Sensory history – Projects GIEM

“From the theoretical guidelines proposed by the Sensory History and the Anthropology of the senses, we intend to approach an aspect little treated in medieval historiography: soundscape. These sounds represent a space full of activity and movement: and the sounds of nature report the phenomena that occur in this, produced by men report their presence and their related activities. The sound of a human group manifestations are a reflection of social and cultural experience, historically determined. In this line of analysis, the medieval period remains strangely silent. It is known for its literature, its monuments and its objects, but not for its sounds and silences. This, partly, it is because, as Constance Classen demonstrated, in the western world the cultural importance of sight increases, between the Middle Ages and Modernity, while that of the other senses decreases”.

“What did the men and women of the Middle Ages hear?? How did they do it? What place did they give to sounds and silences? What records do we have of the different medieval sounds? How to reconstitute them? These questions are just a sample of the many questions that we can ask ourselves about 'sound and auditory issues’ from middle Ages. From the theoretical guidelines proposed by the History of the senses, we intend to approach an aspect little treated in medieval historiography: soundscape. Just as the sounds of nature inform about the phenomena that occur in it, those produced by men report their presence, being historically determined. Despite the fact that the Middle Ages stood out for its sonority, the works related to its soundscapes are scarce and this despite the successive historiographic renovations known since the twenties of the last century. In this line of analysis, the medieval period remains strangely silent. It is known for its literature, its monuments and its objects, but not for its sounds and silences, as we have been able to demonstrate in the first part of this Project (2013-2014)”.

“Previously executed projects –sensescapes, sounds and silences of the Middle Ages (I) it has been (II), 2013-2016– allowed us to define our own and specific field of action, related to the identification of medieval soundscapes. We were able to answer questions such as what medieval men and women listened to, how they did it, what place they gave to sounds and silences, what written records have come down to us regarding the different medieval sounds and how to reconstruct them. These questions are just a sample of the many questions that we can ask ourselves about 'sound and auditory issues’ from middle Ages, that this time we propose to approach from the notion of soundscape, thus incorporating music and liturgy, not studied in the aforementioned projects. From the theoretical guidelines proposed by the History of the senses, We continue to delve into these aspects that are scarcely addressed and that allowed the research generated within the framework of our projects to become international benchmarks for sensory studies., as well as the formation of a multidisciplinary team in which some of the main specialists on the subject participate”.

“Previously executed projects –sensescapes, sounds and silences of the Middle Ages (I) it has been (II) 2013- 2016 y Medieval soundscapes 2017-2018– allowed us to define our own and specific field of action, related to the identification of medieval soundscapes. We were able to answer questions such as what did medieval men and women listen to?, how they did it, what place they gave to sounds and silences, what written records have come down to us regarding the different medieval sounds and how to reconstruct them. Thanks to the results of these initiatives, we managed to propose a plausible way of studying the Middle Ages through the analysis of sound perceptions, and with it, advance in a holistic approach to the senses. In this opportunity, we propose to explore the sense of smell, taste and touch, and continue with the auditory inquiry. From the theoretical guidelines proposed by the History of the senses, We continue to delve into these little-addressed aspects that allowed the research generated in the framework of our projects, become international benchmarks for sensory studies as well as the formation of a multidisciplinary team, in which some of the main specialists on the subject participate”.

“Previously executed projects –sensescapes, sounds and silences of the Middle Ages (I) it has been (II) 2013- 2016, medieval soundscapes 2017-2018 and The Middle Ages through the senses (I) 2019-2020– They allowed us to define our own and specific field of knowledge and action, related to the identification of medieval soundscapes, sensory marks, sound maps and sensory communities. Also, we were able to answer questions regarding the importance of the senses in the formation of social groups, in the establishment of patterns of behavior and in the cultural life of those centuries. Thanks to the results of these initiatives, we were able to propose a plausible way of studying the Middle Ages through a holistic approach to the senses. In this opportunity, we propose to explore, jointly, the sense of smell, like, touch, sight and hearing. From the theoretical guidelines proposed by the History of the senses, We continue to delve into these scarcely addressed aspects that allowed the research generated, within the framework of our projects, will become international benchmarks for sensory studies, as well as the formation of a multidisciplinary work team, in which some of the main specialists on the subject and national and foreign researchers participate”.

We propose to investigate how in the Middle Ages, based on the various documentary sources that have reached the present, turned to the body, emotions and senses to configure their different visions of society and the world, notions that today are recovered and redefined in cultural productions that take the Middle Ages as a theme and aesthetic problem..
In that framework, We will work the corpus with three operational criteria for the planned analysis and that, at once, allow us to address problems jointly, given that the different notions of body, of emotions and senses are manifested in the documentation in an integrated way. This approach supposes a dialogue between historiography from the mid-20th century onwards with the theoretical developments of other disciplines. (like literature, semiotics, archeology, philosophy, the right, etc.), related to the limits we have to access the past and reconstruct it. These categories will allow us to study specific phenomena of representation of the Middle Ages in the corpus based on oppositions., such as human/non-human, own/other's; the public/the private and the permitted/the prohibited, among others.
The previous and ongoing research of those of us who formulated this project ensure that the multiple symbolic facets of the body, emotions and senses, as well as its analogies with the person and with the institutions of social life, They build notions and guide practices that manifest themselves in each historical moment with a particular physiognomy and functionality.. Semantic plurality and the diachronic bases of the idea of ​​body, emotions and senses enable an interdisciplinary study, comparative and hermeneutical that contributes to understanding its historicity, its ideological impact and the countless aesthetic possibilities that it promotes in different areas of culture, both from the Middle Ages and from the present
actual.

We continue with the investigation about how in the Middle Ages, based on the various documentary sources that have reached the present, turned to the body, emotions and senses to configure their different visions of society and the world, notions that today are recovered and redefined in cultural productions that take the Middle Ages as a theme and aesthetic problem..
In that framework, and in continuity of stage I of the project, We will work the corpus with three operational criteria for the planned analysis and that, at once, allow us to address problems jointly, given that the different notions of body, of emotions and senses are manifested in the documentation in an integrated way. This approach supposes a dialogue between historiography from the mid-20th century onwards with the theoretical developments of other disciplines. (like literature, semiotics, archeology, philosophy, the right, etc.), related to the limits we have to access the past and reconstruct it. These categories will allow us to study specific phenomena of representation of the Middle Ages in the corpus based on oppositions., such as human/non-human, own/other's; the public/the private and the permitted/the prohibited, among others.
The previous and ongoing research of those of us who formulated this project ensure that the multiple symbolic facets of the body, emotions and senses, as well as its analogies with the person and with the institutions of social life, They build notions and guide practices that manifest themselves in each historical moment with a particular physiognomy and functionality.. Semantic plurality and the diachronic bases of the idea of ​​body, emotions and senses enable an interdisciplinary study, comparative and hermeneutical that contributes to understanding its historicity, its ideological impact and the countless aesthetic possibilities that it promotes in different areas of culture, both from the Middle Ages and from the present
actual.