“I am no man”: An Introduction to Medievalism Through Analysis of Representations of Women in Power in The Lord of the Rings Movies

This podcast serves as an introduction into the concept of medievalism through interviews with people who do not have a formal background in medieval history, and an analysis of the representation of medieval women in power in the Lord of the Rings movies.

I would like to thank Sydney, Connor, and Ruth for letting me interview them, and for giving such thoughtful responses!

Bibliography

“A letter from Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury (1104).” Epistolae, Medieval Women’s Latin Letters. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://epistolae.ctl.columbia.edu/letter/235.html. 

“A letter from Rotrud of Rouen, archbishop ().” Epistolae, Medieval Women’s Latin Letters. Accessed May 5, 2022. https://epistolae.ctl.columbia.edu/letter/143.html.

Cassagnes-Brouquet, Sophie. “In the service of the Just War: Matilda of Tuscany (eleventh-twelfth centuries).” Clio 39, no. 1 (2014): 35-52

Earenfight, Theresa. Queenship in Medieval Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Earenfight, Theresa. “Without the Persona of the Prince: Kings, Queens and the Idea of Monarchy in Late Medieval Europe.” Gender & History 19, no.1 (April 2007): 1–21. 

Jackson, Peter, director. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition. New Line Cinema, 2011.

Jackson, Peter, director. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition. New Line Cinema, 2011.

Jackson, Peter, director. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition. New Line Cinema, 2011.

“My Fair Lady? How We Think About Medieval Women.” The Public Medievalist. Accessed June 11, 2022. https://www.publicmedievalist.com/my-fair-lady/.

Kaufman, Amy S., and Paul B. Sturtevant. “Knights in Shining Armor and Damsels in Distress.” In The Devil’s Historian: How Extremists Abuse the Medieval Past, 103-125. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020. 

Pick, Lucy K. Her Father’s Daughter: Gender, Power, and Religion in The Early Spanish Kingdoms. Cornell University Press, 2017.

“Ranking Female Character Development In LOTR.” Bustle. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.bustle.com/articles/133978-9-lord-of-the-rings-women-ranked-by-character-development-including-elves-hobbits-alike.

Rohr, Zita, and Lisa Benz. Queenship, Gender, and Reputation in the Medieval and Early Modern West, 1060-1600. Springer International Publishing, 2016.

“The Soft Power of Tough Medieval Women.” The Public Medievalist. Accessed June 11, 2022. https://www.publicmedievalist.com/tough-medieval-women/.