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Love, Marriage, and Family in the Middle Ages
A Reader

Jacqueline Murray (Edited by)

9781551111049

Paperback / softback, published 1 September 2001

524 pages
22.9 x 14.7 x 3.6 cm, 0.88 kg

This reader of primary sources focuses on the burgeoning field of the medieval family. While much of what it means to be in love, or to marry, or to be part of a family has remained consistent over the past two millennia, dramatic changes have also taken place. Love, Marriage, and Family in the Middle Ages now allows readers a vivid sense of what these issues, which make up so much of daily life, meant to those in the Middle Ages.

I. Foundations and Influences     






1. The Biblical Foundations






2. The Germanic Foundations






3. Theological Foundations: Augustine, On the Good of Marriage






4. Theological Foundations: Augustine on Marriage as a Social Institution






5. Legal Foundations: The Burgundian Laws






6. Legal Foundations: Anglo-Saxon Laws






7. Pastoral Foundations: The Penitential of Theodore








II. Love and its Dangers    








8. A Biblical Celebration of Love






9. The Biblical Regulation of Sexual Behavior






10. The Marriage of Thorstein and Spes






11. Charlemagne's Daughter and Her Lover






12. The Ideology of Courtly Love






13. Troubadour Love Poetry






14. Goliardic Love Songs






15. Vernacular Love Songs






16. Adulterous Love: The Story of Equitan






17. A Debate about Love and Marriage: The Owl and the Nightingale






18. Abelard and Heloise






19. Paolo and Francesca






20. Edward III's Love for the Countess of Salisbury (1342)






21. The Paston Family on Love and Marriage






22. Prosecutions and Punishments for Sexual Misconduct








III. Marriage and the Church   








23. The Theology of Marriage: Peter Lombard's Sentences






24. A Woman's View of Marriage: Hildegard of Bingen's Scivias






25. The Good of Marriage: Etienne de Fourgères






26. Ecclesiastical Legislation: the Fourth Lateran Council (1215)






27. Episcopal Legislation: the Statutes of Salisbury (1217-19)






28. The Parish Priest and the Rules of Marriage






29. How to Dissolve a Marriage






30. Marriage Litigation in Fifteenth-Century London








IV. Marriage Ceremonies, Rituals, and Customs    








31. Pope Nicholas's Letter to a Bulgarian King (866)






32. The Legend of St. Nicholas and the Three Dowries






33. A Bad Courtship and a Good: Ruodlieb






34. The Liturgy of Marriage






35. Popular Customs and Marriage Celebrations








V. Husbands and Wives    








36. An Early Christian View of Husbands and Wives






37. Tertullian: To His Wife (ca. 200)






38. An Anti-matrimonial Diatribe






39. A Grieving Husband: The Death of Einhard's Emma 






40. The Marriage of Guibert of Nogent's Parents






41. Cautionary Tales






42. A Sermon on the Ideal Husband






43. A Popular View of Marriage: The Vision of Piers the Plowman






44. Saint Bernardino on Marriage






45. The Fifteen Joys of Marriage













VI. Marriage and Family   








46. Marriage Among the Franks






47. Counting Families in the Ninth Century 






48. Spiritual Marriages






49. A Rebellious Wife






50. An Unhappy Marriage: Godelive of Ghistelle






51. A Lord Asserts his Rights: Gerald of Aurillac






52. Duplicitous Wives and Illegitimate Heirs






53. The Legitimation of Children






54. Feudal Marriage






55. A Fraudulent Marriage Agreement (1280)






56. Marriage Cases in Village Courts






57. Housing and Households






58. Domestic Violence








VII. Childbirth   








59. Gregory the Great on Sex, Childbirth, and Purity






60. A Medical Discussion of Childbirth






61. Description of a Birthing Chamber






62. Prayers for Women in Childbirth






63. Rejoicing for a Safe Delivery








VIII. Parents and Children   








64. Biblical Advice on Parent/Child Relations






65. Jerome on the Education of Girls






66. Frankish Parents' Grief






67. An Unhappy Childhood: Guibert of Nogent






68. The Ideals of Childhood






69. Intrafamilial Conflict






70. Parents, Children, and Child-rearing






71. A Happy Childhood: Jean Froissart






72. The Instruction of Children






73. The Care of Orphans








IX. Beyond Christendom    








74. Laws Regulating Contact Between Jews, Muslims, and Christians






75. Marriage Cases in the Jewish Community






76. A Jewish Merchant's Letter






77. A Jewish Father's Advice: Eleazar of Mainz






78. Islamic Teaching on Marriage and the Family






79. Christian Misunderstanding of Islamic Teachings on Marriage






80. The Cathar's Rejection of Marriage








Index of Topics   








Sources   

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