Incest and the Medieval Imagination

by Elizabeth Archibald

Incest was a social problem in the Middle Ages, and also a popular literary theme. This wide-ranging study is the first survey of medieval incest stories in their cultural context. Did they reflect real life situations? How was incest defined in the Middle Ages? How were classical incest stories treated by medieval writers? Why was incest such a popular motif in the legendary lives of popes and saints, and why was it inserted into the stories of great heroes such as Charlemagne and Arthur?

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History, Academic

312 pages, Hardcover

First published May 24, 2001

Reviews

[×× ri ×× · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparknotes on medieval incest. A good starting point if you are interested in this topic. Archibald provides an extensive list of works with incest motif and offers some interpretation of the tales. I really appreciated the diversion to classical period in the beginning.