| Paper 1210-a | War, Prophecy, and the Creation of Lancastrian Memory in Chronicles of the 15th Century
(Language: English)
Caio de Barros M. Costa, Scriptorium, Laboratório de Estudos Medievais e Ibéricos, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro
Index terms: Military History, Political Thought, Religious Life |
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| Abstract | Paper -a:
The aim of this presentation is an analysis of the space that prophecies had in the construction of memory about the Lancaster kings, considering those that relate to moments of the war, focusing in chronicles from the 15th century. The Lancaster Era experienced a series of war events, since The Hundred Years' War and The War of the Roses, as well as local clashes, among which we can mention the uprising of Wales during the reign of Henry IV or even in the fight against Lollard heresy. Chroniclers like Adam of Usk and Thomas Walsingham mobilised a set of prophecies that, with the intention of building the memory of the dynasty, were based on the warlike skills of monarchs (main case of Henry IV and Henry V). It is intended, therefore, to contribute to the studies about the political prophecies produced in England in the Late Middle Ages.
Paper -b:
Edward IV is often credited with an attempt to create a new, Yorkist, peerage, particularly during his first reign (1461-70). This paper will explore the scale of the changes in the composition of the peerage, whether there is evidence of a deliberate policy or whether such changes can be ascribed to political expediency and how far Edward could be said to be successful in reshaping the peerage both during his lifetime and in the decade or two following his death.
Paper -c:
In 1348 Edward III founded a new charitable foundation, the poor knights of St George's College, Windsor, to provide relief and a living for those who had sustained injuries or lost lands in the course of the king's wars. From their foundation, however, Edward's ambitions proved to be too great, his endowment too small, and the poor knights would spend much of the next 150 years in conflict with their collegiate community. This paper assesses these disputes in the context of Edward IV's re-foundation of St George's in the 1470s, and his attempts to restore the poor knights' status, which (like his predecessor and namesake's plans) would be well intentioned, but fundamentally flawed.
Paper -d:
Much of what we know about King Richard III and the English monarchy of the late Middle Ages comes from Shakespeare's historical plays and the works from the 15th and 16th century. However, if we look at the records from the city of York related to Richard, we'll find a different perspective. Combined with the singular political and social structure of the long English 15th century, we can link how kingship was seen and understood, as well as the roles of those in power, the means they used to achieve their goals and how they were and are remembered by it.
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