Antonella Liuzzo Scorpo

Emotional memory and medieval autobiography: King James I of Aragon (r. 1213–76)’s Llibre dels fets

ABSTRACT This study examines the role that emotional memories – memories connected to or describing emotions – played in the recollection of events, while also becoming powerful rhetorical and didactic tools in the process of history-writing. Emotional memories, which were shaped through both oral and written transmission, helped to situate images from the past within wider personal and historical frameworks. King James I of Aragon (r. 1213–76)’s Llibre dels fets, regarded as the first secular chronicle-autobiography attributed to a Christian King in medieval Western Europe, is a thought-provoking example of this. The differences between emotional values and emotional experiences emerge clearly in the narrative of James I’s life and military deeds, throwing light on a thirteenth-century belief that although emotional reactions belonged to the biological sphere, they originated from – and therefore could be managed by – culturally driven models of behaviour. Following this line of thought, this study also scrutinizes anger and its management, as they were at the core of most medieval “emotional regimes” promoted by contemporary rulers. Preserving memory, including memories of emotions, was conceived as an ethical mission attributed to the King, as well as to those in charge of writing history. These ideas influenced both historiographical and autobiographical writings, and are therefore key to understand the rationale behind the structural, narrative and thematic choices of both authors and commissioners. Emotions have been an important locus for subjectivity in Medieval Studies and the analysis of sources such as King James I of Aragon’s chivalrous autobiography through this lens will certainly open new and interdisciplinary lines of enquiry.ABSTRACTThis study examines the role that emotional memories – memories connected to or describing emotions – played in the recollection of events, while also becoming powerful rhetorical and didactic tools in the process of history-writing. Emotional memories, which were shaped through both oral and written transmission, helped to situate images from the past within wider personal and historical frameworks. King James I of Aragon (r. 1213–76)’s Llibre dels fets, regarded as the first secular chronicle-autobiography attributed to a Christian King in medieval Western Europe, is a thought-provoking example of this. The differences between emotional values and emotional experiences emerge clearly in the narrative of James I’s life and military deeds, throwing light on a thirteenth-century belief that although emotional reactions belonged to the biological sphere, they originated from – and therefore could be managed by – culturally driven models of behaviour. Following this line of thought, this study also s...

Introduction: History-writing and Violence in the Medieval Mediterranean

History-writing has often been preoccupied with the multiple shapes, forms and expressions of violence as a subject, while in some cases the rhetorical violence of some kinds of historical writing has been used as an instrument for the cultivation of power and authority. The deeds of great men and their conflicts, as well as divine intervention in the form of retribution and punishment and the moral lessons that could be drawn from such episodes were defining features of historical writing from its earliest days. The transformation of episodes of physical violence in the world into written form, not to mention visual and material representations, has had a formative impact on individual and collective memories and identities throughout history. An exploration of the rhetoric and forms of violence, as applied to different modes and processes of history-writing, can thus help us to understand the narrative and social functions of such a ubiquitous phenomenon. In this special issue of Al-MAsaq, co-edited by Dr Antonella Liuzzo Scorpo and Dr Jamie Wood, these idea are explored in depth within the context of the Medieval Mediterranean.

Making historians digitally: social bookmarking and inquiry-based learning in history in higher education in the UK

Social bookmarking is an online tool that can enable students to develop their skills in finding, sharing and (re)organising online information. Research has demonstrated that it has the potential to impact positively on students’ digital literacies – their ability to use the Internet critically to support their learning – and particularly on the kinds of online research skills that are vital to supporting inquiry-based approaches to learning and teaching in history. This chapter provides a detailed overview of how online social bookmarking tools have been used to support the development of students’ digital literacies in history in a number of UK higher education institutions. The general approach which has been adopted is based on constructivist principles and requires students to develop their skills and appreciation of the Internet as a venue for scholarly research in order to strengthen their inquiry skills in preparation for more independent work at higher levels of study. The chapter presents evaluative data that has been collected from students who have used social bookmarking to support inquiry activities within modules and as part of their independent learning activities. We also report staff reflections on the usefulness of social bookmarking to support student learning in history and make some recommendations for the practical application of such tools elsewhere. These include the potential significant impact of social bookmarking on students’ ability to interact productively and creatively with online resources in the course of their learning; the usefulness of the tool in supporting collaborative working and sharing materials; the need to ensure that students receive adequate training in using social bookmarking and that their work receives adequate credit (which will, in turn, increase motivation).

The king as subject, master and model of authority: the case of Alfonso X of Castile

Notwithstanding the fact that there are, admittedly, different typologies and interpretations of kingship which are not always possible to accommodate within a single analytical framework, King Alfonso X of Castile is a significant figure who is worth examining, since he displays most of the features and characteristics traditionally required of medieval kings, while his contributions sowed the seeds for innovation in both the interpretation and exercise of royal power.

Religious Frontiers and Overlapping Cultural Borders: The Power of Personal and Political Exchanges in the Works of Alfonso X of Castile (1252–1284)

Religious beliefs and creeds have contributed to define identities and a sense of belonging for both individuals and entire communities over the centuries, generating in some cases unsurpassable social barriers. This also applied to the situation of the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages: a melting pot within which Muslims, Christians and Jews interacted, not always without animosity and friction. The questions which I endeavour to answer in this study are how did Christian powers consider and interact with Muslim rulers and subjects? What were the motivations behind the agreement of such relationships? To what extent were they morally and officially accepted? What were the differences, if any, from the customary vassal bonds? These are the main objects of scrutiny of my analysis which will focus on the fragile borders which existed between personal and political inter-faith relationships, examined through the perspective of the historiographical and poetic production attributed to the scriptorium of Alfonso X of Castile (1252–1284).