'Vengeance is mine' : the vengeance of heaven and earth in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman society, c.900 - c.1150
This thesis examines vengeance as a concept and as a practice in late Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman society, specifically in relation to the interplay between theological thought and social attitudes and practices. It brings together a wide variety of sources in which vengefulness and the pursuit of vengeance are prominent themes. These include homilies and theological treatises, narrative histories and chronicles, hagiographies and miracle collections, vernacular poetry, and documentary sources such as law codes. Much attention has been devoted to the prevalence and mechanisms of feud in medieval society, but in this body of source material, acts of vengeance were just as likely to come from heaven as they were to be inflicted by humans on each other. This thesis examines the theological concept of divine vengeance, the ways that God's vengeance was observed and experienced in the world in historical events and in the form of vengeance miracles, and the extent to which religious considerations affected the perceived morality of vengeance undertaken by humans. Vengeance emerges as a complex theological, moral and social issue in a society in which levels of religious understanding, engagement and belief varied
Steed, Abigail Frances Georgina
'Vengeance is mine' : the vengeance of heaven and earth in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman society, c.900 - c.1150. This thesis examines vengeance as a concept and as a practice in late Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman society, specifically in relation to the interplay between theological thought and social attitudes and practices. It brings together a wide variety of sources in which vengefulness and the pursuit of vengeance are prominent themes. These include homilies and theological treatises, narrative histories and chronicles, hagiographies and miracle collections, vernacular poetry, and documentary sources such as law codes. Much attention has been devoted to the prevalence and mechanisms of feud in medieval society, but in this body of source material, acts of vengeance were just as likely to come from heaven as they were to be inflicted by humans on each other. This thesis examines the theological concept of divine vengeance, the ways that God's vengeance was observed and experienced in the world in historical events and in the form of vengeance miracles, and the extent to which religious considerations affected the perceived morality of vengeance undertaken by humans. Vengeance emerges as a complex theological, moral and social issue in a society in which levels of religious understanding, engagement and belief varied
mine heaven earth anglo saxon anglo norman society examines concept practice late_anglo saxon anglo norman society specifically relation interplay theological think social attitude practice brings_together wide_variety source pursuit prominent_theme include homily theological treatise narrative_history chronicle hagiography miracle collection vernacular poetry documentary_source law_code much_attention devote prevalence mechanism feud medieval_society body source_material act likely come heaven inflict human other examines theological_concept divine way god observe experienced world historical_event form miracle extent religious consideration affect perceived morality undertaken human emerge complex theological moral social issue society level religious engagement belief vary