| Abstract | But What Are YOU Remembering For?
This lecture considers the importance of motive in what is now loosely called 'remembering' - as though it were a single, simple phenomenon. Though we now sharply distinguish 'memory' from 'remembering', the Middle Ages knew only one term, for medieval 'vis memorativa' and 'vis reminiscentia' are synonyms. Memoria in the scholastic and monastic traditions, though compatible, are quite different in their goals and definitions - I will explore some of these. My lecture touches on the nature of 'rote' and how it is distinct from 'remembering'; the importance of 'forgetting'; and the differences of 'social memory', 'memory of God', and some medieval accounts of Mind.
Do Words Remember?: The Etymologist versus the Vikings
English words have some extraordinary stories to tell. The history of English in the medieval period is famously colourful, reflecting centuries of complex interactions between the many languages spoken and written in and around Britain - but it is not always as easy as one might expect to discover the effects of these meetings. In particular, many hundreds of items in the medieval English lexicon have been explained as showing the influence of the early Scandinavian languages. These words are potentially invaluable witnesses to an intense period of Anglo-Scandinavian contact in the Viking Age, but getting them to 'remember' those encounters can be uniquely challenging. By presenting a range of examples from medieval English, including some words for acts of memory and intention, this lecture will explore the pleasures and the perils of trying to recall the Vikings through their linguistic traces and the multiplicity of voices and approaches that this can involve. Along the way, we will take the opportunity to think about some of the roles of etymology and of etymologists in giving access to the vibrant connections and diversity of the medieval past.
Please note that admission to this event will be on a first-come, first-served basis as there will be no tickets. Please ensure that you arrive as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
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