Title
Clandestine Marriage and the Church: King Horn after the Fourth Lateran Council
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
Department
English
Language
English
Publication Title
Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Abstract
The early thirteenth-century romance King Horn turns upon a series of failed marriage contracts between Horn and his lover Rymenhild. In each of these contracts, Horn and Rymenhild script their own vows, revealing detailed knowledge of the intricacies of medieval marriage law. By stacking one incomplete contract on top of another, King Horn draws attention to specific gaps and inconsistencies within medieval marriage regulations: particularly those affected by the reforms of the Fourth Lateran Council. This article will argue that by analyzing the delays, disruptions, and interferences within Horn and Rymenhild’s marriage, we can see their relationship as a test case that exposes the inherent inadequacy of the Church’s ability to regulate the sacrament of marriage.
DOI
10.1353/cjm.2016.0036
Recommended Citation
Skalak, Chelsea. "Clandestine Marriage and the Church: King Horn after the Fourth Lateran Council." Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies 47 (2016): 135-161. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/628022
Comments
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