IMC 2021: Sessions
Session 1320: Arms, Armour, and the Arts of Combat, II: Combat in Medieval Romance
Wednesday 7 July 2021, 16.30-18.00
Organiser: | Jacob H. Deacon, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds |
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Moderator/Chair: | Jacob H. Deacon, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds |
Paper 1320-a | Disintegrating Medieval Gender Roles: Women and Armour in 13th-Century Narratives (Language: English) Index terms: Gender Studies, Language and Literature - German, Mentalities |
Paper 1320-b | Martial Culture in the Middle English Prose Merlin (Language: English) Index terms: Folk Studies, Language and Literature - Middle English, Military History |
Paper 1320-c | Tristan Is Better than Lancelot: The 14th-Century Italian Tavola Ritonda Read through Fight Books (Language: English) Index terms: Language and Literature - Comparative, Language and Literature - Italian, Military History |
Abstract | This session explores literary depictions of martial culture and combat in romance literature. Romana Kaske will use literary depictions of armour to highlight how medieval women could claim power in male-dominated social fields by strategically using male-coded objects. Elizabeth Champion will contrast the appearance of tournament and battle in the Middle English Prose Merlin. Laura Bernadazzi will argue, via a comparison of late medieval romances and fight books, that Tristan is portrayed as a knight with better fighting skills than Lancelot, disputing the latter's status as 'the best' knight. |