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Heads Will Roll

Decapitation in the Medieval and Early Modern Imagination

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Christine Cooper-RompatoTina BoyerAndrew FleckDwayne ColemanMary E. LeechLarissa TracyMark FaulknerAsa Simon MittmanThomas HerronThea CervoneLarissa TracyNicola MasciandaroJay Paul GatesJeff MasseyRenée Ward2 editions

The decapitation motif recurs in nearly all medieval and early modern genres, from saints' lives and epics to comedies and romances, yet decollation is often little regarded, save as a marker of humanity (that is, as the moment mortality exits) or inhumanity (that is, as the moment the supernatural enters). However, as a seat of reason, wisdom, and even the soul, the head has long been afforded a special place in the body politic, even when separated from its body proper. Capitalizing upon the enduring fascination with decapitation in European culture, this collection examines--through a variety of critical lenses--the recurring "roles/rolls" of severed human heads in the medieval and early modern imagination.

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15 credited authorsSearch language english

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  • Christine Cooper-Rompato

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  • Tina Boyer

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  • Andrew Fleck

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  • Dwayne Coleman

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  • Mary E. Leech

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  • Larissa Tracy

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  • Mark Faulkner

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  • Asa Simon Mittman

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  • Thomas Herron

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  • Thea Cervone

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  • Larissa Tracy

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  • Nicola Masciandaro

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  • Jay Paul Gates

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  • Jeff Massey

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  • Renée Ward

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