Medievalism and the Quest for the Real Middle Ages - 9781138878167

Taylor & Francis

The essays in this collection suggest that the search for knowledge of a \""real\"" Middle Ages has always been a problematic one, and that the vitality of the vision of Medievalism is demonstrated by its constant adaption to current concerns. > Medievalism, the later reception of the Middle Ages, has been used by many writers, not just during the Victorian period but from the Renaissance to the present, as a means of commenting on their own societies and systems of values. Until recently, this self-interest was used to distinguish between Medievalism, a selective, often romanticised, view of the past, and medieval studies, with its quest for an authentic Middle Ages. The essays in this collection suggest that the search for knowledge of a \""real\"" Middle Ages has always been a problematic one, and that the vitality of the vision of Medievalism is demonstrated by its constant adaption to current concerns. > Introduction, Clare A. Simmons; Chapter 1 Samuel Daniel\u2019s Defense ;