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La société médievale
Moines et chevaliers, serfs et seigneurs, guerriers et nobles dames… la société médiévale met en scène des figures qui aujourd’hui encore frappent l’imaginaire.
François Icher s’emploie ici à décrypter cette civilisation, en faisant revivre les codes qui la régissent et les hommes qui l’animent, qu’ils prient, qu’ils combattent ou qu’ils travaillent, les lieux emblématiques qui la constituent, cathédrales, châteaux et forêts, et les peurs qui hantent les peuples, pour restituer, le Moyen Âge français dans toutes ses dimensions et sa complexité.
François Icher s’emploie ici à décrypter cette civilisation, en faisant revivre les codes qui la régissent et les hommes qui l’animent, qu’ils prient, qu’ils combattent ou qu’ils travaillent, les lieux emblématiques qui la constituent, cathédrales, châteaux et forêts, et les peurs qui hantent les peuples, pour restituer, le Moyen Âge français dans toutes ses dimensions et sa complexité.
- GenresHistory
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 24, 2025
Ostensibly a little history of Medieval Society through the lens of codes, rituals and symbols (hence the subtitle Codes, rituels et symboles and the self-portrayal of Medieval life in manuscripts.
However, the book's use and discussion of "codes, rituals and symbols" as a vehicle to present Medieval life is rather superficial. The generalizations of the portrayal of Medieval life lacks both specific examples and, as a paperback, examples. The book is generally divided up in to the classical format of those who fight, pray and work, then proceeds to topics like life in countryside, city, forest (what he calls "Les lieux symboliques" in the fifth part) and then finally famine, plague etc ("Les grandes peurs du Moyen Âge").
Overall, it was a light, enjoyable read and introduction to Medieval life but remained light and superficial due to the lack of specifics in the portrayal of Medieval life in manuscripts. A hard-cover version with illustrations and images would greatly increase the effectiveness of the book and move it from a general introduction of Medieval life to a detailed study of the Medieval self-presentation in manuscripts and other forms of artwork (which the subtitle seems to imply).
However, the book's use and discussion of "codes, rituals and symbols" as a vehicle to present Medieval life is rather superficial. The generalizations of the portrayal of Medieval life lacks both specific examples and, as a paperback, examples. The book is generally divided up in to the classical format of those who fight, pray and work, then proceeds to topics like life in countryside, city, forest (what he calls "Les lieux symboliques" in the fifth part) and then finally famine, plague etc ("Les grandes peurs du Moyen Âge").
Overall, it was a light, enjoyable read and introduction to Medieval life but remained light and superficial due to the lack of specifics in the portrayal of Medieval life in manuscripts. A hard-cover version with illustrations and images would greatly increase the effectiveness of the book and move it from a general introduction of Medieval life to a detailed study of the Medieval self-presentation in manuscripts and other forms of artwork (which the subtitle seems to imply).
October 20, 2023
Un ouvrage très général qui permet au lecteur de mettre un premier pied dans l'univers médiéval.
December 29, 2013
Un ouvrage de vulgarisation, sans plus. Il ne fait que frôler les grands thèmes et l'image d'ensemble qui en émane est peu épaise, je regrette.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews