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IMC 2010: Sessions

Session 911: Annual Medieval Academy Lecture: Wandering Scholars: Myths and Realities of Vagrant Students from the Early Middle Ages Onwards (Language: English)

Tuesday 13 July 2010, 19.30-20.30

Sponsor:Medieval Academy of America
Introduction:Danuta Shanzer, Department of Classics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign / Dumbarton Oaks Medieval (Latin) Library
Speaker:Jan Ziolkowski, Department of the Classics, Harvard University / Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC
Abstract

Vagrancy was condemned throughout the Middle Ages, but the condemnations did not end the existence of wayward monks, vagabonds, and wandering scholars. The Latin terms used to describe such mobility included gyrovagi, vagantes, and Goliardi. Such itinerants often had (or claimed to have) connections with the overlapping worlds of religion and education. Whatever the medieval realities of these vagrants, the image of vagabond entertainers took on a new life in the 19th century owing to Romanticism and its aftermath. The special place of wandering scholars in popular conceptions of the Middle Ages was solidified through Helen Waddell's The Wandering Scholars, which has been often reprinted since its first edition in 1927.

Please note that admission to this event will be on a first-come, first-served basis. In contrast to previous years there will be no tickets for the event. Please ensure that you arrive as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The room will be open 15 minutes before the beginning of the lecture.

The Medieval Academy of America is very pleased to sponsor the Annual Medieval Academy Lecture at the International Medieval Congress. The goal is to contribute a major scholarly lecture to the offerings of the Congress while serving better the Academy's many members who reside outside North America. All Congress participants are invited to Professor Ziolkowski's lecture and to the celebratory reception following the lecture. Information regarding the Medieval Academy and the benefits of membership, which is open to all medievalists worldwide, is available at .