Research Guides: ENGL 237: Living with the Dead: Attitudes Towards Death in Medieval Britain (HC) Fall 2016: Finding Primary Sources

Finding Primary Sources

Primary sources written during the Middle Ages provide vantage points from which to understand concepts and world views from a different era.

Anthologies

Anthologies collecting translated texts are a good place to begin looking at the range of primary sources available:

Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman Literatures by Richard North, Joe Allard, Patricia Gillies (Eds.)
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ISBN: 9781408247709
Publication Date: 2011-07-07
Includes a range of original, translated, and annotated literary sources, including elegies, eulogies, laments and material on the Viking Wars in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Vikings gods and Icelandic sagas, Arthurian Romances, and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Medieval Medicine by Faith Wallis; Paul Edward Dutton
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ISBN: 9781442601697
Publication Date: 2010-05-12
Medical knowledge and practice changed profoundly during the medieval period. In this collection of over 100 primary sources, many translated for the first time, Faith Wallis reveals the dynamic world of medicine in the Middle Ages.
Medieval Popular Religion, 1000-1500 by John Shinners
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ISBN: 1551111330
Publication Date: 1997-05-01
Medieval Popular Religion, 1000-1500: A Reader, second edition, brings together a unique collection of 82 sources that casts light on the beliefs and practices of ordinary Christians in the Middle Ages whose religious lives have often been overlooked by historians and theologians. Documents new to this edition include a new translation of the English peasant Thurkill's thirteenth-century vision of hell.
Medieval Saints by Mary-Ann Stouck (Editor); Paul Dutton (Editor)
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ISBN: 1551111012
Publication Date: 1998-11-01
Includes excerpts from saints' lives from late antiquity through the Middle Ages. Covers such topics as miracles, martyrdom and relics.
Medieval Writings on Female Spirituality by Elizabeth Spearing (Editor)
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ISBN: 0140439250
Publication Date: 2002-05-28
"...biographies, poetic compositions, works that are mystical, prophetic, visionary, or meditative. All of the writings here reflect the developments in medieval piety, particularly in the link between female spirituality and the body."--BOOK JACKET.
Medieval Writings on Secular Women by Patricia Skinner (Editor, Introduction by); Elisabeth Van Houts
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ISBN: 9780141439914
Publication Date: 2011-05-31
Old and Middle English C. 890-C. 1450 by Elaine Treharne (Editor)
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ISBN: 9781405181204
Publication Date: 2009-09-28
Spanning almost seven centuries, this anthology encapsulates the foundation and consolidation of literature written in English. It provides compelling excerpts from major works as well as brief passages from such important genres as travel accounts, chronicles, saints' lives, romances, accounts of visions, and didactic texts.

Art of Dying

This medieval literary genre addressed the ways in which people could have a good death. The Virgin Mary provided an ideal for the faithful to emulate: calm, steadfast, contrite, and prayerful. Texts in the 15th century elaborated on this advice, being particularly concerned about the trials and temptations experienced even in the hour of death. The authors endeavored to prepare people and provide them with reassurance.

Here begynneth a lytell treatyse called Ars moriendi
This Middle English translation of the Latin Ars moriendi was published by Wynken de Worde in 1497.
Images from Ars moriendi books
These examples from the British Library suggest the themes which most concerned the authors' of these guides.

Documents

Medieval and early modern sources online
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A collection of digitized editions of texts concerning economic, political, legal, and ecclesiastical history, such as treasury accounts, chronicles, papal registers, etc. Most are from England, Ireland, and Scotland, although some concern continental Europe and the New World.

Series in Translation

There are a number of series which translate medieval texts into modern English. See in particular:

Feminae
In addition to indexing journal articles, book reviews, essays and images concerning women, sexuality and gender in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, from 450 C.E. to 1500 C.E., the database also indexes primary sources, both complete texts and excerpts from anthologies.
1) Go to the Advanced Search Page, and enter Translation in the Article Type box.
2) In the Keyword box enter a topic. You can also specify century and geographic area (British Isles) in those search boxes.
Library of Medieval Women
This small series was published by Boydell & Brewer.
Manchester Medieval Sources
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Brings together thematically related documents and texts. See in particular:
- The Black Death
- Friars' Tales
Online medieval Sources Bibliography
This resource from Fordham University compiles medieval texts in English translation and makes them discoverable by subject, literary genre and geographic area.
TEAMS Middle English Texts Series
Many of the editions and translations published by the Consortium for the Teaching of the Middle Ages (TEAMS) are available online. Notable titles related to course content include:
- King Arthur's Death ed. Larry D. Benson and Edward E. Foster (1994; revised 1996)
- Three Purgatory Poems: The Gast of Gy, Sir Owain, The Vision of Tundale, ed. , ed. Edward E. Foster (2004)