Victorian Medievalism
Welcome to the home page of the ENG 480: Victorian Medievalism seminar in the Providence College English Department! This semester we are exploring the vogue for the Middle Ages in 19th-century England, or what is commonly known as “Victorian Medievalism.” Broadly speaking, “medievalism,” in the words of Leslie J. Workman, is the “process of creating the Middle Ages” for any given cultural moment. In other words, it is the construction of an idea of the Middle Ages in our minds. That process usually involves nostalgia for, imitation of, and reimagination of medieval texts, legends, images & icons, historical events, and values. This page collects reflections from our seminar students on medievalism, both Victorian and modern, as they delve into this rich field of study.
“Those darling bygone times… with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture, and their romantic vengeances, and their picturesque assaults and sieges, and everything that makes life truly charming! How dreadfully we have degenerated!”
Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son
Medievalism is the process of creating the Middle Ages
Leslie J. Workman
Blog Posts: Arthurianism (Part 2)
Blog Posts: Arthurianism (Part 1)
Blog Posts: Medievalism at King Richard’s Faire & RISD
Blog Posts: William Morris, The Story of Sigurd
Dr. Elizabeth Bridgham
Associate Professor of English / Assistant Chair
Ruane Center for the Humanities, LL22
401.865.1138
bridgham@providence.edu
Dr. Robert Stretter
Associate Professor, English
Ruane Center for the Humanities LL13
401.865.2712
rstretter@providence.edu
