Alcuin of York’s Sexual Orientation and the Methodological Question of Studying ‘Homoerotic’ Language in the Middle Ages
Abstract
This paper deals with the question of the sexual orientation of leading Carolingian scholar Alcuin of York. The authors begin by defining the term 'queer sexuality' as divergent from dominant forms of sexuality, before proceeding to present a brief overview of the life and work of Alcuin of York.
The authors then turn to the primary sources that originally sparked the debate regarding Alcuin's sexual orientation, followed by theoretical considerations on the methodological approaches that may be used to interpret 'queer' sources of the Middle Ages more generally, and the application of these methods in the specific case of Alcuin of York. Whether or not Alcuin's sexuality was really 'queer', the authors argue, cannot be stated with certainty.
Assuming it was, however, one may describe its manifestation in the given sources as a manifestation of queerness in its sublimated form, and as part of their own contemporary discourse on spiritual love and friendship.