Medieval and Early Modern Murder - Legal, Literary and Historical Contexts

The essays in this volume explore how medieval and early modern societies viewed murder and dealt with murderers,using a wealth of sources from different disciplines. Definitions of murder,manslaughter,and justified or unjustified homicide depended on legal terminology and society's laws. The three parts of the volume explore different aspects of this crime,including the legal template,public hermeneutics,and the effects of murder within the community.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 500 pages
Publication date: 19 March 2021
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Drawing on a wealth of sources from different disciplines, the essays presented here provide a nuanced picture of how medieval and early modern societies viewed murder and dealt with murderers. Murder, the perpetrators, victims, methods, and motives, has been the subject of law, literature, chronicles, and religion, often crossing genres and disciplines and employing multiple modes of expression and interpretation. As the chapters in this volume demonstrate, definitions of murder, manslaughter, and justified or unjustified homicide depend largely on the legal terminology and the laws of the society. Much like modern nations, medieval societies treated murder and murderers differently based on their social standing, the social standing of the victim, their gender, their mental capacity for understanding their crime, and intent, motive, and means. The three parts of this volume explore different aspects of this crime in the Middle Ages. The first provides the legal template for reading cases of murder in a variety of sources. The second examines the public hermeneutics of murder, especially the ways in which medieval societies interpreted and contextualized their textual traditions: Icelandic sagas, Old French fabliaux, Arthuriana, and accounts of assassination. Finally, the third part focuses on the effects of murder within the community: murder as a social ill, especially in killing kin.

Introduction:
Murder has been a topic of fascination and debate throughout history, spanning different cultures, societies, and time periods. It is a complex issue that involves the deliberate taking of another person's life, often driven by various motives and circumstances. In this essay, we will explore the multifaceted nature of murder, examining its historical context, legal definitions, and societal perceptions.

Historical Context:
Murder has been present in human societies since the dawn of time, and its understanding and treatment have evolved over centuries. In the medieval period, murder was often seen as a crime against God and the community, and it was punishable by death or other severe penalties. The legal system in medieval Europe was based on feudalism, and the king or lord had the ultimate authority to determine the fate of murderers.

Legal Definitions:
The legal definitions of murder and manslaughter varied widely across different medieval societies. In some cases, murder was defined as the intentional killing of a person with malice aforethought, while in others, it was defined as the killing of a person without malice aforethought. Manslaughter, on the other hand, was often defined as the killing of a person with reckless disregard for human life.

Societal Perceptions:
Societal perceptions of murder varied greatly depending on cultural, religious, and social factors. In some societies, murder was considered a heinous crime that deserved severe punishment, while in others, it was seen as a lesser offense that could be forgiven or pardoned. The social status of the perpetrator and the victim also played a significant role in how murder was perceived and dealt with.

Perpetrators:
Murderers in medieval societies were often male and were often motivated by personal gain, revenge, or jealousy. They may have been driven by a desire to assert dominance, control, or power over others, or they may have been seeking to exact retribution for perceived wrongs. Women were also capable of committing murder, but their cases were less common and often received less severe punishment.

Victims:
Murder victims were typically male and were often members of the upper classes or the ruling elite. Women, although less common, were also victims of murder, particularly in cases of domestic violence or political intrigue. Children were also vulnerable to murder, particularly in cases of child abuse or neglect.

Methods of Murder:
Murder methods in medieval societies varied widely, depending on the available tools and technology. In some cases, murderers used weapons such as swords, axes, or knives, while in others, they resorted to more brutal methods such as strangulation, burning, or drowning. The use of poison was also common, particularly in cases of political assassination.

Conclusion:
Murder has been a complex and multifaceted issue throughout history, and its understanding and treatment have evolved over time. In the medieval period, murder was seen as a crime against God and the community, and it was punishable by death or other severe penalties. The legal definitions of murder and manslaughter varied widely across different societies, and societal perceptions of murder varied greatly depending on cultural, religious, and social factors. Perpetrators of murder were often male and were often motivated by personal gain, revenge, or jealousy, while victims were typically male and were often members of the upper classes or the ruling elite. Murder methods in medieval societies varied widely, depending on the available tools and technology, and the use of poison was also common.

Weight: 772g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783275922