texts (Language: English) Index terms: Language and Literature - Dutch, Law, Mentalities |
| Paper 811-c | Rubbed, Kissed, and Honoured: The Power of Words in Dutch and Flemish Manuscripts (Language: English) Index terms: Art History - General, Language and Literature - Dutch, Manuscripts and Palaeography |
| Abstract | Words can be very powerful: by words the salvation of the soul can be jeopardized and social reputations can be built or ruined. Medieval people seemed to be very aware of the social, religious, and legal influence of language. Language was seen as a gift of God, which distinguished men from animals. |