Middle Ages Research Articles

The global spread of Oriental Horses in the past 1,500 years through the lens of the Y chromosome

Since their domestication, horses have accompanied mankind, and humans have constantly shaped horses according to their needs through stallion-centered breeding. Consequently, the male-specific portion of the Y chromosome (MSY) is extremely uniform in modern horse breeds. The majority of stallions worldwide carry MSY haplotypes (HT) attributed to an only ~1,500-y-old, so-called, “Crown” haplogroup. The predominance of the Crown in modern horse breeds is thought to represent a footprint of the vast impact of stallions of “Oriental origin” in the past millennium. Here, we report the results of a fine-scaled MSY haplotyping of large datasets of patrilines comprising 1,517 males of 189 modern horse breeds, covering a broad phenotypic and geographic spectrum. We can disentangle the multilayered influence of Oriental stallions over the last few hundred years, exposing the intense linebreeding and the wide-ranging impact of Arabian, English Thoroughbred, and Coldblood sires. Iberian and New World horse breeds contain a wide range of diversified Crown lineages. Their broad HT spectrum illustrates the spread of horses of Oriental origin via the Iberian Peninsula after the Middle Ages, which is commonly referred to as the “Spanish influence.” Our survey also revealed a second major historical dissemination of horses from Western Asia, attributed to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Our analysis shows that MSY analysis can uncover the complex history of horse breeds and can be used to establish the paternal ancestry of modern horse breeds.

Warfare in Serbian State from the End of the 14th to the Middle of the 15th Century

The aim of this paper is to present the changes in the way of warfare in the Serbian state in the late Middle Ages. The Ottoman pressure on Serbian territories, starting from the eighth decade of the 14th century, influenced changes in the military organisation of their rulers. In order to defend themselves more effectively from attackers, they established various types of military service. Despot Stefan Lazarević implemented a reform of the local government system by creating new administrative units. During the period that is the subject of research, there were also changes in armaments.

ЦАРЬ БОГОИЗБРАННЫЙ, А НЕ САМОЗВАННЫЙ В РОССИИ 1666 ГОДА (ТЕМА БЛАГОСЛОВЕНИЯ РОДА ПРАВЕДНЫХ ГОСУДАРЕЙ В «МЕЧЕ ДУХОВНОМ» ЛАЗАРЯ БАРАНОВИЧА)

The author explores the question of how the theme of God`s chosen king`s power was interpreted in the book “Spiritual Sword” of Lazar Baranovich in 1666. The idea of the choice of God of the supreme ruler and the protection of God of righteous sovereigns spread in the culture of the Christian world back in the Middle Ages. In Russia in the 1660s it was updated by a specific set of circumstances: church reform, expansion of the territory of the state through the annexation of new lands by military means, the absolutization of the power of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the expectation of the End of the World. At the same time, the second sovereign of the House of Romanov was interested in additional arguments legitimizing his autocracy, as evidenced by the documents of the Secret Prikaz, concerning rumors about his “illegal” origin, and some details of the conflict between the Tsar and Patriarch Nikon. The article shows how Lazar Baranovich, with the help of scholastic theological and literary techniques, which includes, among other things, abundant quoting, creates a harmonious and convincing concept of the righteous family of the Russian sovereign, a dynasty that found itself at the pinnacle of power by the will of God. According to her, the sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich is not an impostor and an accidental minion of fate, but a God-chosen king, similar to the biblical David, Emperor Constantine the Great and other famous rulers of antiquity. By the right of the chosen of God one, the Russian Tsar wields both swords of power – secular and ecclesiastical.

Clinical analysis of 1,038 cases of odontogenic jawbone cysts.

This study aims to analyse the clinical characteristics of different types of odontogenic jawbone cysts (OJCs) and to provide a theoretical basis for prevention and clinical treatment. Data from 1,038 patients with OJCs were collected, and relevant information, such as sex, age, clinical symptoms and signs, imaging data, number of lesions, lesion location, pathological diagnosis, clinical treatment and prognosis, was statistically analysed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of OJCs in 2022, the highest incidence rate was observed for radicular cysts (RCs), accounting for 58.96% of the total number of cases, followed by dentigerous cysts (DCs), accounting for approximately 23.22% of cases. lateral periodontal cysts (LPCs) and calcifying odontogenic cysts (COCs) comprised the lowest number of cases. The age distribution of patients was between 4 and 89 years, and the high incidence age group was youth and middle age, accounting for 66.67% of the total number of cases. The male-to-female ratio of patients was 1.51:1, and there was a statistically significant difference between the sexes(p < 0.05).In terms of the site of incidence, odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) were prevalent in the mandibular molar region. In addition, mandibular ramus, inflammatory collateral cysts (ICCs) and dentigerous cysts (DCs) were more common in the mandibular third molar, and radicular cysts (RCs) and calcifying odontogenic cysts (COCs) were prevalent in the maxillary anterior region. On imaging, 955 (92.0%) lesions were solitary, and 83 (8.0%) were multiple. The treatment included four types of surgery, including simple curettage, marsupialization, marsupialization followed by secondary curettage, and partial resection of the jaw, and a total of 921 patients were followed up, with a recurrence rate of 2.82%. OJCs are more common in males than in females, and a statistically significant difference is observed in the most prevalent types of cysts occurring at different ages and in various regions of the jawbone (p < 0.05). Early diagnosis should be made with the help of X-rays, age, location, and clinical symptoms. In addition, appropriate treatment methods should be selected, and long-term follow-up observation is needed.

“At your age?”; advant-aged women (Re)construct their self-identity through spoken word poetry to challenge self-ageism

ABSTRACT In this study we will explore advant-aged women, aged 50 to 70, who write and perform Spoken Word Poetry. This term aims to replace commonly used terms such as middle age or mid-life by stressing advantages and opportunities that come with advanced age. As advant-aged women, entering a field usually associated with the young, the present study aims to investigate how these women experience self-ageism on Poetry Slam stages - Spoken Word Poetry competitions - and how they challenge it. This is a feminist qualitative study; we relied on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 advant-aged women Spoken Word Poetry artists. The findings reveal that these women reconstruct theis self-identity. Identities play a crucial role in clarifying, managing, and giving meaning to individuals’ inner and social worlds. Through Spoken Word Poetry, these women reconstruct their self-identity in opposition to societal labels that deem them “old”, thus challenging self-ageism as well as rewriting and redefining old age.

The pursuit of ‘true-spelling’ in English: Prescriptivism, standardisation and orthographic variation

ABSTRACT As the vernacular was re-assigned the functions that Latin fulfilled in the Middle Ages, close comparisons between these two languages stressed the urgent need for the standardisation of English. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England saw the rise of codification and prescriptivism, two stages in the standardisation process that succeeded the selection, diffusion and acceptance of certain linguistic forms. A large number of works were published within the umbrella of codification, including grammars, spelling lists, pronouncing dictionaries or linguistic treatises, each targeting different areas of the language. James and Leslie Milroy (2012: 57) claim that ‘just as dictionaries prescribe uniquely correct spellings, so handbooks of usage prescribe uniquely correct grammatical constructions’, thus establishing a parallelism between the two. Most dictionaries published during the Early and Late Modern periods declare themselves prescriptive in their aims to provide the ‘True-spelling’ (Preston 1674: title page) of the English language, as if there was a false or fake alternative, thus vetoing all other orthographic variants. However, there arises an issue in this endeavour: spelling had become widely standardised by the time these dictionaries were available, except for some of the remnants of variation that continue to exist today. This paper addresses the standardisation of colour- and theatre-type words in historical British English for the purpose of assessing the impact that linguistic prescription had, if any, on the speakers’ spelling habits. As a corpus-based study, the analysis relies on a close comparison of usage and precept that draws correspondences between these two dimensions of language.

Retinal Patterns and the Role of Autofluorescence in Choroideremia

Background: Choroideremia is a monogenic inherited retinal dystrophy that manifests in males with night blindness, progressive loss of peripheral vision, and ultimately profound sight loss, commonly by middle age. It is caused by genetic defects of the CHM gene, which result in a deficiency in Rab-escort protein-1, a key element for intracellular trafficking of vesicles, including those carrying melanin. As choroideremia primarily affects the retinal pigment epithelium, fundus autofluorescence, which focuses on the fluorescent properties of pigments within the retina, is an established imaging modality used for the assessment and monitoring of affected patients. Methods and Results: In this manuscript, we demonstrate the use of both short-wavelength blue and near-infrared autofluorescence and how these imaging modalities reveal distinct disease patterns in choroideremia. In addition, we show how these structural measurements relate to retinal functional measures, namely microperimetry, and discuss the potential role of these retinal imaging modalities in clinical practice and research studies. Moreover, we discuss the mechanisms underlying retinal autofluorescence patterns by imaging with a particular focus on melanin pigment. Conclusions: This could be of particular significance given the current progress in therapeutic options, including gene replacement therapy.

The Tang-Song Transition, Political Fragmentation, and the “Global Middle Ages”

The Tang-Song Transition, Political Fragmentation, and the “Global Middle Ages”

Postnatal Growth Trajectories and Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Middle Age: A Cohort Study.

Rapid growth in childhood predisposes to obesity and cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. While obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is bidirectionally linked to obesity, its developmental origins are sparsely studied. We examined associations between postnatal growth and the risk of OSA in adulthood. We included adults whose childhood anthropometric data was collected in the New Delhi Birth Cohort study. The risk of OSA was defined by the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) with and without the obesity criterion. Using logistic regression, we studied associations of OSA risk with conditional growth parameters, which are statistically independent measures of gain in height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), during infancy (0-2 years), early childhood (2-5 years), and late childhood (5-11 years). Among 521 subjects (58.9% males) with a mean (SD) age of 40.9 (1.7) years, 30.9% had a high risk of OSA. On multivariate analysis, a high risk of OSA was associated with a higher conditional BMI in infancy (odds ratio: 1.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.57; p = 0.048) and early childhood (1.35; 1.07-1.69; p = 0.011). Higher risk of OSA was associated with greater conditional weight in early childhood (1.34; 1.06-1.68; p = 0.013). Using the modified BQ definition without obesity, adult risk of OSA was significantly associated with a higher adult BMI instead of childhood conditional BMIs. Greater gain in conditional BMI or weight in early childhood is associated with a high risk of OSA in middle age, which is mediated by a higher attained adult BMI.

Wilde Jagd, Ostwind, Westwind, himmlisches Kind

Abstract Winds are fascinating forces of nature, awe-inspiring and devastating when they appear as storms, and therefore a powerful theme in religion, literature and narrative, in music and the arts. Greek-Roman Antiquity personified the winds as nature deities, bearing resemblance to the angels and often represented as embodiments of forceful and tyrannic masculinity. These classical traditions are reflected in their own ways in the visual arts since the Renaissance. In legend and literature from the Middle Ages up to our times, however, winds and storms seem to be preponderantly allied to the dark forces of evil, the devil, wizards and witches, the Wild Hunter, whereas in folktales, the unruly winds appear mostly as helper figures, creating often moments of extraordinary fun.

A new helcionelloid mollusc from the Cambrian of Green land and Idaho (Laurentia)

Ressericonella gen. nov., a new genus of helcionelloid mollusc, characterized by a narrow shell with a shallowly convex dorsal surface and flat to shallowly concave lateral areas, is described from the Cambrian of Greenland and Idaho. The type species is Helcionella aequa Resser, 1939 from the Langston Formation (Naomi Peak Limestone Member) of early middle Cambrian age (Miaolingian Series, Wuliuan Stage, Albertella Biozone). Ressericonella pipalukae gen. et sp. nov. occurs in the latest early Cambrian (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4, Bonnia–Pagetides elegans Biozone) of southern Freuchen Land, North Greenland. Silicified specimens of Ressericonella pipalukae from North Greenland preserve two-layered shell structure in which an inner layer with a transverse fibrous pattern similar to lamello-fibrillar structure is overlain by an outer layer with fine threads radiating from the apex.

Association between miR-30 polymorphism and ischemic stroke in Chinese population.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a commonly seen cerebrovascular disease which seriously endangers the health of middle age and old people. However, its etiology and pathogenesis have not yet fully comprehended. miR-30 gene is a novel gene which may be involved in IS. However, no studies have investigated the relationship between IS and the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of miR-30. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between miR-30 polymorphisms (rs2222722, rs1192037, rs10095483 and rs16827546) and the risk of IS. Totally 248 IS patients and 230 age-, sex- and race-matched controls were involved in this study. Based on SNPscan technique, four polymorphisms (rs2222722, rs1192037, rs10095483 and rs16827546) were genotyped. There exists a significant association between rs2222722 polymorphism and the risk of IS according to analyses of genotypes, models and alleles (GA vs. GG: adjusted OR = 1.616, 95% CI: 0.943-2.768, P = 0. 081); (AA vs. GG: adjusted OR = 2.447, 95% CI: 1.233-4.858, P = 0.011); dominant model: adjusted (OR = 1.806, 95% CI, 1.082-3.016, P = 0.024); (G vs. A: adjusted OR = 1.492, 95% CI: 1.148-1.939, P = 0.003). Besides, miR-30a expression was significantly higher in patients undergoing IS relative to that in controls (P < 0.05). To conclude, the rs2222722 polymorphism of the miR-30 gene shows a significant relationship to elevate the risk of IS in Chinese population.

Abstract 4136180: Sex Differences in Cognition Related to Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Associated with Younger Age ofHypertension Diagnosis

Background: There are sex differences in the effect of age at onset (AO) of hypertension onbrain structural changes later in life. This may differentially affect long-term cognition through cerebral smallvessel disease (CSVD) in females and males. However, whether and how the association between age ofhypertension diagnosis contributes to sex differences in cognitive decline related to CVSD later in life remainsunclear. Objective: Our objective was to examine sex differences in cognition in relation to brain structural changesexacerbated by CSVD caused by younger AO of hypertension. Methods: We used data from the UK Biobank to select participants with a known age of hypertensiondiagnosis who also had neuropsychological test scores for cognitive functions affected by CSVD i.e., memoryand executive function (n= 6095). We stratified data by sex and AO at baseline (2006-2010). Controlparticipants who did not have hypertension were chosen at random using propensity score matching. Principalcomponents analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the number of CSVD related cognitive function tests(measured at 2014 follow-up). We selected participants &gt;65 years of age at the time of cognitive function teststo determine cognitive function later in life. This was followed by a sex disaggregated regression analysis totest for the effect of AO on cognitive functions identified from the PCA in females and males. Results: Our main outcomes were cognitive function tests in the domains of memory (working and visual-spatial) and executive function/processing speed. When compared to normotensive controls, cognitiveoutcomes differed by sex and age of hypertension diagnosis. Whereas females diagnosed at middle age (45-54 years) had worse outcomes in the working memory domain compared to controls, males diagnosed at olderage (&gt;65 years) had worse outcomes compared to controls. Only females diagnosed with hypertension ateither younger age (&lt; 35 years) or older age (&gt;65 years) had worse outcomes in the executive visualdeclarative memory domain. We did not see any differences in the processing speed/executive functiondomain in either males or females. Conclusions: This study demonstrates distinctive characteristics of CSVD-related cognitive decline in malesand females based on the age of hypertension onset. Therefore, CSVD is a critical pathophysiologicalmechanism for sex differences in cognitive decline and may aid in identification of novel sex-specific therapy.

Rehabilitation of the Monastery of São João de Cabanas, Afife, Viana do Castelo

The former Monastery of São João de Cabanas stands on the south bank of the river Cabanas in the parish of Afife, municipality of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). It was founded in the Middle Ages, although the current building is the product of a reconstruction a fundamentis begun in 1725. Following the dissolution of the Portuguese monasteries it became private property and in the twentieth century it was the home of the poet and ethnographer Pedro Homem de Mello. It was classified as a Public Interest Building in 1997. The aim of the rehabilitation project was to restore the site with a view to its adaptation to a program of tourist accommodation linked to gastronomy and catering, and as a venue for events. The restoration design and works were guided by a historical study and an architectural and constructional characterization of the building along with archaeological studies and a thorough analysis of the building pathology. A knowledge of the building’s characteristics was vital to a project that was intended to be informed and holistic, with the use of traditional building details, materials and techniques, assuring the maintenance of the site’s distinctive qualities and heritage values.

Abstract 4117594: Fetal Synthetic Glucocorticoid (sGC) Exposure Results in Later Life Cardiac Dysfunction and Ventricular Remodeling in Male Baboon Offspring

The “theory of developmental origins of health and disease” posits that stress in critical developmental periods will program life-course health and may affect cardiovascular (CV) health. Mothers at risk for premature delivery receive synthetic glucocorticoids (sGC) to enhance fetal lung maturation and manage fetal respiratory distress, but sGC exposure is linked to long-term CV dysfunction in offspring. Four groups of male baboons were studied: sGC exposed in utero at middle age (sGC-MA, 13.8±0.2Y), older sGC exposed in utero (sGC-O, 17.1±0.4Y), middle age unexposed (CTR-MA, 13.5±0.6Y), and older, unexposed baboons (CTR-O, 17.4±0.4Y). Gated, breath-hold, cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed at 3 Tesla (Siemens TIM Trio) to assess left ventricular (LV) function and myocardial strain, analyzed using cvi42® software. Mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex activity was analyzed using LV tissue from sGC-O and CTR-O euthanized baboons. Protein quantification was used to measure mitochondrial function and RNA-seq assessed differential gene expression and gene ontology (GO) enrichment. Unpaired t-tests were used. Data are reported as mean ± SD. Stroke volume and ejection fraction were similar in the elderly groups (4 sGC-O, 8 CTR-O). However, higher end-systolic and end-diastolic sphericity indexes (SI) and shorter LV axis lengths indicated remodeling. Also, global longitudinal and radial strains were reduced (both p&lt;0.04) in sGC-O vs. CTR-O. Reduced LV cardiac output (p=0.005) was found in 5 sGC-MA animals vs 4 sGC-O animals, but not in 5 CTR-MA vs 8 CTR-O. In sGC-MA vs sGC-O, but not CTR-MA vs CTR-O, significant increases in SI (p=0.001), radial strain (p=0.02), and longitudinal (p=0.03) strain were found, but LV axis length (p=0.03) was reduced. LV mitochondrial analysis in 4 sGC-O vs 4 CTR-O myocardial samples revealed 33.5% less ETC activity (p=0.002) and 19.8% less complex I expression (p=0.048) in sGC. LV RNA-seq identified 63 upregulated and 20 downregulated genes in the sGC-O samples. GO pathway enrichment included changes in heart contraction, wounding responses, and leukocyte regulation pathways. These findings indicate that fetal sGC exposure developmentally programs offspring with LV remodeling and long-term cardiac and gene expression changes in male baboons, the closest available experimental nonhuman primate species to man. Future studies on females will probe sexual dimorphism in developmental programming.

The relationship between grandparental childcare experience and relative handgrip strength among middle-aged and older adults.

Delayed marriage and childbirth often result in individuals becoming grandparents in middle and older age, coinciding with significant physical transitions. This study examines the relationship between the intensity of grandparental childcare, measured in terms of time-commitment over the last year, and relative handgrip strength among South Korea adults aged 45-84. Data from 3,742 participants with grandchildren were analyzed using the 2008-2010 waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. After applying propensity score matching, a final sample of 286 participants was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression model. Results showed that grandparents who provided childcare for an average of less than 40h per week (Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.62) were more likely to have lower handgrip strength compared to those without caregiving experience. Additionally, those over the age of 65 showed a similar trend (OR = 2.76). Conversely, grandparents with positive self-rated health were less likely to exhibit lower handgrip strength than those rating their health as moderate (OR = 0.28). Grandparents who provided care for more than half the year were also less likely to have lower handgrip strength than those who provided less frequent care (OR = 0.26). This study highlights grandparental childcare as both a vital family support mechanism and a factor influencing physical health. Findings on caregiving intensity, particularly the role of moderate weekly childcare hours and longer terms involvement, underscore the importance of aligning caregiving commitments with grandparents' health perceptions and capacities. Developing guidelines for optimal childcare duration and recommending physical activities tailored to support grandparents' well-being would further promote healthy aging within a family-centered caregiving system.

SIGNET RING WITH AN IMAGE OF A LILY FOUND AT THE SHUMEN VICINITY

The subject of the presented work is a signet ring with an image of a heraldic lily. Only the main sealing part, filled with glass paste, in which the image is engraved, has been preserved from the object. The thin ring soldered to the tile is not preserved. The traces from the solder of the ring to the solder on the reverse side of the board are clearly visible. The latter has an elliptical shape with a scalloped outline and bud-like ornamentation above it. The central part of the object is occupied by a deep socket filled with greenish glass paste, in which the image of the heraldic lily is carved. Rings with images of lilies from the late Middle Ages are a whole group, and therefore this type of decoration can be considered one of the favorites of this period. Most of the ornaments are made entirely of metal, the more famous ones being silver and gold. The symbolic meaning of the lily is a reason for it to appear on various art monuments, such as the portraits of the founders from the church "St. Nicholas" in Stanichane (XIV century), the late medieval belts with appliqués in the shape of lilies from the territory of Bulgaria and many others . In this context, we can also place the current ring with an engraved image of a heraldic lily from the era of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, found in the vicinity of Shumen and the Shumen Fortress, whose most active life was precisely during this period.

Abstract 4122679: Associations Between Recent and Cumulative Lifetime Cannabis Use and Sleep Health in Middle-Aged Adults: 35-Year Insights from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) and CARDIA Sleep Studies

Background: Cannabis use has become common, but its effects on sleep health—an important contributor to cardiovascular health—remain poorly understood. We investigated associations between recent and cumulative lifetime cannabis use and objective and subjective sleep measures in middle-aged adults. Method: We assessed recent cannabis use (last 30 days) repeatedly from young adulthood (age 18-30 at baseline in 1985-86) to middle age (after 35 years) in the longitudinal Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Cumulative lifetime cannabis use (1 year = 365 days of use) was estimated by summing days of use during follow-up. At Year 35 (Y35), we obtained objective sleep measures (duration, efficiency, fragmentation, wake after sleep onset [WASO]) via 7-day wrist actigraphy from CARDIA Sleep Ancillary Study II. Subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Robust regression models adjusted for Y35 age, sex, race, education, cumulative cigarette smoking, alcohol use, other substance use, physical activity, body mass index, sleep medication, and comorbidities. We also examined race, sex, and cigarette smoking status differences in associations. Result: Of 571 participants, mean age was 61.9 years; 65% were female, and 35% Black. Means (SD) for sleep duration, efficiency, fragmentation, WASO, and PSQI were 6.9 (1.1) hours, 90.5 (4.2)%, 20.6 (7.6)%, 43.5 (20.9) minutes, and 6.1 (3.6) scores, respectively. At Y35, 13.8% reported recent cannabis use, 56% reported former use, mean (SD) cumulative use was 1.6 (4.4) years. With adjustment, recent cannabis use was associated with longer sleep duration, lower efficiency, and higher WASO; former cannabis use was associated with longer sleep duration (Table). Compared to those with cumulative cannabis exposure years in the first quartile, fourth quartile users had longer sleep duration, lower efficiency, and higher WASO (β/p-value: 0.3/0.01, -1.2/0.01, and 8.9/&lt;.001, respectively). PSQI was not associated with recent or cumulative cannabis use. Associations were similar across race, sex, and cigarette smoking status. Conclusion: Recent and cumulative lifetime cannabis use is associated with longer sleep duration and poorer sleep quality in objective, but not subjective, measures. Further longitudinal studies are needed to identify interventions aimed at improving sleep health and promoting cardiovascular health in cannabis users.

Analysis of Lucy’s Female Consciousness in A Room with a View

Edward Morgan Forster is one of the greatest British writers of the 20th century, and this paper explores the awakening of the protagonist Lucy in Forster's third novel, A Room with a View. Forster directly confronts the problem of female consciousness through this book, reflecting the living conditions of women in the Middle Ages and the spiritual predicament of the British middle and upper classes. Based on the careful reading of the text and the research on the related female consciousness theories, this paper conducts a specific analysis and research on the three stages of Lucy's female consciousness awakening—absence, budding, and awakening. In particular, it pays much attention to the internal and external causes of the suppression of women's consciousness, such as the fundamental suppression of women's self-consciousness by the background of that times and the patriarchal culture, and has a deep insight into the rational inner world of Forster's to deep the understanding of his thoughts and writing style. Finally, the conclusion shows that only by realizing the unity of inner self and outer self, can women truly realize their self-worth. At the same time, the paper hopes to help readers understand the true meaning and beauty of love.

Confession and Penance in Selected Writings of Polish Scholars of the Late Middle Age

Confession and Penance in Selected Writings of Polish Scholars of the Late Middle Age