Imagining A Medieval English Nation (Volume 37)

Medieval Cultures #37

by Kathy Lavezzo

These ten specially commissioned essays demonstrate that during the Middle Ages the idea of an English nation was not fixed. The contributors examine and contrast the thinking behind the ways in which medieval philosophers and writers imagined or fantasised about an English nation. The specialised papers are divided into five sections which the theory behind the idea of a `nation'; the idea of a nation united by its common vernacular language, as opposed to Latin; Chaucer's England; Langland's England; England and its neighbours.

Genres: Medieval, History

394 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Philip Chaston · Rating 3 out of 5]

A variable tome that I picked up at Barter Books in Alnwick. As a portal into studies of mediaeval patriotism, the articles are uneven in tone and quality. The overall effect persuaded me that theory remains a poor explanatory device for understanding middle english texts. I am not sure that quoting Zizek or Foucault on chivalry brings additional insight to our historical understanding.

The book purported to reveal that nationalism extended far beyond the modern origins favoured by 'Imagined Communities'. If so, the articles clearly showed such a community was referenced but the reader is left wondering what the community was: a united national endeavour or shattered perceptions divided amongst Lollards, courtiers, the peasantry, London and so on.