A History of Everyday Life in Medieval Scotland

A History of Everyday Life in Medieval Scotland 1000-1600 Edited by Edward J. Cowan & Lizanne Henderson What was it like to live in the medieval period. In what ways did extraordinary events affect the everyday. The first volume in the Everyday Life series answers these questions as it opens a window on medieval Scotland from 1000 to 1600. The everyday involves all that is common to humanity from the passage of birth through to the rites of death. To date the historiography of medieval Scotland has not been greatly concerned with the mundane and the everyday. In fact some might claim that the topic has been entirely ignored, until now. A strong international team of contributors draws upon a range of primary sources and published material, as well as artefactual and archaeological evidence, to present as complete a picture as possible of how people experienced life and complex issues of identity, geography, language, family and subsistence over five hundred years ago. Key Features Novel and innovative approach to medieval Scottish History Enlivens the past through new research from respected scholars Challenges assumptions about medieval life and evidence Seeks to show that our medieval ancestors had similar issues to us Edward J. Cowan, Emeritus Professor of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is author of The Wallace Book: For Freedom Alone, The Declaration of Arbroath 1320 and Folk in Print: Scotland's Chapbook Heritage. Lizanne Henderson is Lecturer in History at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of Fantastical Imaginations: The Supernatural in Scottish History and Culture (2009) and co-author, with Edward J. Cowan, of Scottish Fairy Belief: A History (2007).