Postgraduates Present Colloquium Report

Posted on 28 April, 2010

Although for once TFL chose not to put a transport assault course in the Society’s way, we did fall victim to the volcanic ash cloud that was the big news event of last week.  Laura Bailey – who was to speak on sexuality in the Old English Life of St Mary of Egypt – was unable to get back into Europe; the committee hope that she can be persuaded to speak on another occasion.  This meant some last minute rearranging, but did not prevent a very interesting variety of papers on a wide range of topics being presented to an attentive audience.

Katherine Leeks opened the day with a discussion of time and material culture in Anglo Saxon culture.  Using literature and archaeological evidence to suggest that Saxon culture used objects as a means of creating continuity through time.

Aisling Byrne followed her with a discussion of the legend of Alexander the Great’s Journey to the earthly Paradise.  Concentrating on Sir Gilbert Hay’s Buik of King Alexander the Conquerer, Aisling discussed how this tale acts as an end, comment upon and moral for Alexander’s career.

As it was a lovely day, lunch was taken al fresco by the canal in the company of an ostentatiously disinterested swan.  We then recommenced with Chris Tilley’s discussion of the career of Fulk of Rycote, a man whose familial, political and career connections show highly parochial interests.

Ann Baden-Daintree followed, her paper ranging across memory love and language in the English Poetry of Charles of Orleans.

Thomas Smith presented the day’s last paper; an heroic attempt to re-evaluate and restore the character and good name of Pelagius, the Papal Legate for the Fifth Crusade.

Ardis Butterfield presented an elegant response to the day’s papers drawing a number of links between them and this was followed by a wide-ranging discussion mediated by Diane Heath during which both Professor Butterfield and our – ever patient – patron Michael Clanchy made helpful and thoughtful contributions regarding every paper.  What became clear was that such themes as time, language and identity had run – almost unnoticed – through the day.

Having thanked our speakers and respondent for their time and hard work and Oxford University Press for giving us a copy of Professor Butterfield’s new book The Familiar Enemy: Chaucer, Language and the Nation in the Hundred Years War to peruse, the meeting broke up 16:45pm.

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