Morality and Masculinity in the Carolingian Empire

What did it mean to be a Frankish nobleman in an age of reform? How could Carolingian lay nobles maintain their masculinity and their social position, while adhering to new and stricter moral demands by reformers concerning behaviour in war, sexual conduct and the correct use of power? This book explores the complex interaction between Christian moral ideals and social realities, and between religious reformers and the lay political elite they addressed. It uses the numerous texts addressed to a lay audience (including lay mirrors, secular poetry, political polemic, historical writings and legislation) to examine how Biblical and patristic moral ideas were reshaped to become compatible with the realities of noble life in the Carolingian empire. This innovative analysis of Carolingian moral norms demonstrates how gender interacted with political and religious thought to create a distinctive Frankish elite culture, presenting a new picture of early medieval masculinity.

Author: Rachel Stone
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 10/01/2015
Pages: 420
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.86d
ISBN: 9781107531994

About the Author
Stone, Rachel: - Rachel Stone is Departmental Library Cataloguer in the Department of Coins and Medals at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.