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Summary of the book «Medieval Culture and Society as seen by Contemporaries: XIIIth Century’s exempla»

Summary

of the book «Medieval Culture and Society as seen by Contemporaries: XIIIth Century’s exempla»

The problem studied in the book consists, first of all, in reconstructing of medieval cosmology, anthropology and sociology as they were seen by the preachers and authors of the XIIIth century’s exempla. We cannot hear the voices of the majority of the epoch’s people now, but, nevertheless, it seems possible to discern them partly, if one studies exempla and sermons which used exempla. The friars lived among the people, were closely connected with them, knew their interests, ideas and moods and were not alien to them. The friars addressed different strata of the population and had to use the systems of notions which were understood by the people. There was a sort of the «feedback» between the preacher and his flock, and it is possible to discern its echo in his sermons. From this point of view, exempla have a great value.

The definition of the exemplum given by historians of literature is as follows: it is a short story, or anecdote used in sermons and taken as truth and destined to achieve a certain didactic aim. This definition is correct but it fails to reveal deep specificity of the essence of the exempla and its role in the functioning of medieval culture.