IMC 2019: Sessions
Session 610: Women and the Natural World in Medieval Literature, II: Spaces
Tuesday 2 July 2019, 11.15-12.45
Organiser: | Olivia Colquitt, Department of English, University of Liverpool |
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Moderator/Chair: | Madelaine Smart, Department of English, University of Liverpool |
Paper 610-a | The Virgin Martyr and the Volcano (Language: English) Index terms: Language and Literature - Old English, Language and Literature - Latin, Lay Piety, Women's Studies |
Paper 610-b | The Memory of a Mountain: Engendering the Landscape in the Lai of 'The Two Lovers' (Language: English) Index terms: Gender Studies, Language and Literature - French or Occitan, Women's Studies |
Paper 610-c | Ecological and Spatial Practices of Domestic Healers in the Paston Letters (Language: English) Index terms: Archives and Sources, Gender Studies, Language and Literature - Middle English, Medicine |
Abstract | This session examines aspects of spatiality in medieval literature, exploring women's interactions with the natural world across genres and contexts. In halting the eruption of Mount Etna, Saint Agatha not only prevents the physical destruction of Catania, but also reshapes the cultural and spiritual landscape as Christianity triumphs over paganism. The mountain tomb of Marie de France's two lovers transforms the landmark into an enduring record of hardship, success, and loss. Meanwhile, 'The Paston Letters' provide insight into women's exploitation of natural spaces within a domestic setting, with their knowledge of healing plants allowing them to transcend female spatial restrictions. |