Inventing medieval landscapes

the long version

Far from the forest primeval of popular imagination, the historians and literary scholars in this book describe a Western European landscape just as consciously constructed by its inhabitants as any modern landscape--physically, conceptually, and spiritually. All appearing for the first time in print, their essays provide a wealth of detail on this "deep ecology" of the Middle Ages and a better understanding of the creativity and skill of our cultural ancestors. "This fascinating collection of highly readable essays literally opens new vistas on the medieval landscape. Readers who imagine a primordial, unspoiled landscape will be surprised to discover that the medieval landscape was an artifact that medieval men and women managed, created, and imagined in creative ways over and over again."-- John J. Contreni, Purdue University. "A real contribution to what we know about the relations between nature and culture, intersecting in landscapes. . . . I know of no other single volume that offers such a wide array of approaches and perspectives on the topic. A pleasurable volume to read."-- William H. TeBrake, University of Maine.