'When the pancake bell rings' : Shrove Tuesday and the social efficacy of carnival time in medieval and early modern Britain
This thesis examines Shrovetide, the significant yet understudied pre-Lenten Carnival of medieval and early modern Britain. Filling scholarly lacunae in Carnival studies and British festive studies, it also develops a novel approach to premodern festive culture which emphasizes its importance to surrounding historical processes. Moving beyond traditionally dominant functionalist and linguistic approaches, the thesis argues that festival neither served a standard social function, nor solely reflected the mentaliteÌs or norms of societies. Instead, festive culture was understood and used as a malleable and instrumental practice for social change, capable of influencing individuals, social relations, and social structures in the immediate and long-term. As such, festive culture could be a significant mediator in social, political and economic causes. Informed by practice and performance theories, the thesis demonstrates how this 'social efficacy of festivity' emerged from annual interplays between the structuring force of festive tradition, the human agency of festive practice, and the unique characteristics of performative frames such as Carnival time. To execute this approach, each chapter maps the long-form
Aucoin, Taylor
Carnival ; Festive culture ; Cultural history ; Medieval history ; Early modern history ; Social history ; Food history ; Sport history ; Theatre history ; Popular culture ; Popular politics ; Religious history
'When the pancake bell rings' : Shrove Tuesday and the social efficacy of carnival time in medieval and early modern Britain. This thesis examines Shrovetide, the significant yet understudied pre-Lenten Carnival of medieval and early modern Britain. Filling scholarly lacunae in Carnival studies and British festive studies, it also develops a novel approach to premodern festive culture which emphasizes its importance to surrounding historical processes. Moving beyond traditionally dominant functionalist and linguistic approaches, the thesis argues that festival neither served a standard social function, nor solely reflected the mentaliteÌs or norms of societies. Instead, festive culture was understood and used as a malleable and instrumental practice for social change, capable of influencing individuals, social relations, and social structures in the immediate and long-term. As such, festive culture could be a significant mediator in social, political and economic causes. Informed by practice and performance theories, the thesis demonstrates how this 'social efficacy of festivity' emerged from annual interplays between the structuring force of festive tradition, the human agency of festive practice, and the unique characteristics of performative frames such as Carnival time. To execute this approach, each chapter maps the long-form
bell ring social efficacy time medieval_early modern britain examines significant yet understudied pre medieval_early modern britain scholarly study british study also develop_novel premodern culture emphasize importance surround historical_process moving_beyond traditionally dominant functionalist linguistic_approach argue festival neither serve standard social_function solely reflect norm society instead culture understood use instrumental practice social_change capable individual social_relation social_structure immediate long_term culture could significant mediator social_political_economic cause informed practice performance theory demonstrate social efficacy emerged annual interplay structure force tradition human_agency practice unique_characteristic performative frame time execute map long form