The thesis concerns a research on the medical theory present in fourteenth-century Florence and London and look at how this translated in the measures their local authorities took against the...Show moreThe thesis concerns a research on the medical theory present in fourteenth-century Florence and London and look at how this translated in the measures their local authorities took against the plague. Through this, an attempt has been made to determine how medical theory could be exercised in either a similar or different matter, and thus determine whether an English city was truly as backwards as some historians claim or if its authorities did provide sanitary regulations against the plague. The research limits itself to the period 1347 to 1400, thus on the plague outbreaks of the fourteenth centuryShow less
Dysentery was a common disease in medieval England. This thesis entails a comparison of the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of dysentery in Old English and Middle English medical texts, as well...Show moreDysentery was a common disease in medieval England. This thesis entails a comparison of the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of dysentery in Old English and Middle English medical texts, as well as an analysis of the various remedies’ effectiveness against this disease. The methodology consists of a comparative analysis between early and late medieval medical texts, in the light of relevant scholarship on medieval medicine and modern medical research, based on close readings of these texts.Show less
This research is about the mammal remains that were found during the excavation at the IPSE site in Delft. The aim of this research is to determine the domesticated animals which were slaughtered...Show moreThis research is about the mammal remains that were found during the excavation at the IPSE site in Delft. The aim of this research is to determine the domesticated animals which were slaughtered and consumed in the periods between 1350 and 1800 AD, the age of the animals and the ratio between the species of “De Paardenmarkt” area in Delft. Observations were made to determine the change in animal consumption by the inhabitants through these periods. Not much is known about the poor people in the Dutch Middle Ages, because most historical information is used to focus on the rich or middle class people. The population living on the site is proposed to belong to the lower and middle class of society. But the less wealthy citizens had an important place in society as well. They were a large portion of the class society, which consisted of the clergy at the top, then nobility and lastly farmers and labourers. With this archaeological approach, the research will contribute to the reconstruction of the poorer part of the community of the city of Delft in the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.Show less
This thesis will examine how medieval medical theories about humours, complexions and food properties influence the characterisation of some pilgrims in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales...Show moreThis thesis will examine how medieval medical theories about humours, complexions and food properties influence the characterisation of some pilgrims in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales. It will be argued that Chaucer draws on his knowledge of medieval diet and humoral theory to describe and satirise a number of his characters in the General Prologue and, through them, the estates they belong to. The portraits of the Franklin, Monk and Summoner will be analysed using various primary sources about health in the Middle Ages.Show less
This study concerns the Christian cemetery surrounding the Romanesque and earliest Gothic churches in the village of Reusel. This cemetery dating to the 10th to 14th centuries was almost completely...Show moreThis study concerns the Christian cemetery surrounding the Romanesque and earliest Gothic churches in the village of Reusel. This cemetery dating to the 10th to 14th centuries was almost completely excavated. The aim of this study is twofold: to determine the composition of the sample of excavated graves, and to assess patterns in the ways the individuals were buried. In particular, it was examined if differentiation in grave morphologies and distribution could be related to social differences. In order to do this, different grave morphologies, the orientation of the graves and their location, and the skeletons from the graves were examined. Furthermore, characteristics were compared to each other to see if patterns emerged. The composition of the sample suggests that most adult community members were buried at the Reusel cemetery. Most children however, and especially the infants, may not have been buried within the cemetery grounds. The ones that were, were all buried in the eastern part of the cemetery, except for one infant that was buried together with an adult. Males were slightly overrepresented in the sample, but this is likely to be due to sample size. Remarkably, intramural burial was rare. Burial took place on all sides of the successive churches, but particularly directly to the east of it. Different grave morphologies appeared all over the cemetery, apart from the ladder coffin, which was restricted to the eastern part of the churchyard. This type of coffin may be related to a specific status of the deceased be it in terms of wealth or piety. Furthermore, as far as could be determined, only males were buried in such coffins. Other observed grave morphologies include anthropomorphic graves, log coffins, coffins with and without protrusions and containers of unknown type. Coffins with and without nails were encountered, a difference that could be attributed to different periods. Most graves were oriented roughly from east to west, except three graves that were oriented west to east. Within the Christian tradition, such burials are often interpreted as priests, but the fact that at least one of these individuals was a woman, suggests traditions in Reusel may have been deviant. This study sheds more light on burial practices during the Central and Late Middle Ages. It shows that in the Reusel community, some practices were in accordance with those in other medieval communities, although others were clearly different. It confirms the existence of local variation in burial practices in this period. Apparently, people from local communities could, to a certain extent, give their own interpretation to Christian rituals. In future cemetery studies, such local variations have to be taken into account. Future research in these areas will help to acquire a better picture of medieval burial ritual and its social meaning in the southern Netherlands. This study is under embargo because the author prepares a more comprehensive report on this exceptional site.Show less
Today’s cinematic movement show a heightened interest in stories based on historical periods or events. These stories, however, need not necessarily be historically accurate but may merely evoke an...Show moreToday’s cinematic movement show a heightened interest in stories based on historical periods or events. These stories, however, need not necessarily be historically accurate but may merely evoke an illusion of historical reality. In this thesis, I explored the methods contemporary filmmakers can turn to in order to achieve a sense of realism in the on-screen worlds of their imagination. I limited myself to discussing those methods that are concerned with setting, character, and plot respectively; I used Antoine Fuqua’s King Arthur as my point of reference.Show less
Een onderzoek dat tracht een uitspraak te doen over hoe de 13e-eeuwse tekst 'L'Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal' geïnterpreteerd moet worden; is het een non-fictieve biografie of een fictieve...Show moreEen onderzoek dat tracht een uitspraak te doen over hoe de 13e-eeuwse tekst 'L'Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal' geïnterpreteerd moet worden; is het een non-fictieve biografie of een fictieve ridderroman? De invalshoek die wordt gehanteerd is William Marshals omgang met vrouwen. Door weer te geven hoe Marshals omgang met vrouwen beschreven wordt in de 'Histoire', tracht dit onderzoek een uitspraak te doen over hoe de 'Histoire' als geheel geïnterpreteerd moet worden.Show less
Dit onderzoek gaat over de invloed van de Arabisch-islamitische magie op de Europees-christelijke magie. Deze invloed wordt onderzocht aan de hand van een analyse van drie magische handboeken: de...Show moreDit onderzoek gaat over de invloed van de Arabisch-islamitische magie op de Europees-christelijke magie. Deze invloed wordt onderzocht aan de hand van een analyse van drie magische handboeken: de Picatrix, de Ghayât al-Hakim en het München handboek.Show less
This research deals with glass objects which were found during the excavation of medieval occupation east of the Paardenmarkt in Delft. In the 15th and 16th century this was the location of the...Show moreThis research deals with glass objects which were found during the excavation of medieval occupation east of the Paardenmarkt in Delft. In the 15th and 16th century this was the location of the Saint Clara convent. Glass was found at the bottom of a cesspit. It was such an amount that the question arose whether or not the glass could belong to the inhabitants of the convent. Glass was, after all, a luxury item and this find was not expected to belong to this particular convent. In this convent the inhabitants had to make a vow, which did not allow them to have any possessions. An inventory was made of the glass and it was described in a catalogue. Among the finds were beakers, urinals, lamps, maigeleins, bottles, ‘Krautstrunken’ and (stained) window-glass. In order to answer the question whether the glass belonged to the Saint Clara convent the glass was compared with glass finds from other sites in the Netherlands of which the social context was known: convents, castles, houses of rich and poor people. The investigation has shown that the glass could have belonged to the convent. Other convents had the same types of glass in their cesspits.Show less
