Daily Life in a Medieval Monastery (Daily Life Through History Series)

by Sherri Olson

Overview

How did the Western monastic tradition begin? What was monastic life typically like for a monk or nun? How was the institution of the monastery formative to Western culture from antiquity through the Middle Ages? This book covers the entire span of monastic history in the late-ancient and medieval periods and provides an in-depth look at several monasteries across Europe. Each chapter introduces the reader to the surviving evidence for the houses studied, such as its monastic rules, plans, records of visitation, chronicles, and biographical accounts; and aims to give an "insider" view—not only of monks' and nuns' daily activities, but what these dedicated individuals' values, ambitions, and aspirations might have been.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313056178
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/12/2013
Series:	Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	211
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sherri Olson, PhD, is associate professor of history and codirector of the medieval studies program at the University of Connecticut.

Table of Contents

List of Maps ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

1 Benedictine Beginnings 1

2 The Monastery in an Age of Invasion and Reform: Saint Gall and Cluny 29

3 Child Oblates and Personal Fulfillment in the Monastic Life 59

4 Checking Up on Monks and Nuns in Thirteenth-Century Normandy: Archbishop Eudes Rigaud 95

5 Godstow Nunnery, 1133-1540: A Women's Community of the Later Middle Ages 143

6 Monks and Peasants 179

Glossary of Terms 193

Bibliography 199

Index 207

Editorial Reviews

Shepherd, who specializes in early medieval archaeology, has made use of recent archaeological finds as well as the usual primary sources. She spends time within the narrative discussing the importance of the findings of these excavations and how the materials found—including pottery, flora and fauna, and DNA—give us a new window into life during this time. This unique feature makes the work distinctive from other reference sources about the time period . . . a useful starting point for high school and undergraduate students working on research within these two areas. Recommended for most high school, academic, and public libraries.” —Booklist

“This book is highly recommended for the study of medieval monasticism.” —ARBA

From the Publisher