A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in the Middle Ages (The Cultural Histories Series) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 135009448X ISBN 13: 9781350094482

Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023

Synopsis

How have fairy tales from around the world changed over the centuries? What do they tell us about different cultures and societies? Spanning the years from 900 to 1500 and traversing geographical borders, from England to France and India to China, this book uniquely examines the tales told, translated, adapted and circulated during the period known as the Middle Ages.

Scholars in history, literature and cultural studies explore the development of epic tales of heroes and monsters and enchanted romance narratives. Examining how tales evolved and functioned across different societies during the Middle Ages, this book demonstrates how the plots, themes and motifs used in medieval tales influenced later developments in the genre.

An essential resource for researchers, scholars and students of literature, history and cultural studies, this volume explores themes including: forms of the marvelous, adaptation, gender and sexuality, humans and non-humans, monsters and the monstrous, spaces, socialization, and power.

A Cultural History of Fairy Tales (6-volume set)

A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in Antiquity is also available as a part of a 6-volume set, A Cultural History of Fairy Tales, tracing fairy tales from antiquity to the present day, available in print, or within a fully-searchable digital library accessible through institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com). Individual volumes for academics and researchers interested in specific historical periods are also available digitally via www.bloomsburycollections.com.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Aronstein is Professor of English at the University of Wyoming, USA. Her previous publications include Hollywood Knights: Arthurian Cinema and the Politics of Nostalgia (2005) and, as co-editor, Disney's Middle Ages: A Fairy Tale and Fantasy Past (2012).

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 135009448X
• ISBN 13: 9781350094482
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248
• Editor: Aronstein Susan