Abstract

Dhuoda (c. 803-843), wife of the Carolingian noble Bernard of Septimania and dedicated mother of two sons, William and Bernard, displays remarkable humility in her approach to writing and is startlingly honest in her use of personal voice. Her lengthy letter offers advice, worldly and spiritual, to her elder child William. In this letter, which she titles “liber manualis,”1 Dhuoda writes about herself and her hopes for both her sons. This paper will explore the two genres — the handbook or manualis and the mirror or speculum principis — that inform Dhuoda’s letter, as well as her success at overcoming anxiety about writing in these traditionally masculine modes through distinctly female, particularly maternal, authority.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.