| ME3232 | Queens and Queenship in Early Medieval Europe |
| Lecturer | Dr Elina Screen |
| Credits | 30 |
| Availability | 2011-12, Semester 2 |
| Class Hour | See Timetable |
| Description | Queens and empresses could wield considerable political, military and social power in the early middle ages. Nonetheless, they were peculiarly vulnerable due to contemporary ideologies that were deeply suspicious of powerful women and often rendered debates about their positions in terms of sexual morality (saints vs whores). This module explores the relationship between these ideologies and the actual roles played by such women in western Europe (including the British Isles) between the sixth and eleventh centuries. Studying the constantly shifting representation of female authority (often depicted as unnatural and dangerous) allows us to examine key moments in early medieval political history and helps illuminate contemporary power structures. This enterprise also demands that we confront broader cultural phenomena – for example changing attitudes to marriage, sex and masculinity – and that we engage with modern historiographical debates about gender and history. The course is structured around a series of texts written about and for queens, each of which is selected to illuminate broader issues as well as for intrinsic interest. |
| Basic Reading |
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Course Structure |
One two-hour meeting per week
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| Assessment | 60% examination: one 3-hour paper 40% coursework: three pieces of work one of which may be an oral assessment |
Learning Outcomes |
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| Restrictions | None |