Natural and Supernatural in Early Medieval England
By Richard Sowerby
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 978-1-009-17544-9
Were strange creatures believed to inhabit the lands just beyond the known world? Could an illness be cured by a plant or a magic spell? As this book reveals, people in medieval England grappled with questions such as these.
Excerpt:
In this Element, I want to examine the degree to which men and women in early medieval England did or did not conceive of a distinction between natural and supernatural. In their reflections about creatures and beings both common and uncommon (Section 1), in their understanding of innate properties and behaviours (Section 2), and in their views about the different ways in which human beings could enact change through words, deeds, and actions (Section 3), we find indications of how early medieval English thinkers characterized and categorized the world around them.
Who is this book for?
This short book explores the boundary between the natural and supernatural worlds. As the author notes, people had to contend with “poor harvests, ill health, military threats and other predicaments,” and their responses often drew upon both realms. It also reveals how writers sought to test this boundary and find what they believed to be rational explanations for the world around them.
The book will be useful for those studying early medieval England, offering a revealing look into how its people understood their world. More specifically, it provides insights into attitudes towards animals and nature, medicine, religion and folk beliefs. Many of these insights may also be applied to other parts of the medieval world.
“Were early medieval concepts of the natural and the supernatural fundamentally different from our own or were they more similar to our own than one might be inclined to assume? Without effacing the many notable differences that exist, Sowerby presents us with a picture of an early medieval period that appears a bit more modern and scientific than it has commonly been assumed to be.” ~ review by Paul Dean in English Studies.
The Author
Richard Sowerby is Senior Lecturer in Early Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh. Much of his previous work has focused on saints and medicine in early medieval England.
Natural and Supernatural in Early Medieval England
By Richard Sowerby
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 978-1-009-17544-9
Were strange creatures believed to inhabit the lands just beyond the known world? Could an illness be cured by a plant or a magic spell? As this book reveals, people in medieval England grappled with questions such as these.
Excerpt:
In this Element, I want to examine the degree to which men and women in early medieval England did or did not conceive of a distinction between natural and supernatural. In their reflections about creatures and beings both common and uncommon (Section 1), in their understanding of innate properties and behaviours (Section 2), and in their views about the different ways in which human beings could enact change through words, deeds, and actions (Section 3), we find indications of how early medieval English thinkers characterized and categorized the world around them.
Who is this book for?
This short book explores the boundary between the natural and supernatural worlds. As the author notes, people had to contend with “poor harvests, ill health, military threats and other predicaments,” and their responses often drew upon both realms. It also reveals how writers sought to test this boundary and find what they believed to be rational explanations for the world around them.
The book will be useful for those studying early medieval England, offering a revealing look into how its people understood their world. More specifically, it provides insights into attitudes towards animals and nature, medicine, religion and folk beliefs. Many of these insights may also be applied to other parts of the medieval world.
“Were early medieval concepts of the natural and the supernatural fundamentally different from our own or were they more similar to our own than one might be inclined to assume? Without effacing the many notable differences that exist, Sowerby presents us with a picture of an early medieval period that appears a bit more modern and scientific than it has commonly been assumed to be.” ~ review by Paul Dean in English Studies.
The Author
Richard Sowerby is Senior Lecturer in Early Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh. Much of his previous work has focused on saints and medicine in early medieval England.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
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