The monstrous female: monstrosity in the Anglo-Saxon monstrous and early modern witchcraft traditions

Saunders, Rosalyn (2009) The monstrous female: monstrosity in the Anglo-Saxon monstrous and early modern witchcraft traditions. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis will analyse the medieval monster tradition along gender lines and assess how the gender-monstrosity matrix informed the early modern Scottish and English witchcraft traditions. This new analysis of witchcraft literature will involve re-conceiving it as part of
a much longer continuum of monstrosity that may be traced to the Anglo-Saxon Marvels of the East. An analysis of witches in relation to monsters is justified owing to the consistent tendency in the monsters literature to define as monstrous violations of stereotyped masculine and feminine behaviours. I aim to demonstrate that witchcraft literature displays a similar ideological approach by identifying the transgression of stereotyped gender roles as a primary characteristic of witches, both male and female.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Due to copyright restrictions the full text of this thesis cannot be made available online. Access to the printed version is available once any embargo periods have expired.
• Keywords: Monstrosity, gender, marvels, witchcraft
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PE English
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Language and Linguistics
• Supervisor's Name: Strickland, Dr. Debra H.
• Date of Award: 2009
• Depositing User: Ms Rosalyn Saunders
• Unique ID: glathesis:2009-594
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 09 Mar 2009
• Last Modified: 10 Dec 2012 13:20
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/594