Date of Award
4-2002
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Medieval Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Thomas Amos
Second Advisor
Dr. Timothy Graham
Third Advisor
Dr. James Palmitessa
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Book collections reflect the intellectual climate of the period. This study examines the important area of intellectual life in the English church between 700 and 1130. It will show how the Norman Conquest affected the intellectual life of the Anglo-Saxons. I chose the libraries of Christ Church, Canterbury and Worcester Cathedral Priory for their large collections of surviving manuscripts.
The thesis first analyzes and compares the pre-Conquest and post-Conquest collections as a whole. This comparison shows slight, but important differences in the tastes of collecting between the two libraries. It also demonstrates the changes in the library holdings caused by the Norman Conquest.
In examining, the collections for individual materials, this thesis made further comparisons with the library contents of the monastery of Bee in order to show how the post-Conquest collections reflected the impact of the Normans in cultural life. It demonstrated how these library materials were used by looking at homiletic collections and their sources.
Recommended Citation
Ishihara, Toruko, "The Impact of the Norman Conquest on Christ Church Cathedral Priory and Worcester Cathedral Priory: A Survey Based on Library Holdings" (2002). Masters Theses. 4980.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4980