Heads Will Roll: Decapitation in the Medieval and Early Modern Imagination (Medieval and Renaissance Authors and Texts)

**Contributors:** Tina Boyer, Thea Cervone, Dwayne C. Coleman, Christine F. Cooper-Rompato__,__ Mark Faulkner, Andrew Fleck, Jay Paul Gates, Thomas Herron, Mary E. Leech, Nicola Masciandaro, Jeff Massey, Asa Simon Mittman, Larissa Tracy, and Renée Ward **Preface by:** Jeffrey Jerome Cohen **__Introduction:__** The final cut, the fatal blow: Beheading is one of the most pervasive modes of execution in human history. From the iconic images of Judith sawing off the head of the tyrant Holofernes, to the animated head of the Green Knight in __Sir Gawain and the Green Knight__, to the English block and the French Guillotine, to modern images of captured soldiers beheaded on camera by terrorists, decapitation crosses all boundaries of time, culture and genre and provides a spectacular and performative affirmation of power and authority. But beheading also serves multiple purposes in the corpus of medieval literature. It is a means by which to ensure death and immobilize a recalcitrant corpse; it is magical and prophetic; it is a marker of sanctity and theological propaganda; it is a testament to brutality and the reality of martial violence. Just as the head is given special significance in many medieval cultures, the act of beheading takes on special significance in the medieval texts collated in this collection. The essays are arranged in chronological order from biblical examples to the earliest Anglo-Saxon hagiographic texts through the secular early modern iconography of Anne Boleyn, and feature the evolution of the "talking head", beginning with silent heads and moving to locquacious examples. The miraculous motifs give way to magical episodes in medieval secular romances, and take on a mystical and allegorical dimension in early modern literature, drama, and popular culture. The final essay recontextualizes the evolution of decapitation in terms of the early Anglo-Saxon examples and modern reception. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Preface: Losing Your Head......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 12 List of Illustrations......Page 14 List of Contributors......Page 16 Introduction......Page 20 Non potest hoc corpus decollari: Beheading and the Impossible......Page 34 Execution and Hagiography......Page 56 “Like a Virgin”: The Reheading of St. Edmund and Monastic Reform in Late-Tenth-Century England......Page 58 A Crowning Achievement: The Royal Execution and Damnation of Eadric Streona......Page 72 Decapitation, Martyrdom, and Late Medieval Execution Practices in The Book of Margery Kempe......Page 92 Continental Narratives of Punishment and Othering......Page 110 Talking Heads in Hell: Dante’s Use of Severed Heads in Inferno......Page 112 Severed Silence: Social Boundaries and Family Honor in Boccaccio’s “Tale of Lisabetta”......Page 134 The Headless Giant: The Function of Severed Heads in the Ahistorical (Aventiurehafte) Dietrich Epics......Page 156 English Romance and Reality......Page 176 “To be a ‘Fleschhewere’ ”: Beheading, Butcher Knights, and Blood-Taboos in Octavian Imperator......Page 178 The Werewolf at the Head Table: Metatheatric “subtlety” in Arthur and Gorlagon......Page 202 “So he smote of hir hede by myssefortune”: The Real Price of the Beheading Game in SGGK and Malory......Page 226 Early Modern Practice and Imagination......Page 252 “At the time of his death”: The Contested Narrative of Sir Walter Ralegh’s Beheading......Page 254 “Killing swine” and planting heads in Shakespeare’s Macbeth......Page 280 “Tucked Beneath Her Arm”: Culture, Ideology, and Fantasy in the Curious Legend of Anne Boleyn......Page 308 "Answering the Call of the Severed Head”......Page 330 Bibliography......Page 348 Index......Page 366 Illustrations......Page 372 Introduction / Larissa Tracy And Jefff Massey -- Non Potest Hoc Corpus Decollari : Beheading And The Impossible / Nicola Masciandaro -- Execution And Hagiography -- Like A Virgin : The Reheading Of St. Edmund And Monastic Reform In Late Tenth-century England / Mark Faulkner -- A Crowning Achievement : The Royal Execution And Damnation Of Eadric Streona / Jay Paul Gates -- Decapitation, Martyrdom, And Late Medieval Execution Practices In The Book Of Margery Kempe / Christine F. Cooper-rompato -- Continental Narratives Of Punishment And Othering -- Talking Heads In Hell : Dante's Use Of Severed Heads In Inferno / Dwayne C. Coleman -- Severed Silence : Social Boundaries And Family Honor In Boccaccio's Tale Of -- Lisabetta / Mary Leech -- Contents The Headless Giant : The Function Of Severed Heads In The Ahistorical (aventiurehafte) Dietrich Epics / Tina Boyer -- English Romance And Reality To Be A Fleschhewere : Beheading, Butcher-knights, And Blood-taboos In Octavian Imperator / Renee Ward -- The Werewolf At The Head Table : Metatheatric Subtlety In Arthur And Gorlagon / Jefff Massey -- So He Smote Of Hir Hede By Myssefortune : The Real Price Of The Beheading Game In Sggk And Glory / Larissa Tracy -- Early Modern Practice And Imagination At The Time Of His Death : The Contested Narrative Of Sir Walter Ralegh's Beheading / Andrew Fleck -- Killing Swine And Planting Heads In Shakespeare's Macbeththomas Herron -- Tucked Beneath Her Arm : Culture, Ideology, And Fantasy In The Curious Legend Of Anne Boleyn / Thea Cervone -- Answering The Call Of The Severed Head Asa / Simon Mittman -- Bibliography -- Index. Edited By Larissa Tracy And Jeff Massey. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The decapitation motif recurs in nearly all medieval and early modern genres, from saints' lives and epics to comedies and romances, yet decollation is often little regarded, save as a marker of humanity (that is, as the moment mortality exits) or inhumanity (that is, as the moment the supernatural enters). However, as a seat of reason, wisdom, and even the soul, the head has long been afforded a special place in the body politic, even when separated from its body proper. Capitalizing upon the enduring fascination with decapitation in European culture, this collection examines--through a variety of critical lenses--the recurring \'roles/rolls\' of severed human heads in the medieval and early modern imagination. Contributors are Nicola Masciandaro, Mark Faulkner, Jay Paul Gates, Christine Cooper-Rompato, Dwayne Coleman, Mary Leech, Tina Boyer, Renée Ward, Andrew Fleck, Thomas Herron, Thea Cervone, and Asa Simon Mittman. Preface by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen