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Walking Corpses: Leprosy in Byzantium and the Medieval West
Leprosy has afflicted humans for thousands of years. It wasn't until the twelfth century, however, that the dreaded disease entered the collective psyche of Western society, thanks to a frightening epidemic that ravaged Catholic Europe. The Church responded by constructing charitable institutions called leprosariums to treat the rapidly expanding number of victims. As important as these events were, Timothy Miller and John Nesbitt remind us that the history of leprosy in the West is incomplete without also considering the Byzantine Empire, which confronted leprosy and its effects well before the Latin West. In Walking Corpses, they offer the first account of medieval leprosy that integrates the history of East and West.
In their informative and engaging account, Miller and Nesbitt challenge a number of misperceptions and myths about medieval attitudes toward leprosy (known today as Hansen s disease). They argue that ethical writings from the Byzantine world and from Catholic Europe never branded leprosy as punishment for sin; rather, theologians and moralists saw the disease as a mark of God s favor on those chosen for heaven. The stimulus to ban lepers from society and ultimately to persecute them came not from Christian influence but from Germanic customary law. Leprosariums were not prisons to punish lepers but were centers of care to offer them support; some even provided both male and female residents the opportunity to govern their own communities under a form of written constitution. Informed by recent bioarchaeological research that has vastly expanded knowledge of the disease and its treatment by medieval society, Walking Corpses also includes three key Greek texts regarding leprosy (one of which has never been translated into English before)."
In their informative and engaging account, Miller and Nesbitt challenge a number of misperceptions and myths about medieval attitudes toward leprosy (known today as Hansen s disease). They argue that ethical writings from the Byzantine world and from Catholic Europe never branded leprosy as punishment for sin; rather, theologians and moralists saw the disease as a mark of God s favor on those chosen for heaven. The stimulus to ban lepers from society and ultimately to persecute them came not from Christian influence but from Germanic customary law. Leprosariums were not prisons to punish lepers but were centers of care to offer them support; some even provided both male and female residents the opportunity to govern their own communities under a form of written constitution. Informed by recent bioarchaeological research that has vastly expanded knowledge of the disease and its treatment by medieval society, Walking Corpses also includes three key Greek texts regarding leprosy (one of which has never been translated into English before)."
264 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2014
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 27, 2014
This is an important scholarly work on the treatment of lepers in the Middle Ages. It covers everything from theories on the causes of leprosy to the administration of leper colonies. The book is well researched and the theses are well presented, argued and documented.
Given the subject matter, this is not an “easy” read and is intended more for academics than for the general public. At times it is somewhat repetitive (probably due to two authors covering similar topics), and it provides more detail than many readers may find necessary. Yet it also provides very valuable insights into medieval society that would benefit more casual students of the Middle Ages.
For one thing, Miller and Nesbitt effectively debunk the notion that leper colonies were places of punishment or that lepers were consistently and cruelly expelled from society out of moral revulsion. On the contrary, they convincingly argue Christian “spiritual leaders [shaped] a new ethical imperative to accept lepers as suffering brothers in Christ, not to reject them as ritually impure or as objects of divine punishment.” In Byzantium, leprosy even came to be called “the Holy Disease” and a number of legends associated lepers with Christ, while service to lepers was viewed as particularly holy.
Nevertheless, the fear of contagion was — understandably — enormous and so civil and ecclesiastical leaders nevertheless sought to separate lepers from society at large. Leper colonies were thus generally located outside city walls — but close enough for lepers to engage in trade and receive alms and visits from relatives, friends and patrons.
Because the organization of several important leper colonies is documented, we have insight into how the lepers managed their affairs, and Miller and Nesbitt highlight the fact that most leper colonies were run by the lepers themselves. Furthermore, in many cases the lepers clearly elected their own leaders. Furthermore, women lepers took part in the administration of leper colonies on an equal footing with men and in some documented cases obtained positions of authority.
This later fact begs the question if only leprous women were deemed the equals of men, or if medieval society wasn’t considerably more respectful of women’s intellect and capabilities than is generally assumed? Or was, as Miller and Nesbitt ask at the very end of their work, the role played by women and the “democratic” nature of leper colonies a reason for increasing suspicion and hostility toward lepers by the end of the Middle Ages?
An interesting read.
Given the subject matter, this is not an “easy” read and is intended more for academics than for the general public. At times it is somewhat repetitive (probably due to two authors covering similar topics), and it provides more detail than many readers may find necessary. Yet it also provides very valuable insights into medieval society that would benefit more casual students of the Middle Ages.
For one thing, Miller and Nesbitt effectively debunk the notion that leper colonies were places of punishment or that lepers were consistently and cruelly expelled from society out of moral revulsion. On the contrary, they convincingly argue Christian “spiritual leaders [shaped] a new ethical imperative to accept lepers as suffering brothers in Christ, not to reject them as ritually impure or as objects of divine punishment.” In Byzantium, leprosy even came to be called “the Holy Disease” and a number of legends associated lepers with Christ, while service to lepers was viewed as particularly holy.
Nevertheless, the fear of contagion was — understandably — enormous and so civil and ecclesiastical leaders nevertheless sought to separate lepers from society at large. Leper colonies were thus generally located outside city walls — but close enough for lepers to engage in trade and receive alms and visits from relatives, friends and patrons.
Because the organization of several important leper colonies is documented, we have insight into how the lepers managed their affairs, and Miller and Nesbitt highlight the fact that most leper colonies were run by the lepers themselves. Furthermore, in many cases the lepers clearly elected their own leaders. Furthermore, women lepers took part in the administration of leper colonies on an equal footing with men and in some documented cases obtained positions of authority.
This later fact begs the question if only leprous women were deemed the equals of men, or if medieval society wasn’t considerably more respectful of women’s intellect and capabilities than is generally assumed? Or was, as Miller and Nesbitt ask at the very end of their work, the role played by women and the “democratic” nature of leper colonies a reason for increasing suspicion and hostility toward lepers by the end of the Middle Ages?
An interesting read.
January 2, 2015
SUMMARY OF REVIEW:
No question, Walking Corpses is definitely an academic book and not written for the armchair reader. I read it on a whim, and found parts to be interesting, but the writing was stilted towards what sounded like a dissertation. This alone would not warrant a "low" three star rating; rather, I found the book to be repetitious as a result of being non-linear. Personally, I prefer linear presentations of history. The authors constantly rewrite the same points and historical facts, which makes reading this book from cover to cover tedious. Judging by the other review on Amazon written at the time of my review, I am not alone in finding this book to be exceedingly repetitious. Perhaps this book’s strength is that it could be a reference book?
FULL REVIEW:
I should note, "Walking Corpses" is extremely well researched, and has a spectacular bibliography/reference list. For academics studying disability studies, Byzantium, the Medieval West, classical/medieval medical practices, quarantine, ghettoization, religious perspectives/practices on disease, and of course leprosy itself, this book will provide a wealth of information and resources. Bravo to Miller and Nesbitt for compiling an astounding amount of sources, including ancient texts.
I appreciated how clearly the authors showed that Byzantium and the Medieval West overlapped in some of their thinking and approaches to medicine, disease, religion, and leprosy; while also highlighting the disparity between Byzantium and the Medieval West. I found their discussion of the medical approaches to understanding, treating, and preventing leprosy to be lacking in depth and discussion – I wish there was more analysis on medical anthropology and actual medical practices.
I was less interested in the religiosity of leprosy, and again found these discussions to be redundant, often hitting home the religious points repeatedly as if I may have missed them the first few times. I wish Miller and Nesbitt had provided more comparative examples to other stigmatizing illnesses and disabilities, for example blindness, "lameness," seizures, disfigurement, and so forth. In fact, a more frank discussion on disability would have been appreciated by this reader, but that may be because I am interested in disability studies.
For readers unfamiliar with the particularities of leprosy, including modern developments and understandings, this book does provide a sufficient amount of information to acquaint the reader with the disease more generally; however, if you are really interested in leprosy more generally, and aren't particularly drawn to Byzantium or the Medieval West, I would look for a different book.
In closing, I found most interesting the discussion on the Knights of Lazarus (Order of Saint Lazarus connected with Knights of the Templar and the Crusaders). These knights were afflicted with Leprosy, often during their campaigns, yet they still chose to continue to pick up arms. These particular Knights warrant a book unto themselves. (Check out this article titled "After 700 years, the Knights of St. Lazarus Return to Jerusalem...Riding Electric Buggies" which is about the Order of Saint Lazarus in present day Jerusalem: http://www.timesofisrael.com/after-70...)
No question, Walking Corpses is definitely an academic book and not written for the armchair reader. I read it on a whim, and found parts to be interesting, but the writing was stilted towards what sounded like a dissertation. This alone would not warrant a "low" three star rating; rather, I found the book to be repetitious as a result of being non-linear. Personally, I prefer linear presentations of history. The authors constantly rewrite the same points and historical facts, which makes reading this book from cover to cover tedious. Judging by the other review on Amazon written at the time of my review, I am not alone in finding this book to be exceedingly repetitious. Perhaps this book’s strength is that it could be a reference book?
FULL REVIEW:
I should note, "Walking Corpses" is extremely well researched, and has a spectacular bibliography/reference list. For academics studying disability studies, Byzantium, the Medieval West, classical/medieval medical practices, quarantine, ghettoization, religious perspectives/practices on disease, and of course leprosy itself, this book will provide a wealth of information and resources. Bravo to Miller and Nesbitt for compiling an astounding amount of sources, including ancient texts.
I appreciated how clearly the authors showed that Byzantium and the Medieval West overlapped in some of their thinking and approaches to medicine, disease, religion, and leprosy; while also highlighting the disparity between Byzantium and the Medieval West. I found their discussion of the medical approaches to understanding, treating, and preventing leprosy to be lacking in depth and discussion – I wish there was more analysis on medical anthropology and actual medical practices.
I was less interested in the religiosity of leprosy, and again found these discussions to be redundant, often hitting home the religious points repeatedly as if I may have missed them the first few times. I wish Miller and Nesbitt had provided more comparative examples to other stigmatizing illnesses and disabilities, for example blindness, "lameness," seizures, disfigurement, and so forth. In fact, a more frank discussion on disability would have been appreciated by this reader, but that may be because I am interested in disability studies.
For readers unfamiliar with the particularities of leprosy, including modern developments and understandings, this book does provide a sufficient amount of information to acquaint the reader with the disease more generally; however, if you are really interested in leprosy more generally, and aren't particularly drawn to Byzantium or the Medieval West, I would look for a different book.
In closing, I found most interesting the discussion on the Knights of Lazarus (Order of Saint Lazarus connected with Knights of the Templar and the Crusaders). These knights were afflicted with Leprosy, often during their campaigns, yet they still chose to continue to pick up arms. These particular Knights warrant a book unto themselves. (Check out this article titled "After 700 years, the Knights of St. Lazarus Return to Jerusalem...Riding Electric Buggies" which is about the Order of Saint Lazarus in present day Jerusalem: http://www.timesofisrael.com/after-70...)
July 20, 2015
Fills an important lacuna in scholarship on Byzantine medical practice, and uses many different source types well, but leaves many questions unresolved. The book is brief (under 200 pages) and written in an admirably lucid, accessible style, which makes it a fine potential teaching resource, and improves its appeal to the general reader, but as a specialist, I was left wanting more.
February 16, 2021
Very well-researched scholarly work. I was less interested in some parts (Christian views on leprosy, the Knights of Lazarus), but this was no failing of the book—my interest lies in treatment and welfare, both of which were also covered extensively.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews