Writing Battles New Perspectives on Warfare and Memory in Medieval Europe

Description

Battles have long featured prominently in historical consciousness, as moments when the balance of power was seen to have tipped, or when aspects of collective identity were shaped. But how have perspectives on warfare changed? How similar are present day ideologies of warfare to those of the medieval period? Looking back over a thousand years of British, Irish and Scandinavian battles, this significant collection of essays examines how different times and cultures have reacted to war, considering the changing roles of religion and technology in the experience and memorialisation of conflict. While fighting and killing have been deplored, glorified and everything in between across the ages, Writing Battles reminds us of the visceral impact left on those who come after. Table of contents Title Page Copyright Page Contents Figures Contributors Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction: Medieval battles, model and myth Chapter 1: ‘What is this Castle call’d that stands hard by?: ’The naming of battles in the Middle Ages Chapter 2: Battle-writing and commemoration: The transition from conflict to peace Chapter 3: ‘Undying glory by the sword’s edge’: Writing and remembering battle in Anglo-Saxon England Chapter 4: Fortress London: War and the making of an Anglo-Saxon city Chapter 5: ‘Axe-age, sword-age: ’Writing battles in Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia Chapter 6: Medieval Irish battle narratives and the construction of the past Chapter 7: Which ‘pagans’?: The influence of the crusades on battle narratives in Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia Chapter 8: Writing a battle: The case of Stamford Bridge (1066) Chapter 9: Shooting arrows: Cinematic representations of medieval battles Chapter 10: A troubled memory: Battles of the First World War Afterword: The companionship of battle-writers Bibliography Index