The Waning of the Middle Ages
by Johan Huizinga
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"To the world when it was half a thousand years younger," Huizinga begins, "the outline of all things seemed more clearly marked than to us." Life seemed to consist in extremes ?a fierce religious asceticism and an unrestrained licentiousness, ferocious judicial punishments and great popular waves of pity and mercy, the most horrible crimes and the most extravagant acts of saintliness ?and everywhere a sea of tears, for men have never wept so unrestrainedly as in those centuries. First show more published in 1924, this brilliant portrait of the life, thought, and art in France and the Netherlands in the 14th and 15th centuries is our most trenchant study of that crucial moment in history when the Middle Ages gave way to the great energy of the Renaissance. From an analysis of the dominating ideas of the times ?those that held the medieval world together, supported its religion and informed its art and literature ?emerges the style of a whole culture at the extreme limit of its development. show lessTags
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Huizinga writes vividly and with a keen eye for an engaging anecdote, but overall I found The Waning of the Middle Ages (also translated into English as The Autumn or The Decline of the Middle Ages) to be more useful as a source for early twentieth-century understandings of the Middle Ages, and indeed for then contemporary culture, than for the medieval period itself. The particular topics on which Huizinga chooses to write are interesting, and indeed presage many of the studies which later cultural historians and historians of mentalité, would produce—feuds and hairstyles, colour symbolism and pageantry.
But the tone and measure of the judgement which Huizinga passes on fourteenth and fifteenth-century western Europe was a turn-off show more to me. One of the tricky balancing acts which historians must of course perform is to pass judgment without being judgemental; to recognise their own roles in constructing historical narratives without letting their own particular presence warp that narrative. It's not an act which Huizinga pulls off; he is too convinced of the inherent superiority of his own period of history. He condescends to the Middle Ages as a period of childishness, of "superficiality, inexactness, and credulity"; Huizinga repeatedly informs the reader that medieval people said or did or believed things which "we" would of course disdain. I can see why this is a minor classic in the field, but it's not one which I found inspirational. show less
But the tone and measure of the judgement which Huizinga passes on fourteenth and fifteenth-century western Europe was a turn-off show more to me. One of the tricky balancing acts which historians must of course perform is to pass judgment without being judgemental; to recognise their own roles in constructing historical narratives without letting their own particular presence warp that narrative. It's not an act which Huizinga pulls off; he is too convinced of the inherent superiority of his own period of history. He condescends to the Middle Ages as a period of childishness, of "superficiality, inexactness, and credulity"; Huizinga repeatedly informs the reader that medieval people said or did or believed things which "we" would of course disdain. I can see why this is a minor classic in the field, but it's not one which I found inspirational. show less
"To the world when it was half a thousand years younger," [the author] begins, "the outline of all things seemed more clearly marked than to us." Life seemed to consist in extremes – a fierce religious asceticism and an unrestrained licentiousness, ferocious judicial punishments and great popular waves of pity and mercy, the most horrible crimes and the most extravagant acts of saintliness – and everywhere a sea of tears, for men have never wept so unrestrainedly as in those centuries.
This brilliant portrait of the life, thought, and art in France and the Netherlands in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries is our most trenchant study of that crucial moment in history when the Middle Ages gave way to the great energy of the show more Renaissance. From an analysis of the dominating ideas of the times – those that held the medieval world together, supported its religion and informed its art and literature – emerges the style of a whole culture at the extreme limit of its development. show less
This brilliant portrait of the life, thought, and art in France and the Netherlands in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries is our most trenchant study of that crucial moment in history when the Middle Ages gave way to the great energy of the show more Renaissance. From an analysis of the dominating ideas of the times – those that held the medieval world together, supported its religion and informed its art and literature – emerges the style of a whole culture at the extreme limit of its development. show less
The Waning of the Middle Ages was groundbreaking cultural study when it was published in 1924. He drops a lot of names, assuming that readers automatically know who he is talking about. For example, he mentions Emerson, but does not identify as Ralph Waldo Emerson. He relies on texts from the period and Froissart, Denis the Carthusian, and the Chastellain are frequently referred to by Huizanga. He paints the late Middle Ages as a dark,violent, and melancholy time of contradictions. He argues that the dominant thoughts of the period that governed norms and behaviors literally ran into a dead end leading to new ideas and a new era.
There were certainly some interesting topics on chivalry and the political process, for instance, as well as Leaders being accustomed to fighting rather than throwing the peasantry into battle. While I used to be interested in medieval period, this book just did not hold my interest. I suppose I feel more relevant topics to be more useful at this point in my life.
There were certainly some interesting topics on chivalry and the political process, for instance, as well as Leaders being accustomed to fighting rather than throwing the peasantry into battle. While I used to be interested in medieval period, this book just did not hold my interest. I suppose I feel more relevant topics to be more useful at this point in my life.
I studied this book in undergrad as part of my focus on European cultural history with Professor Peyton at WWU. It acts as a major underpinning for me in regards to my understanding of the Middle Ages. There is so much to be learned about the human experience in this unique text. It deserves another read and I shall give it one soon.
I would only add to baswood's excellent review that the emotionalism Huizinga describes also had to do with how young most people were.
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ThingScore 100
De twee eeuwen rond het jaar 1400 in de delen van Frankrijk en Nederland die toen Boergondië vormden, zijn het onderwerp van deze historie. Het is geen politieke geschiedenis, ook geen sociale of economische geschiedenis, maar een mentaliteitsgeschiedenis: hoe dachten en deden die late Middeleeuwen in onze buurt? Bij mijn derde lezing geef ik me gewonnen. Het gaat hier om een meesterwerk. En show more als ik straks tegen het monument ga schoppen, dan is dat omdat een artikel met louter lof niet prettig lezen is. show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Waning of the Middle Ages
- Original title
- Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen
- Alternate titles*
- The Autumn of the Middle Ages; Autunno del medioevo; Herbst des Mittelalters; El otoño de la Edad Media : estudios sobre la forma de la vida y del espíritu durante los siglos XIV Y XV en Francia Y en los Países Bajos; Jesen srednjega veka; Jesień średniowieczna (show all 8); Podzim středověku; L'automne du Moyen Âge
- Original publication date
- 1924
- People/Characters
- Fistlock; Windslow; Molly Folly Sallyforth
- Important places
- Burgundy, France; The Netherlands
- Important events*
- 14. Jahrhundert; 15. Jahrhundert
- First words
- To the world when it was half a thousand years younger, the outlines of all things seemed more clearly marked than to us.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"The tide is turning, the tone of life is about to change."
- Original language
- Dutch
- Disambiguation notice
- Do not combine The Waning of the Middle Ages, a shortened and reorganised translation of Huizinga's text, with the original Dutch work or any other translation.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Art & Design, Religion & Spirituality
- DDC/MDS
- 914.4 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in Europe France and Monaco
- LCC
- DC33.2 .H83 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania France – Andorra – Monaco History of France Antiquities. Social life and customs. Ethnography
- BISAC
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- ISBNs
- 29
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 48