A literary case study of medieval Anglo-Jewish women in the plea rolls of the Exchequer of the Jews
| dc.contributor.author | Alexandria, Brooks | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-05-05T18:48:50Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-05-05T18:48:50Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Judicial records are the largest body of historical primary sources involving medieval Anglo-Jewish women, and so scholarship relies on them heavily; however, even today, a court ruling does not always mean truth. With a comparative historical and literary analysis, this research focused on the Solomon Turbe case—a complex murder trial that was recorded in the plea rolls in 1220 CE. Comitissa Turbe, the plaintiff, is determined to avenge her husband when he falls, or is pushed, off the Gloucester tower. Solomon’s death is ultimately ruled a suicide, but this case demonstrates an autonomy that Anglo-Jewish women enjoyed in the law courts. This autonomy did not come without strife. Comitissa is depicted within the record, through dramatization and stereotypes, as hysterical. These elements provide an opportunity for a literary reading. With the application Twine, potential histories have been mapped out and constructed into an interactive narrative to explore the literary elements that affect the portrayal of Comitissa (and others such as Mirabel of Gloucester) as well as to demonstrate the value of a literary reading and alternative forms of data representation. | |
| dc.description.reviewstatus | Reviewed | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Undergraduate | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22127 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University Of Victoria | |
| dc.subject | medieval | |
| dc.subject | Anglo-Jewish | |
| dc.subject | women | |
| dc.subject | digital humanities | |
| dc.subject | legal | |
| dc.subject | Twine | |
| dc.title | A literary case study of medieval Anglo-Jewish women in the plea rolls of the Exchequer of the Jews | |
| dc.type | Poster |