Women and Outlawry: Female Agency in the Medieval Outlaw Tradition

Sponsoring Organization(s)

International Association for Robin Hood Studies (IARHS)

Organizer Name

Alexander L. Kaufman, Valerie B. Johnson

Organizer Affiliation

Auburn Univ.-Montgomery, Georgia Institute of Technology

Presider Name

Valerie B. Johnson

Paper Title 1

Outlaws and Other Outcasts: The Male Face of Morgan le Fay

Presenter 1 Name

Amy Albudri

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Univ. of Hull

Paper Title 2

“Good lord, what clipping was there!”: Dance, Disguise, and Disingenuity in the Introduction of Maid Marian

Presenter 2 Name

Dean A. Hoffman

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Univ. of North Carolina-Charlotte

Paper Title 3

Female Agency on the Small Screen: Television Maid Marians

Presenter 3 Name

Kevin J. Harty

Presenter 3 Affiliation

La Salle Univ.

Start Date

9-5-2014 3:30 PM

Session Location

Schneider 1220

Description

Outlaw narratives from the Middle Ages often feature a male, heroic, good outlaw as the protagonist, such as Robin Hood, William Wallace, or Án Bow-bender, who must right a wrong, battle those who cause harm to his kith and kin, and defeat his adversaries before restoring his name (or dying in the process). Often overlooked in these narratives are the many female figures whose actions are significant and oftentimes affect the outlaw’s behavior and his circumstances. This panel contains papers that recognize the narratival, thematic, and structural importance of females within medieval outlaw narratives. These papers examine how these women negotiate medieval gender roles and discusses female subjectivity within outlaw texts.

Alexander L. Kaufman