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Wolves and the Wilderness in the Middle Ages
The complex attitude to the wolf in the Middle Ages re-evaluated, bringing together historical and other evidence.
The wolf, a common metaphor for vice in medieval Christian literature, is today an iconic symbol of the intense fear and insecurity that some associate with the middle ages. In reality, responses to wolves varied across medieval Europe. Although not dependent on the wilderness, wolves were conceptually linked to this environment - which although on the fringes of medieval society, became increasingly exploited from the eighth to fourteenth centuries, so bringing people and livestock closer to the wolf.
This book compares responses to wolves, focusing on two regions, Britain and southern Scandinavia. It looks at the distribution of wolves in the landscape, their potential impact as predators on both animals and people, and their use as commodities, in literature, art, cosmology and identity. It also investigates the reasons (both practical and cultural) for the eradication of wolves in England, but their survival on the Scandinavian peninsula.
ALEKSANDER PLUSKOWSKI is Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading,
The wolf, a common metaphor for vice in medieval Christian literature, is today an iconic symbol of the intense fear and insecurity that some associate with the middle ages. In reality, responses to wolves varied across medieval Europe. Although not dependent on the wilderness, wolves were conceptually linked to this environment - which although on the fringes of medieval society, became increasingly exploited from the eighth to fourteenth centuries, so bringing people and livestock closer to the wolf.
This book compares responses to wolves, focusing on two regions, Britain and southern Scandinavia. It looks at the distribution of wolves in the landscape, their potential impact as predators on both animals and people, and their use as commodities, in literature, art, cosmology and identity. It also investigates the reasons (both practical and cultural) for the eradication of wolves in England, but their survival on the Scandinavian peninsula.
ALEKSANDER PLUSKOWSKI is Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading,
- GenresMedieval History
248 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2006
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 5, 2024
A little narrower than the title suggests (focusing on Britain and southern Scandinavia), but uses this focus to explore its subject with both depth and breadth. Everything is cleanly organised and presented, with ample room given in each chapter's subject for individual sources to be explored. This somewhat rigorous presentation does make for dry reading, but aside from that this is an excellent book for anyone interested in attitudes towards wolves.
February 28, 2013
Interesting analysis of wolf-human relations in the Middle Ages. The book focuses on Britain and Southern Scandinavia (drawing on Swedish, Norwegian, and Icelandic sources).
The book is a bit dry at first, focusing on the details of archaeological discoveries and place names as keys to wolf-human interactions in different areas. However, the chapters do an admirable job of providing an image of a changing Europe, and the effects of increasing centralization on the wilderness.
Pulkowski shines at his analysis of the changing cultural and literary role of the wolf; its evolution from pagan symbol to its place within Christianity (particularly the syncretic form seen in Northern Europe) as a creature representative of man's bestial instincts. The wolf's place within literature is well analysed, with the wolf consistently standing for tyrannical misuse of authority, even metaphorically as aspects of Church and State.
It felt like the book took me a long time to work through, but I must say I left learning a good deal. I enjoyed the focus on Scandinavia, as I've recently moved to the region, and am appreciative of any English language resources on the area.
The book is a bit dry at first, focusing on the details of archaeological discoveries and place names as keys to wolf-human interactions in different areas. However, the chapters do an admirable job of providing an image of a changing Europe, and the effects of increasing centralization on the wilderness.
Pulkowski shines at his analysis of the changing cultural and literary role of the wolf; its evolution from pagan symbol to its place within Christianity (particularly the syncretic form seen in Northern Europe) as a creature representative of man's bestial instincts. The wolf's place within literature is well analysed, with the wolf consistently standing for tyrannical misuse of authority, even metaphorically as aspects of Church and State.
It felt like the book took me a long time to work through, but I must say I left learning a good deal. I enjoyed the focus on Scandinavia, as I've recently moved to the region, and am appreciative of any English language resources on the area.
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July 24, 2011Interestingish anthropology/archaeology style book. The author is quite technical, but interesting, especially in the second half which deals with perceptions of wolves in culture – they have definitely not always been feared.
– “ William the conqueror introduced Norman ducal foresta into England and with it a new conceptualisation of wilderness, Foresta referred to areas within which a particular type of law operated (forest law) and could include any type of land-use, Amongst other things, Forest law was concerned with the preservation of animals and their habitats, primarily maintaining the hunting rights of the crown.”
“The origin of the name Ysengrimus remains obscure, but the combined elements isen- (‘iron’) and –grijm (‘battlemask’) may have originally referred to a type of iron mask worn by warriors, or perhaps an animal used in masked performance or cultic activities, certainly fitting into the sort of pre-Christian expressions of socio-metaphyscial associations with the wolf foun in Scandinavian and other Germanic martial contexts. The author of Ysengrimus refers to a wolf mask twice…
P 180 – “Shape-changing in Norway and Iceland was related to the concept of eigi einhamir – ‘not of one skin’, the second shape being the hamr, with a full individual transforming into a wolf known as ulfhamr. In most cases, documented Scandinavian episodes of humans transforming into wolves has been linked to the úlfhéonar (wolf skins) – warriors clad in wolf-skins refred to in Old Norse poetry…
Indo European traditions associated with shape shifting warriors are invariably cited when discussing werewolves in Germanic culture interpreted as ecstatic states based on analogous shamanic procedures. The most frequently cited iconographic example of a Scandinavian werewolf comes from a seventh-century grave from Torslunda (Olan, Swedon)…
– “ William the conqueror introduced Norman ducal foresta into England and with it a new conceptualisation of wilderness, Foresta referred to areas within which a particular type of law operated (forest law) and could include any type of land-use, Amongst other things, Forest law was concerned with the preservation of animals and their habitats, primarily maintaining the hunting rights of the crown.”
“The origin of the name Ysengrimus remains obscure, but the combined elements isen- (‘iron’) and –grijm (‘battlemask’) may have originally referred to a type of iron mask worn by warriors, or perhaps an animal used in masked performance or cultic activities, certainly fitting into the sort of pre-Christian expressions of socio-metaphyscial associations with the wolf foun in Scandinavian and other Germanic martial contexts. The author of Ysengrimus refers to a wolf mask twice…
P 180 – “Shape-changing in Norway and Iceland was related to the concept of eigi einhamir – ‘not of one skin’, the second shape being the hamr, with a full individual transforming into a wolf known as ulfhamr. In most cases, documented Scandinavian episodes of humans transforming into wolves has been linked to the úlfhéonar (wolf skins) – warriors clad in wolf-skins refred to in Old Norse poetry…
Indo European traditions associated with shape shifting warriors are invariably cited when discussing werewolves in Germanic culture interpreted as ecstatic states based on analogous shamanic procedures. The most frequently cited iconographic example of a Scandinavian werewolf comes from a seventh-century grave from Torslunda (Olan, Swedon)…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 9, 2014Fantastic book for my werewolf thesis, especially regarding how wolves were perceived in different cultures.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews