Esther Cohen

Medieval Transformations: Texts, Power, and Gifts in Context Esther Cohen

The Middle Ages witnessed the transformation of identities, cultural objects and relationships. The 12 papers by leading experts in this volume investigate the authority attributed to texts and their canonization in different contexts; the shifting uses and meanings of gifts, from honorable instruments in the settlement of disputes to corruption and bribery; and the transition of violence and power from relationships between equals to a tool for the maintenance of hierarchies.