Call for Papers: Formulas in Medieval Culture Second International Interdisciplinary Conference

Call for Papers: Formulas in Medieval Culture Second International Interdisciplinary Conference

Nancy – Metz (France), June 7-9, 2012

Languages: English, French, Italian and German

Abstract submission deadline: October 1st, 2011

The Conference welcomes speakers from all fields of Medieval Studies, including History, Diplomatics, Art History, Literature, Linguistics, Musicology, Theology and Law.

Medieval modes of thinking and representation rely heavily on the expected return of recognizable devices, generating productive tensions between individual expression and collective norms, change and continuity, innovations and rituals.

Among the issues raised by formulaic expression is that of reception: does the repeated use of conventional formulas end up depriving them of their original meaning, turning them into pure discursive markers or does it enrich them with the added connotations of multiple contexts? One should also be careful to define the phenomenon precisely: what distinguishes a formula from a mere motif? from intertextuality?

Bruno Laurioux, Professor at the University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, will give a keynote speech on Formulas in medieval cooking.

Possible areas of interest include music, liturgy, law, charters, linguistics, literature / poetry, translation, preaching, maths, epigraphy, visual arts, medicine, alchemy, magic, cooking, etc.

Papers are welcome on, but not limited to: Charter preambles, Oaths, Oral-formulaic theory, The language of scientific documents, such as medical treatises, Topoi and generic conventions, Politeness and ritualized interaction, Conventional motifs in visual arts or music.

Papers may be given in English, French, Italian or German and should be 20 minutes long. A selection of the conference papers will be published in the ARTeM series (Brepols).

Please email a brief CV and an abstract of no more than 400 words to Sylvie Laguerre (sylvie.laguerre@univ-nancy2.fr) by October 1st 2011.

Please include the title of your paper, name, affiliation and email address.

The conference is organized by the Centre de Médiévistique Jean Schneider (ERL 7229) and the GRENDEL, i.e. the medieval section of IDEA, with the support of the GDR on diplomatics.

Inquiries are welcome. Contact: Elise Louviot (elise.louviot@univ-nancy2.fr)

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