Leprosy and identity in the Middle Ages

Although leprosy affected very few people in medieval Europe, the disease has left a strong mark in the historical record, colouring modern-day impressions of the Middle Ages. For the first time, Leprosy and identity in the Middle Ages explores the identities of people affected by leprosy, especially the sufferers but also their caregivers and broader social networks. The chapters, by leading voices in the field such as Luke Demaitre, Carole Rawcliffe and Charlotte Roberts, as well as emerging researchers, challenge the view that people with leprosy were uniformly excluded and stigmatised. Instead, they reveal the complexity of responses to this disease and the fine line between segregation and integration. They range across disciplines, from history to art history and bioarchaeology, encompassing post-medieval perspectives on medieval leprosy as well as the attitudes and responses of medieval contemporaries. Leprosy and identity are considered in relation to hospital care, diet, sanctity, accounts of miraculous healing, diagnostic examinations, iconography, material culture, public health regulation and more. This richly illustrated collection presents previously unpublished archival and visual sources, as well as archaeological data, from England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the Holy Land. It makes an important contribution to the literature on the social, religious and cultural ramifications of illness in the past.