Uncertain Refuge: Sanctuary in the Literature of Medieval England

by Elizabeth Allen

To seek sanctuary from persecution by entering a sacred space is an act of desperation, but also a symbolic endeavor: fugitives invoke divine presence to reach a precarious safe haven that imbues their lives with religious, social, or political significance. In medieval England, sanctuary was upheld under both canon and common law, and up to five hundred people sought sanctuary every year. What they found, however, was not so much a static refuge...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812253442
• ISBN13: 9780812253443
• Release Date: October 2021
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.1"