IMC 2015: Sessions
Session 1714: The Modern Origins of the Early Middle Ages: Sessions in Honour of Ian N. Wood, VII
Thursday 9 July 2015, 14.15-15.45
| Organisers: | Tim Barnwell, School of History, University of Leeds / Kısmet Press, Leeds Ricky Broome, Leeds Institute for Clinical Trials Research (LICTR), University of Leeds N Yavuz, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds |
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| Moderator/Chair: | Graham A. Loud, School of History, University of Leeds |
| Respondent: | Ian N. Wood, School of History, University of Leeds |
| Paper 1714-a | Montesquieu, the Spirit of Early Medieval Law, and The Modern Origins of the Early Middle Ages (Language: English) Index terms: Historiography - Modern Scholarship, Law, Medievalism and Antiquarianism |
| Paper 1714-b | Looking Backwards Going Forwards (Language: English) Index terms: Historiography - Medieval, Historiography - Modern Scholarship, Medievalism and Antiquarianism |
| Paper 1714-c | Behind Distant Mirrors: Who Needs the Early Middle Ages? (Language: English) Index terms: Historiography - Medieval, Historiography - Modern Scholarship, Medievalism and Antiquarianism |
| Abstract | This seventh and final session in honour of Ian N. Wood takes its name from his most recent monograph, The Modern Origins of the Early Medieval Ages (Oxford UP, 2013). In his book, Wood explores how Western Europeans have looked back to the Middle Ages to discover their origins and the origins of their society. In light of Wood’s discussion on why early medieval history is important, the three papers in this session will contribute to the debate on the significance of medieval history in the modern world. Stefan Esders will present Montesquieu’s main lines of argument placing it both within contemporary and modern discussions on the legal history of Merovingian Gaul. Jinty Nelson will reflect on problems of hindsight with regard to the early Middle Ages, and finally, Walter Pohl will discuss present attitudes to the early Middle Ages and talk about the challenges they pose for scholars who want see what was behind the looking glass. |