| Unit name | Spectacle and Ceremony |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HARTM0316 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Williamson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History of Art (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Religious cultural production of all kinds (including architecture, art and music) was created with a function in mind: it was shaped by the twin demands of liturgy and devotion, the public ceremonial and spectacle of the church community, and the private prayer and contemplation of the religious individual. Much of the appearance of the medieval church exterior and interior was dictated not just by visual imperatives but by the demands of movement and sound, by liturgical procession and the music of the daily Offices and Mass. Through an examination of some key buildings, objects and music, this unit will consider contextual themes such as attitudes to life and death, power and patronage, ritual and commemoration, against the background of the visual and aural culture of medieval religious observance. Other types of spectacle and ceremony, particularly royal processions and the ceremonial surrounding coronations, will be considered also.
