Monstrous Fantasies : England’s Crusading Imaginary and the Romance of Recovery, 1300–1500

Monstrous Fantasies asks why medieval romances reimagining the crusades ending in a Christian victory circulated in England with such abundance after the Muslim reconquest of Acre, the last of the Latin crusader states in the Holy Land, in 1291, and what these texts reveal about the cultural anxieties of late medieval England. Leila K. Norako highlights the impact that the Ottoman victory and subsequent massacre of Christian prisoners at the battle of Nicopolis in 1396 had on intensifying the popularity of what she calls recovery romance. These two episodes inspired a sense of urgency over the fate of the Holy Land and of Latin Christendom itself, resulting in the proliferation of romances in which crusading English kings like Richard I and anachronistic legends like King Arthur not only reconquered Jerusalem but committed genocidal violence against the Muslims. These romances, whichas Norako arguesalso influenced Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, conjure fantasies of an ascendant global Christendom by rehearsing acts of conquest and cultural annihilation that were impossible to realize in the late Middle Ages. Emphasizing the tension in these texts between nostalgia and anticipation that fuels their narrative momentum, Monstrous Fantasies also explores how the cultural desires for European and Christian hegemony that recovery romances versified were revived in the wake of the so-called "wars on terror" in the twenty-first century in such films as Kingdom of Heaven and American Sniper. "The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion seeks to provide accurate and dispassionate information about the world's many religions and topics of research and debate. It will grow and evolve continuously, compiling over time an extensive collection of vetted essays of interest to all serious enquirers, whether professional academics, religious leaders, students at the graduate or undergraduate levels, or the wider interested public. ... The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion aims to be a comprehensive and dynamic resource. The essays will range from short entries to major studies, and will encompass the study of scriptures, practices, social contexts, and history across religious traditions, various eras and places from diverse perspectives. They will be written by significant figures in the study of religion, who have already made their mark with their academic writing, and who will draw on cutting edge research. A rigorous peer review process will ensure that only trustworthy material of the highest quality is presented"--Letter from the editor page Substantive, Peer-reviewed, And Regularly Updated, The Oxford Research Encyclopedia Of Religion Combines The Speed & Flexibility Of Digital With The Rigorous Standards Of Academic Publishing... All Articles Are Written And Peer Reviewed By Certified Experts Of The Topic... Reference Articles Are Monitored By Experts To Ensure Fresh And Timely Updates Reflect New Insights.