Magical safe spaces : the role of literature in Medieval and early modern magic

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] My dissertation argues that medieval and early modern English romances provided magic a safe space where authors and audiences engaged with the ideas of magic and superstition free from the risk of condemnation and the inquisition of medieval and early modern secular and religious authorities. The term safe space is a contemporary idea used to discuss spaces, both literal and figurative, where people who identify as LGTBQ+ are welcomed and free to express themselves. While the modern idea of a safe space has a very specific group of users and uses, it is the figurative idea of a safe space which I argue can be applied to otherworlds in medieval and early modern romances. I discuss late medieval and early modern romances as well as their interaction with and difference from historical records, trials, and treatises on magic. My methodology combines a historicist approach with Marxist and feminist theory in its exploration of magical safe spaces. The later Middle Ages were a time of increased scrutiny of non-religious behaviors, a narrowing of what constituted witchcraft and diabolism, and an upsurge in the numbers of heretical accusations and trials. Similarly, early modern England experienced an increase in accusations and investigations of magic, witchcraft, and heresy. My dissertation draws connections between historical documents and medieval and early modern literature and argues that as societal concerns about feminine heretical practice increased, literature found safe ways to explore these ideas. In doing this, medieval and early modern romance became a safe space for the exploration of magic generally and female magic users specifically.