000			02087 a2200289 4500
001			1032925582
005			20250328151421.0
008			250324042024GB eng
020			_a9781032925585 _qBC
037			_bTaylor & Francis _cGBP 39.99 _fBB
040			_a01
041			_aeng
072	7		_aNHTB _2thema
072	7		_aN _2thema
072	7		_a3K _2bisac
072	7		_aHBTB _2bic
072	7		_aHBLC1 _2bic
072	7		_aLIT011000 _2bisac
072	7		_aLIT000000 _2bisac
072	7		_a840.93523 _2bisac
100	1		_aPhyllis Gaffney
245	1	0	_aConstructions of Childhood and Youth in Old French Narrative
250			_a1
260			_aOxford _bRoutledge _c20241014
300			_a244 p
520			_bWhat do we know of medieval childhood? Were boundaries always clear between childhood and young adulthood? Was medieval childhood gendered? Scholars have been debating such questions over half a century. Can evidence from imaginative literature test the conclusions of historians? Phyllis Gaffney's innovative book reveals contrast and change in the portrayal of childhood and youth by looking at vernacular French narratives composed between 1100 and 1220. Covering over sixty poems from two major genres - epic and romance - she traces a significant evolution. While early epics contain only a few stereotypical images of the child, later verse narratives display a range of arguably timeless motifs, as well as a growing awareness of the special characteristics of youth. Whereas juvenile epic heroes contribute to the adult agenda by displaying precocious strength and wisdom, romance children are on the receiving end, requiring guidance and education. Gaffney also profiles the intriguing phenomenon of enfances poems, singing the youthful deeds of established heroes: these 'prequels' combine epic and romance features in distinctive ways. Approaching the history of childhood and youth through the lens of literary genre, this study shows how imaginative texts can both shape and reflect the historical development and cultural construction of emotional values.
999			_c8165 _d8165