Maidens or monsters? : tales of Amazons, goddesses, queens & temptresses in Medieval legend
Westwell, Chantry2024
Books
Find it!
In the Middle Ages, some of the most popular and well-loved stories were about female saints, classical heroines and the maidens of courtly romance. The portrayal of these characters reflected societal attitudes towards women, which changed with the prevailing views of the times. Chantry Westwell has used her profound knowledge of the Library's unrivalled Medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscript collections to explore some of literature's most enduring and multi-layered stories, together with the deep history of the books and chronicles in which they were first preserved. Westwell questions how female motivations are subverted to suit a narrative's moralising argument. This especially true for real-life women, such as the queens Cleopatra and Olympias, for whom legend has displaced biographical detail.
Main title:
Author:
Westwell, Chantry, author
Imprint:
London : British Library Publishing, 2024.
Collation:
352 pages : illustrations (colour) ; 24 cm
ISBN:
9780712355063 (hbk. :)
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
2887759