The study of emotions in early medieval history: some starting points
Mary Garrison
The various problems cited by Airlie, Cubitt and Rosenwein as besetting the study of emotions early medieval people are obstacles to a larger challenge: that understanding past individuals grasping both particularity their emotional experience ± inner worlds setting those insights into an informed view context external worlds. Even for intent on constructing master narratives, must have role component project touchstone evaluating its success. challenge making sense cultures seems, at ®rst, be particularly acute Middle Ages: `Das portraEtlos Jahrtausend', or `the millennium without portraits', Gerd Tellenbach has characterized it. And Caroline Walker Bynum reminds us, `it is extraordinarily dif®cult determine basic characteristics personalities people'. But, course, ®rst was not era entirely portraits, though one might deplore lack `intimate' personal sources, I believe there yet many won from sensitive theoretically readings sources which do exist. It salutary remember, too, even in this present age Oprah Winfrey insatiable appetite revelations celebrities, indeed intuitive present-day competing paradigms: witness disparity between everyday word de®nitional aporia Rosenwein, Susie Orbach's emphasis
Early Medieval Europe