Monsters, Prodigies and Demons: Medieval and Early Modern Constructions of Alterity

Series introduction

The "Monster of Cracow": a humanoid figure with pointed, webbed fingers; a long, curved nose; giant eyebrows; a tail; and animal heads at the knees, elbows, and armpits.

"Histoires Prodigieuses; the Monster of Cracow," 1559, London, Wellcome Collection. Public domain.

Monsters, Prodigies, and Demons: Medieval and Early Modern Constructions of Alterity is dedicated to the study of monstrosity and alterity in the medieval and early modern world, and to the investigation of cultural constructions of otherness, abnormality and difference from a wide range of perspectives.

Keywords: Monsters, monstrosity, supernatural, alterity, otherness, hybridity, disability studies, grotesque, race studies, whiteness studies, colonial studies, history of emotions

Geographical scope: Global

Chronological scope: Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern

series editors

To submit a proposal or completed manuscript to be considered for publication by Medieval Institute Publications or to learn more about the series, contact Tyler Cloherty, the acquisitions editor for the series.

The series board comprises:

  • Marcus Hensel, Bethany College, Lindsborg
  • Melissa Ridley Elmes, Lindenwood University
  • Juanita Feros Ruys, University of Sydney

Publications

Cover of Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance: Dwarves, Hirsutes, and Castrati as Idealized Anatomical Anomalies: an early modern painting of a nude male with dwarfism from behind.

Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance: Dwarves, Hirsutes, and Castrati as Idealized Anatomical Anomalies

By Touba Ghadessi, Wheaton College

At the center of this interdisciplinary study are court monsters - dwarves, hirsutes, and misshapen individuals - who, by their very presence, altered Renaissance ethics vis-à-vis anatomical difference, social virtues, and scientific knowledge. The study traces how these monsters evolved from objects of curiosity, to scientific cases, to legally independent beings. The works examined here point to the intricate cultural, religious, ethical, and scientific perceptions of monstrous individuals who were fixtures in contemporary courts.

MPD Monograph 1, ISBN 978-1-58044-275-6 (clothbound), 978-1-58044-276-3 (PDF) © 2018

Buy Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance at ISD

forthcoming in this series

Raising the Dead: The Meaning and Purpose of Restless Corpses in Medieval English Narratives

By Polina Ignatova

A number of medieval English narratives, ranging from the 11th to the 15th century, contain stories about walking dead—corpses that climb out of their graves to the wonder and terror of the living. Their activities vary wildly: some restless cadavers attempt to seduce living men or women; others knead bread, spread pestilence, eat human flesh, poke out eyes, communicate with monarchs, and knock on the doors of the living. Some wandering corpses acquire additional powers such as turning invisible or assuming guises of dogs and bears, while others fail to maintain coherent speech. This book deconstructs the medieval image of a restless corpse in an endeavor to find rational explanations for medieval stories of the walking dead.