Performing Virginity and Testing Chastity in the Middle AgesThis book challenges the belief that female virginity can be reliably and unambiguously defined, tested and verified. Kelly analyses a variety of medieval Western European texts - including medical treatises and their Classical antecedents - and historical and legal documents. The main focus is the representation of both male and female virgins in saints' legends and romances. The author also makes a comparative study of examples from contemporary fiction, television and film in which testing virginity is a theme. Performing Virginity and Testing Chastity in the Middle Ages presents a compelling and provocative study of the parodox of bodily and spiritual integrity as both presence and absence. |
Other editions - View all
Performing Virginity and Testing Chastity in the Middle Ages Kathleen Coyne Kelly Limited preview - 2002 |
Performing Virginity and Testing Chastity in the Middle Ages Kathleen Coyne Kelly No preview available - 2002 |
Performing Virginity and Testing Chastity in the Middle Ages Kathleen Coyne Kelly No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
Agnes Albertus Magnus Aldhelm Ambrose argues Augustine Averroës blood Cambridge century Chapter chastity chastity ordeal chastity test Chrétien de Troyes Christian Chrysostom constructed culture desire difference discourse discussion Diu Crône ecclesiastical episode Eusebius examination example fact Fathers female body female virginity feminine feminized fiction function Gawain gender girl Greek Green Knight Guillaume de Dole Gwenyver hagiography Heinrich heterosexual homosocial hymen intercourse Jeanne Jeanne’s Jerome Keiî lady late antiquity Latin Launcelot legend Legenda Aurea Lemay trans literary loss of virginity magic male body male virgin Malory’s marriage masculine medical texts membrane menaced virgin metaphorical metonym Middle Ages Monica Green Morte Darthur narrative near-rape one’s patristic Pelagius physical proof of virginity rape representation reprinted saints says secretis mulierum sexual signifier signs of virginity social Soranus story tale tankard Tertullian translation Tristan University Press uterus vagina verifying virginity Virginibus Virginitate virginity/chastity virgo woman women York