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Humour, History and Politics in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages

Guy Halsall editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:13th Jun '02

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Humour, History and Politics in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages cover

A collection of essays on the use of humour by late antique and early medieval writers.

These essays range from the late Roman empire through to the tenth century, and from Byzantium to Anglo-Saxon England, taking a historian's perspective to look at the use of irony, ridicule and satire as political tools.Although the topic of humour has been dealt with for other eras, early medieval humour remains largely neglected. These essays go some way towards filling the gap, examining how early medieval writers deliberately employed humour to make their cases. The essays range from the late Roman empire through to the tenth century, and from Byzantium to Anglo-Saxon England. The subject matter is diverse, but a number of themes link them together, notably the use of irony, ridicule and satire as political tools. Two chapters serve as an extended introduction to the topic, while the following six chapters offer varied treatments of humour and politics, looking at different times and places, but at the Carolingian world in particular. Together, they raise important and original issues about how humour was employed to articulate concepts of political power, perceptions of kingship, social relations and the role of particular texts.

Review of the hardback: 'Whilst the overarching theme is humour and comedy, sophisticated issues of politics, hostility, and hermeneutics are raised. This is an exciting collection, erudite yet accessible, providing an entertaining and revealing resource for students and scholars alike.' Medium Aemm

ISBN: 9780521811163

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 16mm

Weight: 500g

224 pages