First full study devoted to the archery and crossbow guilds which grew up in Flanders in the middle ages. The notion of ""guilds"" in civic society might conjure images of craft guilds, the organisations of butchers, bakers or brewers set up to regulate working practises. In the towns of medieval Flanders, however, a plethora of guildsexisted which had little or nothing to do with the organisation of labour, including chambers of rhetoric, urban jousters and archery and crossbow guilds.
This is the first full-length study of the archery and crossbow guilds, encompassing not only the great urban centres of Ghent, Bruges and Lille but also numerous smaller towns, whose participation in guild culture was nonetheless significant. It examines guild membership, structure and organisation, revealing the diversity of guild brothers - and sisters - and bringing to life the elaborate social occasions when princes and plumbers would dine together. The most spectacular of these were the elaborate regional shooting competitions, whose entrances alone included play wagons, light shows and even an elephant! It also considers their social and cultural activities, and their important role in strengthening and rebuilding regional networks. Overall, it provides a new perspective on the strength of community within Flemish towns and the values that underlay medieval urban ideology.
LAURA CROMBIE gained her PhD from the university of Glasgow.
By:
Laura Crombie
Imprint: The Boydell Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 15mm
Weight: 414g
ISBN: 9781783273058
ISBN 10: 1783273054
Pages: 269
Publication Date: 15 June 2018
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction: Archery and Crossbow Guilds in Flemish Civic Society 'For security, guard and defence' of this town: guilds' origins and military service 'Guild-brothers': guild organisation and the membership of the archery and crossbow guilds of Bruges 1437-1481 'For Drinking in recreational assemblies': the Archery and Crossbow Guilds as Social and Devotional Communities 'For the honour of the Duke and of the Town': Guilds and authority 'For friendship, community and brotherhood': Archery and crossbow competitions as part of civic honour and identity Archery and Crossbow Guilds and their Competitions in Regional Networks and as tools of Social Peace Conclusion: Guilds in Civic Society Bibliography
Reviews for Archery and Crossbow Guilds in Medieval Flanders, 1300-1500
A well-written, original and thought-provoking book. URBAN HISTORY This is an important study of groups that have all too often been regarded as colorful but marginal institutions. . . . [This] rich study offers a new angle of vision on medieval Flanders and suggests areas worthy of further study. SIXTEENTH CENTURY JOURNAL [An] excellent study.....This is an important book on a topic that most earlier literature has dealt with only superficially or in local studies. HISTORY A welcome addition [and] very readable. THE RICARDIAN With numerous examples and an eye for relevant detail Crombie offers us the first study integrally devoted to a comparative study of these Flemish guilds. Furthermore, she uses abundant secondary literature, and, more importantly, interesting source material, of which much was never consulted before by historians. In sum, Crombie has written an important work for scholars of guild activities and urban Flanders in particular, and late medieval community life in general. RENAISSANCE QUARTERLY
