|
Darrera modificació: 2023-08-16
Bases de dades: Sciència.cat
Peterson, Anna M., "Connotation and denotation: the construction of the leper in Narbonne and Siena before the plague", dins: Brenner, Elma - Touati, François-Olivier (eds.), Leprosy and identity in the Middle Ages: from England to the Mediterranean, Manchester, Manchester University Press (Social Histories of Medicine), 2021, pp. 323-345.
- Resum
- The aim of this volume, in part, is to discuss what the word 'leper' meant to the sick and healthy alike of medieval Europe. 1 On the surface, a leper was simply a person who su ered from leprosy. However, this is only part of who a leper was and what they represented in medieval society. As the contributions to this volume show, the connotation and conceptualisation of the word 'leper' varied in di erent regions and contexts. The leper was to a great extent defined by his or her disease; however, the term 'leper' itself had a multifaceted connotation. Specifically, this chapter is focused on how the word 'leper' was employed in the documentation for Narbonne and Siena and what this tells us about local attitudes towards these individuals. The chapter examines the word 'leper', and all its derivatives in Latin and the vernacular, specifically Occitan in Narbonne (Languedoc) and Italian in Siena (Tuscany), before the Black Death in 1348. The analysis concludes in 1348 because it marks a point of significant demographic, social and political upheaval for both of these cities. Lepers were seen as either 'tame' or 'wild', a characterisation that coloured how they were perceived by medieval society. Narbonne and Siena o er a compelling comparison, especially with regard to the treatment and perception of lepers. These cities are in regions that are understudied vis-à-vis leprosy, and illustrate the varied approach to integrating or segregating leprosi. I argue that in the context of these two cities, 'leper' had a distinctive meaning, one that denoted a leprous person who conformed to a specific lifestyle as prescribed by local norms.
- Matèries
- Història de la medicina
Dret - Costums
Dret - Legislació
|