Imbas 2009: Alliances

The National University of Ireland, Galway, Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Medieval Conference, November 13-15^th 2009.

This conference, the first in an annual series, was held in the Moore Institute at NUI Galway in November of 2009. After the success of the Power in the Middle Ages conference in 2008, it was decided that an annual interdisciplinary medievalist conference would be of enormous benefit to postgraduate researchers, and Imbas was born.

The conference was a great success, attracting delegates from Ireland, the UK and the USA. Please use the links below to navigate to the programme for Imbas 2009 and to podcasts of the papers, including that of the plenary speaker, Professor Ian Woods of the University of Leeds.

As part of  Imbas 2009, Frederic Vivas delivered a talk on medieval food and wine preparation on Thursday 12 November at 5pm in the Alexander Anderson Boardroom, Quadrangle, NUIG.

The Programme for Imbas 2009 is below:

Imbas

'Alliances'

The National University of Ireland, Galway, Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Medieval Conference, November 13-15^th 2009.

Friday 13^th November: 12:45-6:30

Registration and Refreshments at the Moore Institute for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Arts and Science Concourse: 12:45-1.15

1:20- 1:30 Opening of Conference by Dr. Mark Stansbury, Dpt. of Classics.

1:30-3:00  Witches, Monsters and Saints: Reading the ’Other'

Chair: Dr. Mark Stansbury, Dpt. of Classics

• Jesse Dorrington, University College Cork

Ideology and Ideological Expression: Shared agendas in Nider's Formicarius, the Malleus Maleficarum and James I's Daemonologie

This paper concentrates on two medieval demonological treatises, Johan Nider's Formicarius (1437) and Heinrich Kramer's and Jacob Sprenger's Malleus Maleficarum (1486), as well as King James VI's influential early modern contribution, Daemonologie (1597). I discuss these texts as revealing a certain unmistakable continuity of purpose which surmounts all geographical, cultural and chronological variances and suggest that this shared agenda situates these treatises in a specific tradition of religious medieval and Renaissance witchcraft literature, uniting them and their writers in an alliance of ideology and ideological expression.

• James R. Gregory, UGA at Oxford program, University of Georgia, Athens.

"Cauldrons, Hampers, and Gloves, Oh My!  : Otherworldly Vessels in Beowulf and Early Welsh Tradition"

For all of the analogues to Beowulf's battles with Grendel identified in diverse literary traditions, a salient parallel to Grendel's mysterious  glóf found in the Middle Welsh  Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys has yet to be considered. Within the  Cyfranc we find a hero, King Lludd, who guards his hall from a nocturnal pillaging giant, and the interesting fact that the creature

carries a  cawell (hamper) to maximize his ability to loot the place. This hamper recalls the cauldrons of Celtic mythology and it offers a new way of approaching Grendels bizarre manual accoutrement and the context in which it appears.

• Grace Windsor, National University of Ireland, Galway.

Representations of Saints and Witches in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe.

The purpose of this research paper is to examine the interconnections between the representations and stereotypes of saints and witches in late medieval and early modern literature. The paper will explore some aspects of the relationship between the late medieval deterioration of female mysticism and the early modern evolution of the stereotype of the witch as female. Ultimately, the benefits of such an association to the study of both female sainthood and witchcraft will be questioned.

3:00-3:30 Tea and Coffee

3:30-5:00  Dangerous Liaisons: Saints, Heroes and Desire

Chair: Dr. Frances McCormack, Dpt. of English

• Els Schröder, Centre for Medieval Studies, York

Friendship within boundaries: fierce females and meek monks

In this paper I shall explore the portrayal of friendship in two tenth-century saint's  Lives, B.'s  Life of Dunstan and Wulfstan's  Life of Æthelwold. Dunstan in particular is presented as ’the ladies' man' by B.: he had a couple of female friends, both at court and in Glastonbury. Taking in mind the rarity of B.'s use of words directly referring to friendship, Dunstan's female friends are exceptional. By exploring the nature of these friendships within the context of their time, further evidence for the varied possibilities for women within the social fabric of the Anglo-Saxon society can be exposed.

• Trish Ní Mhaoileoin, National University of Ireland, Galway

Dangerous Liasons: Sex and Revenge in Early Ireland

The death of the Ulster hero Fergus mac Róich comes about as a direct result of his illict relationship with Medb. Having incurred the jealousy of Medb's husband Ailill, he encourages Fergus' blind foster-brother Lugaid to kill him as he swims in a lake. The tale is indicative of many of the death-tale genre while also acting as a warning to those who would engage in illicit sexual affairs with the wives of other men. The only surviving copy of the tale exists in an ’anthology' of death tales, and is itself representative of the death of a genre.

• Kristi DiClemente, University of Iowa.

" Mirror of Obedience: Obedience to Masculine Authority in the Life of Elisabeth of Hungary "

The central focus of most writing, medieval and modern, about Elisabeth of Hungary is her relationship with her abusive confessor, Conrad of Marburg, and the vow of obedience to him. This paper will explore Elisabeth's close bond with her husband, Ludwig of Thuringia, and her clear preference for marital obedience over obedience to Conrad. It is clear that in the  Life of Elisabeth of Hungary, Elisabeth would sometimes avoid sacred obligations in order to pursue her secular ones.

5:00-5:30 Conference Cheese and Wine Reception

5:30-6:30: Keynote Speaker, Professor Ian Wood, School of History, University of Leeds.

Debating the Barbarian Settlement: The Origins of a Historical Problem

Saturday 14^th November: 9:30-4:00

9:30-11:00  Ogham, Horses and Place: Constructions of Power in Medieval Ireland.

Chair: Prof. Dáibhí Ó  Cróinín, Dpt. Of History

• Jean Price, Headland Archaeology Ireland, Cork

Ogham and Ogham Stones and Evidence of Levels of Literacy and Literary Priming

This paper will examine the role of Ogham in the literacy development of Ireland. The Ogham writing system and Ogham stones will be examined in the context of literary priming and other theories of reading and writing. Additional evidence will be sought by examining the distribution and role of Ogham outside of Ireland and the writing system's use on portable objects. This will shed light on literacy levels and the roles writing played in early medieval Ireland and its neighbours.

As Ogham was in use for a relatively short period and directly preceded a time of highly developed vernacular literary activity in Ireland, its contribution to developing a society in which this literacy could evolve so highly will be explored.

• Stephanie Hebert, National University of Ireland, Galway

The Horse and the Law in Early Irish Society

This paper will focus on the relationship between horses and the law in Early Irish society. To explore this topic, this paper will concentrate on the Early Irish law-texts, which include a discussion of horses and the practices that concern their involvement in society and everyday life.

• Patrick Gleeson, University College Cork
  

Constructing Kingship in Early Medieval Ireland: Power, Place and Ideologies of Kingship

This paper examines the temporal and spatial development of the institution of kingship in early medieval Ireland (c400-800). It will analyse from a multidisciplinary perspective the role of place in ideologies of power and kingship. In particular it will articulate the role that the more local and small scale kingships had in discourses of power and ideologies of place. It argues that a ’tradition' is present at many of our royal centres, whether they are the more famous provincial centres, such as Tara, or more local centres like Clogher and Lagore. The iconographies of these sites is then analysed in an attempt to elucidate the evolution of the ideologies and meanings attached to kingship construction.

11:00-11:30 Tea and Coffee

11:30-1:00  Vice, virtue and social renewal

Chair: Dr. Catherine LaFarge, Dpt. of English

• Alan Foley, University College Cork 
  

"litel hevinesse is right inow to muche folk": Entertaining Admonition in the Middle English Tale, The Fox and the Wolf.

This paper will demonstrate how a humorous tale,  The Fox and the Wolf can refashion the themes of some of the more sombre, didactic texts within Oxford Bodleian Library, MS Digby 86 in a more ludic and thus entertaining narrative style.

• Valerie Kelly, National University of Ireland, Galway
  

Departures from the Catholic Church as represented in the poetry of pre-Reformation England.

This paper will look into the 15^th century English poem, ’Why I Can't Be a Nun' as an example of the ways in which people were beginning to address the various abuses occurring within the walls of England's monastic houses in the years leading up to the Reformation under Henry VIII.

• Charlie Solan, University College Dublin. 
  

Langland's Attitude towards Patronage and the Amorality of Lady Meed

The critical canon on literary patronage is fraught with ideological analysis and emotional rhetoric. Critics' views are often coloured by an over-emphasis on aestheticism and the modern notion of artistic integrity. This paper engages in an analysis of Meed and by extension, the patronage system, through a contemporary medieval critic, William Langland. The analogy of a chemical reaction will be used to categorise the characters and explain the manner in which they interact. It will show that Langland did not see money in itself as a corrupting force or it being inherently at odds with ones integrity, moral or artistic.

1:00-2:15. Lunch on campus.

2:30-4:00  Word Play and Political Strategies

Chair:  Dr.  Jacopo Bisagni, Dpt. of Classics

• Jena Webb, National University of Ireland, Galway

Winedryhten or  Deofulcunda: the character of Holofernes in the Old English  Judith

The conversion of the Germanic people in early medieval Britain focused on the inherent parallels between Christianity and the pagan religion brought from the continent. The association of gods such as Woden and Loki with Christ and Satan, respectively, created a gradual transition that retained a Germanic, cultural identity. This paper seeks to observe the layering of Christian and pagan ideals within Anglo-Saxon literature, specifically the character of Holofernes from the Old Testament-based poem of  Judith.

• Francesca Bezzone, National University of Ireland, Galway

Small Reliquaries and Wooden Plates: the vocabulary of Relics in Constantius' Vita Germani

In the  Vita Germani Episcopi Autissiodorensis, Constantius of Lyon describes the presence of relics in several instances.I will direct my attention to the lexical expression of "relics" and try to emphasize the link between its semantic value, the history of the word and the actual object delineated: my aim is to present how, and to what extent, the actual objects, because of their form and use, may have dictated a change in the structure of the word.

• Steffen Magister, Trinity College Dublin
  

Political Ideas in Early Salian Historiography: Key Vocabulary in the Herimanni Augiensis Chronicon

The paper will present issues and first results of research into key political vocabulary in one of the most important historiographical texts of the eleventh century and indeed the Middle Ages. It will analyse Herman's usage of terms such as  tyrannis and  res publicaby comparing their various occurrences in the  Chronicon with each other and with their possible sources, and draw conclusions about the author's perceptions of the concepts they describe.

Conference Dinner: Harbour Hotel, Galway.

Sunday 15th November: 10:00-2.30

10:00-11:30  Individuals, Alliances and Legacies

Chair: Grace Windsor, Dpt. of English.

• Lisa Padden, National University of Ireland, Galway

From Julian of Norwich to Saint Jerome: Margery Kempe's Religious Alliances.

This paper will discuss the ways in which Margery Kempe positioned herself in relation to a number of powerful, influential Church figures. Whether it be through physical meetings or mystical visitation Kempe aligned herself with those figures whom she believed would best help her to achieve her religious and secular goals.This paper will argue that Kempe consciously chooses which figures to include in her text and that the presentation of each of these figures acts specifically to further Kempe's personal goals, whether they be religious or secular.

• Sarah McCann, National University of Ireland, Galway.

The cultural and political consequences of Oswald's alliance with Iona

The alliance between King Oswald and the Columban monks of Iona was of immense importance to the kingdom of Northumbria. Within three decades, the Irish mission managed to create a flourishing and learned Christian culture, and nurture a native clergy with the independence to challenge their Irish teachers. They were involved with persons at the highest levels of Anglo-Saxon society and inevitably this alliance had an impact upon the culture and political situation in Northumbria.

• Jeroen Wijnendaele, University College Cork

"A Warlord's Alliances" - The career of Bonifatius, comes Africae, and his Gothic connections

The career of Bonifatius, general of the Roman forces in North Africa illustrates the political difficulties of the 5^th century Western Empire. Bonifatius aimed to achieve the position of supreme commander and was frequently drawn up in conflicts with superiors or colleagues. He became the first man in the Western Empire to successfully challenge and resist state authority, without trying to become emperor himself. Bonifatius took most of the time an independent stance in his province, supported by a Germanic Gefolgschaft which he had obtained through a marriage with a Visigotic princess. This paper wants to examine his Gothic alliance.

11:30 -12:00 Tea and Coffee

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12:00-1:30  Debating Controversies: Re-thinking the evidence

Chair: Dr. Catherine Emerson, Dpt. of French

• David Burke, National University of Ireland
  

Patrick vs. Brigit: Silence on Easter and the Battle for Primacy

This paper will discuss the alliances between the Churches of Armagh and Kildare, their patrons, and the possibility that the success of Armagh was in some part due to its silence on Easter, a controversial issue at the time. These Churches rose in power in parallel with ascendance of two political families, the Uí Dúnlainge and the Uí Néill. Uí Néill were patrons to Iona, which maintained the Irish Easter, but their growing support for Armagh may be indicative of the dynasty's desire to remain neutral until the issue was resolved, or as a departure from their old client.

• Katie Hager, National University of Ireland, Galway

Lucifer in John Cassian: The First Fallen Angel or One of Many?

This paper will analyze the story of Lucifer in John Cassian's works,  Institutiones and  Collationes, and how it fits into his theology of the human soul and the demons in the air.

• Rachel E. Veiders, National University of Ireland, Galway. 
  

The Dichotomy of the Merovingian Economy as Shown in the Vita Eligii

This paper will examine the state of the Merovingian economy at the time of St Eligius of Noyon and ask what the sanctification of a moneyer has to say about the relationship between the economy and society.

1:30-2:30. End of conference round table discussion including light lunch.

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