History Department

“Printing succeeded [in the fifteenth century] because a literate public already existed; that public originated in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.” (M. T. Clanchy) This seminar will explore how this medieval literate public became a social reality and how, before the age of printing, the uses of writing for practical purposes – what historians call pragmatic literacy – affected European populations. The ways in which messages could be delivered through a variety of written and non-written media will be studied: documents, inscriptions, maps, rituals, symbolic objects. A special focus will be put on charters and related documents, since these became the most ubiquitous form of writing in the high and late Middle Ages. The specific methods of their interpretation will be discussed.

This course is a seminar and the learning process will take place primarily through active participation in discussion, readings, and group projects. In addition, each participant will be expected to devise and realize an individual research project.

The course is open to students from history, medieval studies, and other disciplines having an interest in cultural history.

It will take place in the fall term on Mondays and Wednesdays, 14:00-15:15. For any question please contact the instructor, Dr. S. Rossignol, at srossignol@mun.ca.