The Ruler’s Body
By comparing Ming and Qing emperors with Western kings and princes of the Late Middle Ages, the course will explore the very contradiction between sacred and human aspects of royal function. After a historiographical survey of both areas, we will focus on the ruler’s images and self-fashioning, his or her life and death, health care, court medicine and cultural exchanges. Such topics as sexualities, illness, madness, poisons and detoxification, for instance, will enable us to understand what makes the ruler’s body so exceptional.
Please note that classes will be taught in English, jointly by Pr. Hsiu-fen Chen (NCCU, Taiwan) and Pr. Gilles Lecuppre.
- Enseignant: Lecuppre Gilles