Nostalgia in the Early Modern World: Memory, Temporality, and Emotion

Nostalgia is a culturally specific way of understanding the contested relationship between the past, present, and future, exploring perceptions of the passage of time and historical change, unsettling experiences of migration and geographical displacement, and the connections between remembering and forgetting, affect, and imagination. It is a complex mixed feeling that opens a new window into individual subjectivities and collective mentalities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 23 May 2023
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

The concept of nostalgia holds immense significance in illuminating the culturally specific ways in which societies understand the complex relationship between the past, present, and future. Originating in the late 17th century, the term "nostalgia" initially referred to the distressing effects of homesickness. However, in contemporary usage, it encompasses a broader sense of longing for a lost past. This volume aims to challenge the notion that nostalgia is solely a product of modernity by exploring its diverse textual, visual, and musical manifestations during the tumultuous period between c. 1350 and 1800. By doing so, it establishes a valuable connection between three vibrant areas of scholarly inquiry: memory, temporality, and emotion.

The contributors to this volume employ nostalgia as a powerful tool to investigate various aspects of the passage of time and historical change. They delve into the unsettling experiences of migration and geographical displacement, examining how nostalgia shapes perceptions of these transitions. Moreover, they explore the intricate connections between remembering and forgetting, affect and imagination, unraveling the complex mixed feelings that nostalgia evokes. Spanning across Europe and the Atlantic world, the contributors examine the moments, sites, and communities that gave rise to nostalgia, as well as how it was employed to express both criticism and regret regarding the religious, political, social, and cultural upheavals that shaped the early modern world.

Approaching nostalgia as a multifaceted and complex emotion, they offer a fresh perspective on individual subjectivities and collective mentalities. By delving into the cultural nuances and historical contexts in which nostalgia emerged, this volume contributes to our understanding of the ways in which societies navigate the complexities of time, history, and identity. It serves as a reminder that nostalgia is not merely a sentimental longing for the past but a powerful tool for comprehending the present and shaping the future.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783277698