IMC 2024: Sessions
Session 313: Women in Medieval Germanic Crisis Narratives, III: Women and Crisis in the Age of Bede and Beowulf
Monday 1 July 2024, 16:30-18:00
| Organiser: | Juliane Witte, Philosophische Fakultät - Skandinavistik, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen |
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| Moderator/Chair: | Christine Rauer, School of English, University of St Andrews |
| Paper 313-a | Did Bede Blame Women for the Crisis of Monasticism? (Language: English) Index terms: Ecclesiastical History, Language and Literature - Latin, Monasticism and Women's Studies |
| Paper 313-b | Wealhtheow and Her Poisoned Gift: Peace-Weaver or Crisis-Causer? (Language: English) Index terms: Gender Studies and Language and Literature - Old English |
| Paper 313-c | Beowulf's Modthryth: Looking for En-Closure (Language: English) Index terms: Ecclesiastical History, Gender Studies, Language and Literature - Old English and Religious Life |
| Abstract | This session explores the roles women were assigned and the ways they were received and evaluated in crisis narratives in Old English and Latin literature from Bede to Beowulf. Through a focused analysis, the speakers will question to what extent women in Old English literature were blamed for, caused, or resolved crises. Alexandra Zhirnova will question how Bede posited women as a threat to the ecclesiastical order in the Coldingham episode of his Ecclesiastical History. Thijs Porck will hypothesise that Wealtheow’s gift of a neck-ring in Beowulf is best understood un light of the broader Germanic tradition of cursed treasure/figts and vengeful women. Lindsay Gill will posit that Beowulf's Modthryth/Fremu can be seen as a positive example of the peace-weaver by drawing comparisons to hagiographical material. |