The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures

by Mary Carruthers (editor), Jan M. Ziolkowski (Editor)

In antiquity and the Middle Ages, memory was a craft, and certain actions and tools were thought to be necessary for its creation and recollection. Until now, however, many of the most important visual and textual sources on the topic have remained untranslated or otherwise difficult to consult. Mary Carruthers and Jan M. Ziolkowski bring together the texts and visual images from the twelfth through the fifteenth centuries that are central to an understanding of memory and memory technique. These sources are now made available for a wider audience of students of medieval and early modern history and culture and readers with an interest in memory, mnemonics, and the synergy of text and image.

The art of memory was most importantly associated in the Middle Ages with composition, and those who practiced the craft used it to make new prayers, sermons, pictures, and music. The mixing of visual and verbal media was commonplace throughout medieval pictures contained visual puns, words were often verbal paintings, and both were used equally as tools for making thoughts. The ability to create pictures in one's own mind was essential to medieval cognitive technique and imagination, and the intensely pictorial and affective qualities of medieval art and literature were generative, creative devices in themselves.

Genres: History, Medieval, Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Academic

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Alex Linschoten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight, from cover to cover. This is a companion volume to Carruthers' earlier work, The Book of Memory: A Study of Memory in Medieval Culture, in which she gets to anthologise translations of medieval primary source texts about memory techniques. You have to take my word for it that this is all fascinating stuff. It's pretty western-centric -- translations are mostly from texts in Latin -- but that doesn't detract from the volume; it just calls out for something similar to be compiled from the Arabic texts of the same period, for example.

In any case, anyone interested in memory skills/techniques, will really enjoy this book. But you'd do well to start with the earlier history book and then read this alongside.

[filipa · Rating 4 out of 5]

insanely good anthology of texts and pictures (what a surprise) on medieval memory techniques

[Deniz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the third in a trilogy on the art of memory. Having examined memory and invention in the medieval period, Carruthers ends her trilogy with an anthology of sources, none of which were available in English translation before. Very valuable if you’re interested in memory and creativity.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant introduction to the methods of oral instruction by the art of memory via the Ars Memorial. This book will be of intense interest to Freemasons, medievalists, educators, public speakers and students of history.

[Book Calendar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an overview of different techniques of memory training used during the middle ages.