Society and Ritual in the High Middle Ages

Three credits · Undergraduate

Like people living in the modern West, medieval individuals marked significant rites of passage such as birth, marriage and death with rituals. In the medieval West, these rituals were usually marked with religious ceremony, regardless of faith practiced. This class will explore the major rites of passage through which medieval peasants, townspeople and nobles alike marked their lives, exploring not only the meaning and purpose of the rituals, but the rich social lives of those individuals participating in them. Three credits. Not offered 2026-2027.