Understanding Animals, 1150-1350
Lead Research Organisation:
Goldsmiths University of London
Department Name: History
Abstract
The aim of the project was to analyse the major shifts in attitudes towards animals in the period 1150-1350. It could be demonstrated that these changes were not primarily the consequence of advances in knowledge, but reflected wider social and economic developments.
Within the sphere of learning, translations of classical Greek zoological texts were essentially used as additional stores of information that could be incorporated into familiar practices, using animals as moralistic and didactic examples. The growth of regional variation in attitudes is indicative of their close link with wider economic and cultural developments, and the proliferation of knowledge about animals.
This encouraged a move from the small set of traditional examples towards a far wider repertoire of animal-based Ideas and Images, featuring in particular those that played important roles in everyday life, whether in entertainment or economic contexts.
The main output is a book entitled Understanding Animals, 1150-1350, to be published by Palgrave Macmillan In 2007. This will be followed up by more detailed studies applying the results to specific animals or types of evidence, and in a new research project concerned with the role of animals in late medieval everyday life.
Within the sphere of learning, translations of classical Greek zoological texts were essentially used as additional stores of information that could be incorporated into familiar practices, using animals as moralistic and didactic examples. The growth of regional variation in attitudes is indicative of their close link with wider economic and cultural developments, and the proliferation of knowledge about animals.
This encouraged a move from the small set of traditional examples towards a far wider repertoire of animal-based Ideas and Images, featuring in particular those that played important roles in everyday life, whether in entertainment or economic contexts.
The main output is a book entitled Understanding Animals, 1150-1350, to be published by Palgrave Macmillan In 2007. This will be followed up by more detailed studies applying the results to specific animals or types of evidence, and in a new research project concerned with the role of animals in late medieval everyday life.
People |
ORCID iD |
Brigitte Resl (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Resl, Brigitte; Page, Sophie; De Leemans, Pieter; Beullens, Pieter; Klemm, Matthew; Smets, An; Pascua, Esther; Kiser, Lisa J.
(2009)
A Cultural History of Animals in the Medieval Age
Resl, Brigitte; Page, Sophie; De Leemans, Pieter; Beullens, Pieter; Klemm, Matthew; Smets, An; Pascua, Esther; Kiser, Lisa J.
(2009)
A Cultural History of Animals in the Medieval Age
Resl, Brigitte
(2011)
A Cultural History of Animals in the Medieval Age
Resl, Brigitte
(2011)
A Cultural History of Animals in the Medieval Age
Description | Animaliter, Louvain-la-Neuve |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | |
Results and Impact | paper based on one of the key case studies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | Central European University, Budapest |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research or patient groups |
Results and Impact | Paper discussing over-interpretation of animal symbolism in the thirteenth century |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | Institute for Medieval Studies, Leeds |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Paper summarising key findings |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | International Medieval Congress 2008, special strand 'the natural world' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | |
Results and Impact | Special strand organiser; sessions devoted to volume 2 of 'A Cultural History of Animals'; introducing key note speakers; roundtable discussion |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | London Medieval Society. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | |
Results and Impact | Paper presenting initial framework of the developing project |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006 |
Description | UCL, Neale Colloquium, March 2006 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Paper based on key findings about changes to attitudes to animals in the thirteenth century. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |
Description | University of Edinburgh. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Paper testing findings on changes to visual representations of animals in the thirteenth century |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |
Description | University of Kent. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Paper explaining changes to visual representation of animals in thirteenth century |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006 |
Description | University of Vienna, Institut fuer Oesterreichische Geschichtsforschung |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | |
Results and Impact | Paper based on key final findings |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
Description | University of York. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Paper discussing key findings regarding biblical influences |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |