Childhood in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance : The Results of a Paradigm Shift in the History of Mentality

Earlier theses on the history of childhood can now be laid to rest and a fundamental paradigm shift initiated, as there is an overwhelming body of evidence to show that in medieval and early modern times too there were close emotional relations between parents and children. The contributors to this volume demonstrate conclusively on the one hand how intensively parents concerned themselves with their children in the pre-modern era, and on the other which social, political and religious conditions shaped these relationships. These studies in emotional history demonstrate how easy it is for a subjective choice of sources, coupled with faulty interpretations – caused mainly by modern prejudices toward the Middle Ages in particular – to lead to the view that in the past children were regarded as small adults. The contributors demonstrate convincingly that intense feelings – admittedly often different in nature – shaped the relationship between adults and children. Although Many Researchers Have Taken A Critical Stance Towards The Theses On The History Of Childhood Developed By Philippe Ari©·s In 1960, This Volume Is The First Comprehensive Collection Of Studies With A Psychological And Emotional Historical Orientation To Demonstrate Convincingly The Extent To Which The Relationship Between Parents And Children Was A Fundamental Element Of European Society In Pre-modern Times. Philippe Ariès And The Consequences : History Of Childhood, Family Relations, And Personal Emotions : Where Do We Stand Today? / Albrecht Classen -- The Influence Of Monastic Ideals Upon Carolingian Conceptions Of Childhood / Valerie L. Garver -- Mutterliebe Aus Weiblicher Perspektive : Zur Bedeutung Von Affektivität In Frau Avas Leben Jesu (maternal Love From A Female Perspective : On The Significance Of Affection In Frau Ava's Leben Jesu) / Eva Parra Membrives -- Victims Or Martyrs : Children, Anti-semitism, And The Stress Of Change In Medieval England / Diane Peters Auslander -- Joseph And The Amazing Christ-child Of Late-medieval Legend / Mary Dzon -- The Tretiz Of Walter Of Bibbesworth : Cultivating The Vernacular / Karen K. Jambeck -- The Seven Sages Of Rome, Children's Literature, And The Auchinleck Manuscript / Nicole Clifton -- Peter Abelard's Carmen Ad Astralabium And Medieval Parent-child Didactic Texts : The Evidence For Parent-child Relationships In The Middle Ages / Juanita Feros Ruys -- Reflections Of Childhood In Medieval Hagiographical Writing : The Case Of Hartmann Von Aue's Der Arme Heinrich / David F. Tinsley -- Why Did Lancelot Need An Education? / Carol Dover -- Medieval Mothers And Their Children : The Case Of Isabeau Of Bavaria / Tracy Adams -- Changing Contexts Of Infanticide In Medieval English Texts / Marilyn Sandidge -- Medieval Children : Treatment In Middle English Literature / Jean E. Jost -- Margery Kempe And Her Son : Representing The Discourse Of Family / Daniel F. Pigg -- Fashioning Fatherhood : Leon Battista Alberti's Art Of Parenting / Juliann Vitullo -- Art, Life, Charm And Titian's Portrait Of Clarissa Strozzi / Laurel Reed -- Converso Children Under The Inquisitorial Microscope In The Seventeenth Century : What May The Sources Tell Us About Their Lives? / David Graizbord -- Educating Girls In Early Modern Europe And America / Alison P. Coudert -- The Child In The Classroom : Teaching A Course On The History Of Childhood In Medieval/renaissance Europe / Christopher Carlsmith. Edited By Albrecht Classen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 428-432) And Index. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 428-432) And Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 1. Philippe Ariès and the Consequences: History of Childhood, Family Relations, and Personal Emotions: Where do we stand today? 9 2. The Influence of Monastic Ideals upon Carolingian Conceptions of Childhood 75 3. Mutterliebe aus weiblicher Perspektive: Zur Bedeutung von Affektivität in Frau Avas Leben Jesu (Maternal Love from a Female Perspective: On the Significance of Affection in Frau Ava’s Leben Jesu) 95 4. Victims or Martyrs: Children, Anti-Semitism, and the Stress of Change in Medieval England 113 5. Joseph and the Amazing Christ-Child of Late-Medieval Legend 143 6. The Tretiz of Walter of Bibbesworth: Cultivating the Vernacular 167 7. The Seven Sages of Rome, Children’s Literature, and the Auchinleck Manuscript 193 8. Peter Abelard’s Carmen ad Astralabium and Medieval Parent-Child Didactic Texts: The Evidence for Parent-Child Relationships in the Middle Ages 211 9. Reflections of Childhood in Medieval Hagiographical Writing: The Case of Hartmann von Aue’s Der arme Heinrich 237 10. Why Did Lancelot Need an Education? 255 11. Medieval Mothers and their Children: The Case of Isabeau of Bavaria 273 12. Changing Contexts of Infanticide in Medieval English Texts 299 13. Medieval Children: Treatment in Middle English Literature 315 14. Margery Kempe and Her Son: Representing the Discourse of Family 337 15. Fashioning Fatherhood: Leon Battista Alberti’s Art of Parenting 349 16. Art, Life, Charm and Titian’s Portrait of Clarissa Strozzi 363 17. Converso Children Under the Inquisitorial Microscope in the Seventeenth Century: What May the Sources Tell us about Their Lives? 381 18. Educating Girls in Early Modern Europe and America 397 19. The Child in the Classroom: Teaching a Course on the History of Childhood in Medieval/Renaissance Europe 423 Contributors 441 Index 447 List of Illustrations 453 Frühere Thesen zur Kindheitsgeschichte können mittlerweile zu den Akten gelegt werden, denn die Masse der Beweise dafür, dass auch im Mittelalter und in der Frühneuzeit enge emotionale Beziehungen zwischen Eltern und Kindern bestanden, erweist sich als erdrückend und ermöglicht einen fundamentalen Paradigmenwechsel. Die Beiträger zu diesem Band weisen einerseits zwingend nach, wie intensiv Eltern in der Vormoderne sich um ihre Kinder gekümmert haben, andererseits führen sie auch vor Augen, welche sozialen, politischen und religiösen Bedingungen diese Beziehungen gestalteten. Diese emotionsgeschichtlichen Untersuchungen demonstrieren, wie leicht eine subjektive Quellenauswahl und Fehlinterpretationen, meist bedingt durch moderne Vorurteile besonders gegen das Mittelalter, zu der Meinung führen können, dass Kinder in der Vergangenheit als kleine Erwachsene angesehen wurden. Die Beiträger weisen überzeugend nach, dass intensive, wenngleich oftmals anders gelagerte Gefühle das Verhältnis zwischen Erwachsenen und Kindern prägten Although many researchers have taken a critical stance towards the theses on the history of childhood developed by Philippe Ariès in 1960, this volume is the first comprehensive collection of studies with a psychological and emotional historical orientation to demonstrate convincingly the extent to which the relationship between parents and children was a fundamental element of European society in pre-modern times. Review text: " ... this is an anthology of substantial weight."Daniel T. Kline in: http://www.h-net.org/reviews10/2008 In short, this volume will certainly become an important reference for research on childhood and its perception in medieval and early modern society."Steven Vanderputten in: Mediaevistik 20/2007