Grim Look and Teeth-Gnashing

Conditions of Constructing John and Henry III's Emotions in Chronicles and Letters (1199–1272)

By (author) Christina Bröker

Book cover: Grim Look and Teeth-Gnashing

Publisher: V&R unipress

Subjects: Medieval Studies

Series: Orbis Mediaevalis

Language: English

Hardback (Forthcoming)

(May 2027)

ISBN: 9783847120872

Price: $82.00

From anger in letters to rage in chronicles – An analysis of the reasons for attributing emotions


This study offers a new approach to emotions in writing, further refining our understanding of historiography, the process of writing and attributing emotions, and questions the extent to which we can access medieval kings and their habitus through these narratives. Looking at different conflicts during the reigns of the English kings John and Henry III and different chronicles in comparison, we can identify moral, rhetorical, and political influences, detail nuances and distinctions in descriptions, and highlight the fragile relationship between reality and its description by chroniclers. Although some results are sobering, they paradoxically bring us closer to medieval people, while emphasising the need for caution when approaching these characters, due to the filters we must consider.

Dr. Christina Bröker war nach einem Studium der Politikwissenschaft und Geschichte Doktorandin an der Universität Regensburg und wurde dort im Juli 2024 promoviert. Seit 2022 lehrt und forscht sie an der Universität Paderborn im Arbeitsbereich Mittelalterliche Geschichte.

  • By (author) Christina Bröker