In Ceremony and Civility, Barbara Hanawalt shows how London's elected officials and elites in the late Middle Ages used ceremony and ritual to establish their legitimacy and power. In a largely immigrant population, the official appearances helped instruct the newly arrived about the power structure of the city, as did humiliating, public parades of offenders of laws through the streets.

Preface and Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1: The Urban Environment Chapter 2: The City and the Crown Chapter 3: Civic Rituals and Elected Officials Chapter 4: Rebellion and Submission Chapter 5: Gilds as Incubators for Citizenship Chapter 6: Civic Lessons for the Masses Conclusion Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

"This book is valuable as an introduction to the culture of governance of a medieval town, and will no doubt be very helpful to undergraduates and others approaching the topic for the first time (for such readers, it contains a handy glossary of relevant terms). It also ffers a fresh perspective on the topic by virtue of its attention to the newcomers to the city and others who were not integrated into civic institutions. The paperback edition contains many reproductions (in greyscale) of prints, drawings and manuscript images which evoke the experience of the medieval city." -- Charlotte Berry, The English Historical Review "Hanawalt makes an original and valuable contribution by focusing on the integrative purpose of civic culture in a city where citizenship was the preserve of a relatively small group and real political power was even more restrictedâ.This book is valuable as an introduction to the culture of governance of a medieval town, and will no doubt be very helpful to undergraduates and others approaching the topic for the first timeâ.It also offers a fresh perspective on the topic by virtue of its attention to the newcomers to the city and others who were not integrated into civic institutions." -- Charlotte Berry, English Historical Review "In Ceremony and Civility, as in her earlier work, Hanawalt carefully sifts through the archival materials and listens to what the documents have to say about Londoners' ideas of order, their annual observances, and even the smells, sights, and sounds on the streets... The reader will soak in both the civic organization of medieval London and its rich ideological and performative accoutrements. As such, Ceremony and Civility has much to offer readers as they consider the complex use and meanings of space by and for medieval actors." -- Kate Kelsey Staples, American Historical Review "Barbara Hanawalt's book is an excellent synthesis on London, exposing vividly nearly every aspect of urban life from the Guildhall to the ill-famed taverns. Her approach of the importance of the didactic nature of the ceremonies and rituals concerning the values and the power of the oligarchy is also very stimulating. Besides, it is well written and accessible to students and even a larger public, all the more so that it contains a glossary and an index of the notions, institutions and so on, explained in the book. ... This 'final book' of a fine historian is a great one and largely deserves to be read if one wants to understand the life of the most important city of late medieval England." -- The Medieval Review "Hanawalt's long record of books that combine careful scholarship with an approachable style is extended here, with an appeal to general readers as well as to students....Highly recommended."--CHOICE "Ceremony and Civility skillfully demonstrates the didactic functions embedded in the oaths, processions, punishments, and other rituals of medieval London's wards, parishes, and gilds. Scholars and students alike will benefit from this multifaceted exploration of how the performance of power via ceremonies and rituals not only reinforced the social hierarchy of late medieval London, but also instructed its residents--whether wealthy citizens or recent immigrants--in the values essential for the smooth functioning of civic society."--Maryanne Kowaleski, Fordham University "Hanawalt provides a stimulating discussion of medieval London's political culture and lavish ceremony. Her book vividly brings to life the diversity of London's people, the rituals enacted in the city streets, and the challenges posed for civic officials in a refreshing and accessible manner. Drawing upon London's rich archives, Hanawalt provides fascinating insights into the rituals and spectacles that shaped the city's governance. Ceremony and Civility is a major contribution to our understanding of how medieval ceremonial encouraged civic behavior and bolstered officialdom."--James Davis, Queen's University Belfast "In this book, Barbara Hanawalt explores the making of a lively public sphere in medieval London. She demonstrates how, through rituals embedded in the life cycle, work, and political participation, men were made into citizens. Ceremony and Civility will interest all historians, as it combines the fine traditions of social, political, cultural, and gendered history to show how religious language and gendered categories were interwoven in the making of civic life in this highly diverse capital city."--Miri Rubin, Queen Mary, University of London

Selling point: The first full-length book treatment of civic ceremony in medieval London Selling point: Addresses the problem of how to educate a largely immigrant and illiterate population about civic officials, government, laws and ordinances, and expected behavior in medieval London Selling point: Includes descriptions and analyses of official ceremonies and rituals of both the government and various gilds, as well as the humiliation ceremonies for those who broke laws or slandered or attacked public figures

Barbara A. Hanawalt is King George III Professor of British History Emerita, Ohio State University. Her books include The Ties That Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England (1986); Growing Up in Medieval London: The Experience of Childhood in History (1993); Of Good and Ill Repute: Gender and Social Control in Medieval England (1999); and The Wealth of Wives: Women, Law, and the Economy in Late Medieval London (2007).

Selling point: The first full-length book treatment of civic ceremony in medieval London Selling point: Addresses the problem of how to educate a largely immigrant and illiterate population about civic officials, government, laws and ordinances, and expected behavior in medieval London Selling point: Includes descriptions and analyses of official ceremonies and rituals of both the government and various gilds, as well as the humiliation ceremonies for those who broke laws or slandered or attacked public figures