Ghosts of war and spirits of place : spectral belief in Early Modern England and Protestant Germany
This thesis focuses on themes of place and war in the development of ghostlore in Early Modern Protestant Germany and England. It reconstructs an enchanted world, one where ghosts and spirits were not tied down to simple Catholic or Protestant tropes but were more multifaceted than previous studies have shown. Stressing continuities between the medieval period and what followed, it shows how ghosts continued to embody anxieties of place, experience and morality. Emphasising the importance of place within legend telling and ghost stories, it recreates a landscape of memory whose bounds, both physical and moral, were patrolled by spirits. Looking at war, we see how the intense experience of conflict and its aftermath were negotiated through spirit tropes, how these lessons were applied to wider society's morality and how war was a catalyst for ghost belief. It shows how Protestants, like Catholics before them, had attempted to appropriate and impose order upon these spirits, places and experiences. It shows how Protestantism not only competed with Catholic teachings on spirits but also confronted more atavistic models of spirit belief with varying degrees of success. A key current throughout the thesis is whereas
O Lynn, Aidan Anthony
Ghosts of war and spirits of place : spectral belief in Early Modern England and Protestant Germany. This thesis focuses on themes of place and war in the development of ghostlore in Early Modern Protestant Germany and England. It reconstructs an enchanted world, one where ghosts and spirits were not tied down to simple Catholic or Protestant tropes but were more multifaceted than previous studies have shown. Stressing continuities between the medieval period and what followed, it shows how ghosts continued to embody anxieties of place, experience and morality. Emphasising the importance of place within legend telling and ghost stories, it recreates a landscape of memory whose bounds, both physical and moral, were patrolled by spirits. Looking at war, we see how the intense experience of conflict and its aftermath were negotiated through spirit tropes, how these lessons were applied to wider society's morality and how war was a catalyst for ghost belief. It shows how Protestants, like Catholics before them, had attempted to appropriate and impose order upon these spirits, places and experiences. It shows how Protestantism not only competed with Catholic teachings on spirits but also confronted more atavistic models of spirit belief with varying degrees of success. A key current throughout the thesis is whereas
war spirit place spectral belief early_modern england protestant germany focus theme place war development early modern protestant germany england reconstructs world ghost spirit tie simple catholic_protestant trope multifaceted previous_study show continuity medieval_period follow show ghost continue embody anxiety place experience morality importance place_within legend tell ghost story recreate landscape memory whose bound physical moral spirit looking war see intense experience conflict aftermath negotiate spirit trope lesson apply wide society morality war catalyst ghost belief show protestants like catholics attempted appropriate impose order upon spirit place experience show protestantism compete catholic teaching spirit also confront model spirit belief vary_degree success key current throughout whereas