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Chapter 6 - The Kalends of January

The Persistence of Popular Culture1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2024

Lucy Grig
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
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Summary

This final substantive chapter looks in detail at the festival of the Kalends of January as an extended case study for the persistence of popular culture in late antiquity. This distinctively late antique festival is examined from a number of angles, looking at its official and informal, public and private dimensions. Next, the longstanding ecclesiastical critique of the festival as ‘pagan’ is discussed. Key themes of the festival are then considered in turn, starting with the role of festive licence, often seen as a central feature of popular culture more broadly. The Kalends masquerades, including dressing up as animals and in the clothes of the opposite sex, are explored. Next the important element of gift exchange is discussed, providing a way in to look at the social and economic dimensions of the festival. In this way this chapter shows the continuing role of the festival in negotiating the unequal yet broadly stable social relations of late antique Provence, despite the hostility of the church.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • The Kalends of January
  • Lucy Grig, University of Edinburgh
  • Book: Popular Culture and the End of Antiquity in Southern Gaul, c. 400–550
  • Online publication: 15 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108868792.006
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  • The Kalends of January
  • Lucy Grig, University of Edinburgh
  • Book: Popular Culture and the End of Antiquity in Southern Gaul, c. 400–550
  • Online publication: 15 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108868792.006
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Kalends of January
  • Lucy Grig, University of Edinburgh
  • Book: Popular Culture and the End of Antiquity in Southern Gaul, c. 400–550
  • Online publication: 15 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108868792.006
Available formats
×