Radegund: The Trials and Triumphs of a Merovingian Queen
By E. T. Dailey
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780197699201
The story of Radegund, a 6th-century princess who would find herself being married to the man who had killed her family. From high politics in the Merovingian Empire to the creation of a monastery, Radegund’s life is a very interesting tale.
Excerpt:
This book is published with the intent of marking the 1500th anniversary of Radegund’s birth, insofar as is possible, given the uncertain chronology of her life. It has been written for an audience wider than what might usually be expected for an academic work about the early medieval West. The intended audience includes not only scholars but also students and interested laypersons. In pursuing this goal of inclusivity, I have not compromised the scholarly merit of the work, which engages with prevalent theories and puts forward new interpretations to advance the field of scholarship. But I have endeavoured to present the reader with comprehensible material and entertaining prose. I have thought this marriage of scholarly and leisurely reading possible only because of the fascinating and important nature of the subject: that is, Radegund herself.
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Who is this book for?
Radegund is certainly deserving of having a biography written about her. It will immediately attract an audience for those interested in the Merovingians, early medieval monasticism, or medieval women.
“How do you write a book about a sixth-century queen and nun whose life is known only from a handful of sources, two of them hagiographical and replete with exorcisms of demons, resurrections of the dead and other miracle stories? Dailey makes judicious use of a careful close reading of these surviving sources, alongside insights from material culture and archaeology, and select comparative cases of other early medieval Frankish queens to tell Radegund’s story.” – review by Talia Zajac in Social History.
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The author
Erin Thomas Dailey is Associate Professor of Late Antique and Early Medieval History at the University of Leicester. His work often focuses on the Merovingians and early medieval Europe.
Radegund: The Trials and Triumphs of a Merovingian Queen
By E. T. Dailey
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780197699201
The story of Radegund, a 6th-century princess who would find herself being married to the man who had killed her family. From high politics in the Merovingian Empire to the creation of a monastery, Radegund’s life is a very interesting tale.
Excerpt:
This book is published with the intent of marking the 1500th anniversary of Radegund’s birth, insofar as is possible, given the uncertain chronology of her life. It has been written for an audience wider than what might usually be expected for an academic work about the early medieval West. The intended audience includes not only scholars but also students and interested laypersons. In pursuing this goal of inclusivity, I have not compromised the scholarly merit of the work, which engages with prevalent theories and puts forward new interpretations to advance the field of scholarship. But I have endeavoured to present the reader with comprehensible material and entertaining prose. I have thought this marriage of scholarly and leisurely reading possible only because of the fascinating and important nature of the subject: that is, Radegund herself.
Who is this book for?
Radegund is certainly deserving of having a biography written about her. It will immediately attract an audience for those interested in the Merovingians, early medieval monasticism, or medieval women.
“How do you write a book about a sixth-century queen and nun whose life is known only from a handful of sources, two of them hagiographical and replete with exorcisms of demons, resurrections of the dead and other miracle stories? Dailey makes judicious use of a careful close reading of these surviving sources, alongside insights from material culture and archaeology, and select comparative cases of other early medieval Frankish queens to tell Radegund’s story.” – review by Talia Zajac in Social History.
The author
Erin Thomas Dailey is Associate Professor of Late Antique and Early Medieval History at the University of Leicester. His work often focuses on the Merovingians and early medieval Europe.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website
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