Preface

Icons of the Middle Ages: Rulers, Writers, Rebels, and Saints is the result of a quickie conception, an elephantine gestation (with intermittent health problems), and a difficult birth. Nevertheless, we believe that the resultant offspring will prosper and go on to serve a useful role in life and society.

The present two volumes describe the lives and afterlives of a wide variety of larger-than-life medieval men and women who have affected and influenced deeply the modern world and the imaginations of those who live in it, whether we realize it or not. Many of these outstanding characters have exerted lasting significance and presence in the popular imagination (in literature, film, television, art, and so on). Some, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, have become powerful symbols of good for many people; others, such as Vlad Dracul of Wallachia and King Richard III of England, have become archetypal symbols of evil. An iconic physical artifact—the castle—and an iconic military practice—siege warfare—have also been included as important symbols of life in the Middle Ages. The castle is a once-proud manifestation of power that is still visible throughout Europe, although often much decayed or ruined. The siege of a castle or stronghold was a common military operation during the Middle Ages; it had its own equipment, rules, and procedures that were well known to and widely practiced by medieval warriors.

The 18 biographical chapters treat individual characters, with the exception of three cases in which two individuals are so closely or inextricably linked that they “go together like bread and butter”—Abelard and Heloise, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, and King Arthur and Merlin. Each biographical chapter is longer than the usual journal article, averaging about 15,000 words, but shorter than a full-length biography. The contents of each biographical essay vary somewhat according to the topic, but all chapters focus on the iconic quality of the figure(s). Almost all the essays deal first with the “real” life and deeds of its chosen character(s), before moving on to the afterlife and influence of the character(s) in society, literature, film, and other media. The exceptions are “King Arthur and Merlin” and “Robin Hood,” who stand apart as primarily literary/cultural rather than historical figures— though we must remember that King Arthur was generally accepted as historically real, with a factual biography, until the mid-seventeenth century and that Robin Hood may be the only figure in the Dictionary of National Biography who never existed (currently in the online version under “Hood, Robin [supp. fl. late 12th-13th cent.], legendary outlaw hero.”

The two chapters “Castles: Medieval Icons of Power, Wealth, and Authority” and “The Siege: An Iconic Form of Medieval Warfare” are longer, about 25,000 words, and provide detailed discussions of the development and evolution of their subject in the Middle Ages. The two chapters illustrate why castles and sieges can also be considered iconic symbols of the medieval centuries.

Although some chapters do include endnotes for those interested in accessing the scholarly literature, we have deliberately kept the tone of the essays conversational because these volumes are intended to be accessible to general readers, advanced high school students, and introductory college undergraduates. We hope to capture the imaginations of our readers sufficiently that they would like to know more about the remarkable people included in Icons of the Middle Ages. To this end, “Further Reading” suggestions are usually given after each chapter, offering details of important studies and texts that are generally available in print or online. Icons of the Middle Ages also includes an introduction discussing what is meant by the term “icon” and a detailed subject index to allow readers to access information within the chapters quickly and easily.