Introduction : Witness testimony and literary production in the later Middle Ages -- The face of a saint and the seal of a king -- Silence, testimony, and the case of Susanna -- Neighbors, witnesses, and outlaws in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries -- Piers Plowman, book, and the testimonial body -- Witnessing, presence, and Lollard communities -- Coda : Witnessing the Middle Ages.

Open Access Unrestricted online access star

Throughout the Middle Ages, witnessing was a crucial way religious and legal “truths” were understood and produced. Religious and secular officials alike harnessed the power of testimony to assert doctrinal, political, or legal responsibilities. Swearing an oath, testifying in court, and signing a deposition were common ways to shape and discipline both devotional and legal communities. In this book, the author traces depictions of witnessing in a wide range of late medieval texts and shows how witnessing practices formed and reformed, policed and challenged medieval communities. Through close study of texts like the Man of Law’s Tale and Piers Plowman alongside sermon exempla, common law statutes, and pastoral treatises, this book argues that vernacular literature was a vital site of criticism and dissent.

English.

Description based on print version record.