1st Edition

Sin and Filth in Medieval Culture The Devil in the Latrine

By Martha Bayless Copyright 2012
266 Pages
by Routledge

288 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

266 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This important new contribution to the history of the body analyzes the role of filth as the material counterpart of sin in medieval thought. Using a wide range of texts, including theology, historical documents, and literature from Augustine to Chaucer, the book shows how filth was regarded as fundamental to an understanding of human history. This theological significance explains the prominence... Read more

1. The Devil in the Latrine  2. Pollution and Filth in the Middle Ages: Material Realities  3. The Symbolic Order of the Body  4. The Realm of Corruption  5. In Conclusion

Biography

Martha Bayless is Associate Professor of English at the University of Oregon, US.