Tag Archives: charity

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday, in the Middle Ages, was a day for charitable acts. Some kings made a practice of washing the feet of beggars. Louix IX of France, later St. Louis, washed the feet of lepers. In more ordinary aristocratic and … Continue reading

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Life-death of a leper

Having mapped out the most common modes of adult life in medieval Europe, I turn to a unique life cycle that serves as a bridge to talking about death: the life of a leper. Lepers were legally dead while still … Continue reading

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