Fiona R. Murphy L&S Arts & Humanities
Like 'Honey and a Woman': Exploring Infidelity in Early Irish Sagas
While many have been taught that the middle ages were sexually non-existent, or at least avoidant, that could not be further from the truth. In the Early Irish Sagas (c. 8th – 12th centuries) stories of sex, infidelity and more are rampant. These stories, all of which were recorded by monastically trained scribes, are an incredible trove of information on the Early Irish opinions toward sexuality. Yet, as the field has opened in terms of gender studies, it still shies away from sex and even more so from the study of sexual taboo. The lack of interaction with that theme is a failing of the field, but leaves an exciting opening for my own research. By examining stories in which married men are cuckolded, I will learn how sex was tied to the acquisition and maintenance of masculine power and how women, as the tool for that power, interacted with it.
Message To Sponsor
I had such a wonderful time being able to devote myself to research this summer. I was able to delve so much deeper than I ever have into not just the texts, but the linguistics behind them. I feel that I have been introduced to a whole new world of research. It really means the world to have someone say that my interests and research is worth funding, especially in such a small subset of an already small field. Thank you!