The Uses of Literacy in Early Mediaeval Europe

The book investigates the ways in which literacy was important in early medieval Europe, and examines the context of literacy, its uses, levels, and distribution, in a number of different early medieval societies, including Ireland, Anglo-Saxon England, Visigothic and Umayyad Spain, Papal Rome, and Byzantium, between c. 400 and c. 1000. The contributors set out to provide the factual basis for assessments of the significance of literacy in the early medieval world and analyze the significance of literacy, its implications, and its consequences for the various societies. In all cases, the studies represent new research and provide fascinating insights into the attitudes of early medieval societies toward the written word. THE USES OF LITERACY IN EARLY MEDIAEVAL EUROPE......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Illustrations......Page 8 Contributors......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 13 Rosamond McKitterick: Introduction......Page 18 1. Jane Stevenson: Literacy in Ireland: the evidence of the Patrick dossier in the Book of Armagh......Page 28 2. Susan Kelly: Anglo-Saxon lay society and the written word......Page 53 3. Ian Wood: Administration, law and culture in Merovingian Gaul......Page 80 4. Thomas F. X. Noble: Literacy and the papal government in late antiquity and the early middle ages......Page 99 5. Roger Collins: Literacy and the laity in early mediaeval Spain......Page 126 6. Stefan C. Reif: Aspects of mediaeval Jewish literacy......Page 151 7. Margaret Mullett: Writing in early mediaeval Byzantium......Page 173 8. John Mitchell: Literacy displayed: the use of inscriptions at the monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno in the early ninth century......Page 203 9. Simon Keynes: Royal government and the written word in late Anglo-Saxon England......Page 243 10. Janet L. Nelson: Literacy in Carolingian government......Page 275 11. Rosamond McKitterick: Text and image in the Carolingian world......Page 314 Rosamond McKitterick: Conclusion......Page 336 Index......Page 351 This book investigates the ways in which literacy was important in early mediaeval Europe, and examines the context of literacy, its uses, levels, and distribution, in a number of different early mediaeval societies between c. 400 and c. 1000. The studies, by leading scholars in the field, set out to provide the factual basis from which assessments of the significance of literacy in the early mediaeval world can be made, as well as analysing the significance of literacy, its implications, and its consequences for the societies in which we observe it. In all cases, the studies represent recent research and bring evidence such as the recent archaeological discoveries at San Vincenzo al Volturno to the subject. They provide fascinating insight into the attitudes of early mediaeval societies towards the written word and the degree to which these attitudes were formed. This period is shown as fundamental for the subsequent uses of literacy in mediaeval and modern Europe The book investigates the ways in which literacy was important in early medieval Europe, and examines the context of literacy, its uses, levels, and distribution, in a number of different early medieval societies, including Ireland, Anglo-Saxon England, Visigothic and Umayyad Spain, Papal Rome, and Byzantium, between c. 400 and c. 1000. The contributors set out to provide the factual basis for assessments of the significance of literacy in the early medieval world and analyze the significance of literacy, its implications, and its consequences for the various societies. In all cases, the studies represent new research and provide fascinating insights into the attitudes of early medieval societies toward the written word. -- Amazon.com Edited By Rosamond Mckitterick. Includes Index.