The thought of the coronavirus pandemic through the use of the Middle Ages (2020-2021)
Authorship
N.B.R.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
N.B.R.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 12:00
07.10.2025 12:00
Summary
The coronavirus pandemic and its consequent lockdown had a notorious impact on the thought and cultural production of the society of their time. As a reaction to the new circumstances, the Middle Ages were used more often in culture. This paper seeks to explain this renewal of interest in the medieval in the middle of a global crisis. To this end, we have compiled medieval media that circulated between 2020 and 2021, that we will analized with the methodological help of neomedievalism. We will focus particularly on memes, as they functioned as one of the main communication tools during isolation.
The coronavirus pandemic and its consequent lockdown had a notorious impact on the thought and cultural production of the society of their time. As a reaction to the new circumstances, the Middle Ages were used more often in culture. This paper seeks to explain this renewal of interest in the medieval in the middle of a global crisis. To this end, we have compiled medieval media that circulated between 2020 and 2021, that we will analized with the methodological help of neomedievalism. We will focus particularly on memes, as they functioned as one of the main communication tools during isolation.
Direction
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Tutorships)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
The Ars moriendi: A cultural production from the conception of death in the European Late Middle Ages.
Authorship
A.C.V.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
A.C.V.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 15:30
07.10.2025 15:30
Summary
An analysis of the Ars moriendi as a historical source, of its function as a religious literary production, and its influence on the changing mentality surrounding death in the final centuries of the Late Middle Ages; addressing issues such as religiosity, the diffusion of new ideas, and the contemporaneity of this source with other types of artistic and cultural expressions.
An analysis of the Ars moriendi as a historical source, of its function as a religious literary production, and its influence on the changing mentality surrounding death in the final centuries of the Late Middle Ages; addressing issues such as religiosity, the diffusion of new ideas, and the contemporaneity of this source with other types of artistic and cultural expressions.
Direction
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, XOSE MANOEL (Tutorships)
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, XOSE MANOEL (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
Women of the coast: a feminine approach to the medieval villages of A Mariña
Authorship
I.C.G.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
I.C.G.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 18:00
07.10.2025 18:00
Summary
Some of the towns of the Mariña represent an important enclave within the Galician medieval urban phenomenon. But what happens when we want to see these cities in feminine terms? This work aims to delve into this void, carrying out research that focuses on the medieval women living on this coast. By means of a bibliographical review and consultation of local archives, an approach will be made to the different spaces with which these coastal ladies can be related. On the one hand, the legal space will be analysed, in which numerous women with power and influence are documented, especially visible in the market of patrimonial goods and in wills. On the other hand, the elite spaces will be examined, addressing the influence from the distance of royal figures and the prominence of lay aristocrats from a more local position. In addition, a study will be made of the spaces of religion, mainly of those women who were placed in monasteries, but also of the exceptional nature of the “emparedada” of Mondoñedo. We will also analyse the areas of work, through the specific jobs they carry out. In this way, in general, the different female entities will be dealt with, either with their own name or with the more imprecise but integrating anonymity.
Some of the towns of the Mariña represent an important enclave within the Galician medieval urban phenomenon. But what happens when we want to see these cities in feminine terms? This work aims to delve into this void, carrying out research that focuses on the medieval women living on this coast. By means of a bibliographical review and consultation of local archives, an approach will be made to the different spaces with which these coastal ladies can be related. On the one hand, the legal space will be analysed, in which numerous women with power and influence are documented, especially visible in the market of patrimonial goods and in wills. On the other hand, the elite spaces will be examined, addressing the influence from the distance of royal figures and the prominence of lay aristocrats from a more local position. In addition, a study will be made of the spaces of religion, mainly of those women who were placed in monasteries, but also of the exceptional nature of the “emparedada” of Mondoñedo. We will also analyse the areas of work, through the specific jobs they carry out. In this way, in general, the different female entities will be dealt with, either with their own name or with the more imprecise but integrating anonymity.
Direction
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Tutorships)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Co-tutorships)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Tutorships)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Co-tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
SUAREZ GONZALEZ, ANA ISABEL (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
SUAREZ GONZALEZ, ANA ISABEL (Member)
The Representation of Fear in 12th Century Historiography through the Historia Compostelana and the Codex Calixtinus
Authorship
P.C.A.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
P.C.A.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 15:30
07.10.2025 15:30
Summary
The 12th century is a very useful period for studying the Galician Middle Ages. It is a time of general prosperity, during which the reigning paradigm had fully shifted to feudalism, accompanied by significant economic growth and the consequent rise in population. Furthermore, new major changes took shape also a result of this widespread prosperity such as monastic renewal and urban expansion, which in turn brought about social transformations of a more or less violent nature. This series of social, economic, and political factors created a perfect scenario for what would become the golden age of Galician literature and culture. From the Compostela seat, which had established itself as a political, spiritual, and now cultural capital, a multitude of studies and publications were promoted, culminating in its two great masterpieces: the Codex Calixtinus and the Historia Compostelana. These works would change the way history was written not only within the kingdom but also beyond the borders of the Iberian Peninsula. Fear, undoubtedly, is one of the key factors behind the genesis of these works, and it remains a constant presence in their internal architecture. Within this context, the aim of this paper is to study fear as a tool present in the cultural and political writing practices of 12th-century Galicia, especially in the Codex Calixtinus and the Historia Compostellana. To that end, we will: a) study the contexts in which these materials emerged; b) analyze the two works, their composition and authorship; c) identify how fear is represented in these two sources; and d) consider how fear was used in the political context of the time within the chronicles and its relationship to that context.
The 12th century is a very useful period for studying the Galician Middle Ages. It is a time of general prosperity, during which the reigning paradigm had fully shifted to feudalism, accompanied by significant economic growth and the consequent rise in population. Furthermore, new major changes took shape also a result of this widespread prosperity such as monastic renewal and urban expansion, which in turn brought about social transformations of a more or less violent nature. This series of social, economic, and political factors created a perfect scenario for what would become the golden age of Galician literature and culture. From the Compostela seat, which had established itself as a political, spiritual, and now cultural capital, a multitude of studies and publications were promoted, culminating in its two great masterpieces: the Codex Calixtinus and the Historia Compostelana. These works would change the way history was written not only within the kingdom but also beyond the borders of the Iberian Peninsula. Fear, undoubtedly, is one of the key factors behind the genesis of these works, and it remains a constant presence in their internal architecture. Within this context, the aim of this paper is to study fear as a tool present in the cultural and political writing practices of 12th-century Galicia, especially in the Codex Calixtinus and the Historia Compostellana. To that end, we will: a) study the contexts in which these materials emerged; b) analyze the two works, their composition and authorship; c) identify how fear is represented in these two sources; and d) consider how fear was used in the political context of the time within the chronicles and its relationship to that context.
Direction
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Tutorships)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
The Galician-Portuguese moral songs: study and critical edition
Authorship
U.C.C.
Master in Literary and Culture Studies
U.C.C.
Master in Literary and Culture Studies
Defense date
02.20.2025 12:00
02.20.2025 12:00
Summary
In general terms, the main aim of this End of Master’s Degree Project (EMP) is the study and the annotated critical edition of the Galician-Portuguese songs of moral theme. The corpus of study is made up of compositions by several prominent authors in Galician-Portuguese lyrical production, active in different periods and belonging to different estates. This research will allow us to explore the ethical message that each author attempts to convey through their compositions, and eventually determine the existence of similarities and differences between them. First, detailed information will be provided about authors, the transmission of the texts that constitute the corpus and the thematic, stylistic and metric characteristics of moral songs. Secondly, the annotated critical edition of each of the songs will be carried out, regulated by pre-established editing criteria.
In general terms, the main aim of this End of Master’s Degree Project (EMP) is the study and the annotated critical edition of the Galician-Portuguese songs of moral theme. The corpus of study is made up of compositions by several prominent authors in Galician-Portuguese lyrical production, active in different periods and belonging to different estates. This research will allow us to explore the ethical message that each author attempts to convey through their compositions, and eventually determine the existence of similarities and differences between them. First, detailed information will be provided about authors, the transmission of the texts that constitute the corpus and the thematic, stylistic and metric characteristics of moral songs. Secondly, the annotated critical edition of each of the songs will be carried out, regulated by pre-established editing criteria.
Direction
GONZALEZ MARTINEZ, DEBORA (Tutorships)
GONZALEZ MARTINEZ, DEBORA (Tutorships)
Court
DOMINGUEZ PRIETO, CESAR PABLO (Coordinator)
ALONSO VELOSO, MARIA JOSE (Chairman)
MORAN CABANAS, MARIA ISABEL (Secretary)
GARCIA TRABAZO, JOSE VIRGILIO (Member)
DOMINGUEZ PRIETO, CESAR PABLO (Coordinator)
ALONSO VELOSO, MARIA JOSE (Chairman)
MORAN CABANAS, MARIA ISABEL (Secretary)
GARCIA TRABAZO, JOSE VIRGILIO (Member)
Biographical Dictionary of Galician Female Writers and gender role in lexicography
Authorship
T.F.D.M.
European Master in Lexicography
T.F.D.M.
European Master in Lexicography
Defense date
02.20.2025 17:00
02.20.2025 17:00
Summary
The aim of the following master's thesis is to shed light on issues of gender, language, and literature. In particular, gender issues in Lexicography and the literary world, more specifically in the literary world of Galicia. To cover both areas, a Biographical Dictionary of Galician Female Writers is proposed, an online dictionary that presents all the entries in Galician and English. A lexicographical and biographical approach is adopted to structure the entries that form part of the proposed online dictionary. A general structure is presented and discussed, and examples are given in both languages.
The aim of the following master's thesis is to shed light on issues of gender, language, and literature. In particular, gender issues in Lexicography and the literary world, more specifically in the literary world of Galicia. To cover both areas, a Biographical Dictionary of Galician Female Writers is proposed, an online dictionary that presents all the entries in Galician and English. A lexicographical and biographical approach is adopted to structure the entries that form part of the proposed online dictionary. A general structure is presented and discussed, and examples are given in both languages.
Direction
ALVAREZ DE LA GRANJA, MARIA (Tutorships)
ALVAREZ DE LA GRANJA, MARIA (Tutorships)
Court
CAL VARELA, MARIO (Coordinator)
SANMARCO BANDE, MARIA TERESA (Chairman)
González Seoane, Ernesto Xosé (Secretary)
Frankenberg García, Ana (Member)
CAL VARELA, MARIO (Coordinator)
SANMARCO BANDE, MARIA TERESA (Chairman)
González Seoane, Ernesto Xosé (Secretary)
Frankenberg García, Ana (Member)
Artistic transfers in peninsular Late Middle Ages: Our Lady of the O between Coimbra and Galicia
Authorship
G.E.R.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
G.E.R.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 15:30
07.10.2025 15:30
Summary
Around 1330, a sculptor of uncertain identity, known as mestre Pero, will be called to Coimbra where, along with his workshop, they will create a new model of Our Lady of the O that will shape the future of this iconography during the Late Middle Ages of the peninsular west. This new archetype (result of the blend of local stiles, shapes and solutions with which the author would have learned in their homeland) will be promptly distributed throughout Portuguese and Galician territory thanks to the circulation of pieces and workshops that will travel through sea and the main pilgrimage and trade routes of the area. These works and authors will be influenced, once again, by the artistic spheres that take them in in their journeys, giving rise to new two-way exchanges and to the genesis of new models in Galician territory that, born of the blend of Coimbran and local precepts, will soon conquer new spaces inside the temples, engaging in dialogues with the faithful, whom will see in these images the hope of reaching salvation.
Around 1330, a sculptor of uncertain identity, known as mestre Pero, will be called to Coimbra where, along with his workshop, they will create a new model of Our Lady of the O that will shape the future of this iconography during the Late Middle Ages of the peninsular west. This new archetype (result of the blend of local stiles, shapes and solutions with which the author would have learned in their homeland) will be promptly distributed throughout Portuguese and Galician territory thanks to the circulation of pieces and workshops that will travel through sea and the main pilgrimage and trade routes of the area. These works and authors will be influenced, once again, by the artistic spheres that take them in in their journeys, giving rise to new two-way exchanges and to the genesis of new models in Galician territory that, born of the blend of Coimbran and local precepts, will soon conquer new spaces inside the temples, engaging in dialogues with the faithful, whom will see in these images the hope of reaching salvation.
Direction
CENDON FERNANDEZ, MARTA (Tutorships)
CHAO CASTRO, DAVID (Co-tutorships)
CENDON FERNANDEZ, MARTA (Tutorships)
CHAO CASTRO, DAVID (Co-tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
The holy purpose of obedience. Gender models and sexual politics of the Portuguese dynasty of Avís in the fifteenth century
Authorship
U.G.C.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
U.G.C.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 18:00
07.10.2025 18:00
Summary
This study approaches an approximate study of the process of legitimization and strengthening of the power of the Portuguese dynasty of Avís, combining an analysis with a gender perspective of the propagandistic images produced by this lineage, in parallel to the portrait that the mechanisms of control of gender and sexuality behaviours outline. Taking as a chronological framework the reigns of João I, D. Duarte, Afonso V and João II, parallels and dissonances will be sought between the models and ideals of gender and the regulatory actions in the court, the kingdom and those territories in the process of being colonized. Thus, the characterization of gender roles, the evolution of legislative measures to control sexuality, its limitations and margins of permissibility, as well as the intersection between gender and other categories of political, social, religious and ethnic otherness will be addressed.
This study approaches an approximate study of the process of legitimization and strengthening of the power of the Portuguese dynasty of Avís, combining an analysis with a gender perspective of the propagandistic images produced by this lineage, in parallel to the portrait that the mechanisms of control of gender and sexuality behaviours outline. Taking as a chronological framework the reigns of João I, D. Duarte, Afonso V and João II, parallels and dissonances will be sought between the models and ideals of gender and the regulatory actions in the court, the kingdom and those territories in the process of being colonized. Thus, the characterization of gender roles, the evolution of legislative measures to control sexuality, its limitations and margins of permissibility, as well as the intersection between gender and other categories of political, social, religious and ethnic otherness will be addressed.
Direction
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Tutorships)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
SUAREZ GONZALEZ, ANA ISABEL (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
SUAREZ GONZALEZ, ANA ISABEL (Member)
Sexuality and Female Body in the Galician-Portuguese Cantigas de Escarnio
Authorship
A.J.C.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
A.J.C.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 09:30
07.10.2025 09:30
Summary
Galician-Portuguese cantigas de escarnio reveal a wide range of possibilities for exploring sexuality and female body, in which satire and mocjery are very present in the majority of cases explicitly and also implicitly, with multiple metaphors and double meanings. Based on the delineation of a textual corpus that takes into account the treatment of the topic in this satirical genre, the different discourses will be analyzed as they are articulated. The theoretical framework of the concept of sexuality in the Middle Ages (moral and religious view) and satire and ridicule as literary tools will be taken into account first. The representation of the female body will be studied next (grotesque characterization, ideal beauty in contrast with deformity, and the symbolism it can convey) and sexuality (veiled descriptions through metaphors, explicit allusions, criticized female figures, adultery, promiscuity, homoeroticism, etc.). Additionally, other historical, artistic, and literary sources will be used
Galician-Portuguese cantigas de escarnio reveal a wide range of possibilities for exploring sexuality and female body, in which satire and mocjery are very present in the majority of cases explicitly and also implicitly, with multiple metaphors and double meanings. Based on the delineation of a textual corpus that takes into account the treatment of the topic in this satirical genre, the different discourses will be analyzed as they are articulated. The theoretical framework of the concept of sexuality in the Middle Ages (moral and religious view) and satire and ridicule as literary tools will be taken into account first. The representation of the female body will be studied next (grotesque characterization, ideal beauty in contrast with deformity, and the symbolism it can convey) and sexuality (veiled descriptions through metaphors, explicit allusions, criticized female figures, adultery, promiscuity, homoeroticism, etc.). Additionally, other historical, artistic, and literary sources will be used
Direction
CORRAL DIAZ, MARIA ESTHER (Tutorships)
CORRAL DIAZ, MARIA ESTHER (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
THE DeSCONTEXTUALISED HELL. The classical heritage in the iconography of the Descent into Hell and the problematic of the syntax of sacred space in the reliefs of San Prudencio de Armentia
Authorship
M.O.F.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
M.O.F.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 09:30
07.10.2025 09:30
Summary
The Basilica of San Prudencio de Armentia (ca. 1135-1200) is one of the most intriguing buildings in the Romanesque period in Alava. The liturgical function of its peculiar iconographic programme, descontextualised from its original sacred space, is still the subject of many hypotheses. As it is a Byzantine Anastasis, its subject matter must be related both to literary sources of classical origin and to iconographic repertoires in circulation in the kingdom of Navarre at the end of the 12th century, such as the so-called Pamplona Bibles (ca. 1194-1197). All this allows us to understand the impact of Byzantine art on the so-called art of the 1200s in the West, as well as to understand the context, both ecclesiastical and geopolitical, at the time when these reliefs were produced. The basilica - built during the reinstallation of the kingdom of Navarre in 1134 - is testimony to the constant conflicts over the conquest of the territory of the Alava plains between King Sancho el Fuerte of Navarre (1194-1234) and Alfonso VIII of Castile (1158-1214), who sought to link Alava to the Castilian orbit, given that it belonged to the diocese of Calahorra.
The Basilica of San Prudencio de Armentia (ca. 1135-1200) is one of the most intriguing buildings in the Romanesque period in Alava. The liturgical function of its peculiar iconographic programme, descontextualised from its original sacred space, is still the subject of many hypotheses. As it is a Byzantine Anastasis, its subject matter must be related both to literary sources of classical origin and to iconographic repertoires in circulation in the kingdom of Navarre at the end of the 12th century, such as the so-called Pamplona Bibles (ca. 1194-1197). All this allows us to understand the impact of Byzantine art on the so-called art of the 1200s in the West, as well as to understand the context, both ecclesiastical and geopolitical, at the time when these reliefs were produced. The basilica - built during the reinstallation of the kingdom of Navarre in 1134 - is testimony to the constant conflicts over the conquest of the territory of the Alava plains between King Sancho el Fuerte of Navarre (1194-1234) and Alfonso VIII of Castile (1158-1214), who sought to link Alava to the Castilian orbit, given that it belonged to the diocese of Calahorra.
Direction
DIEZ PLATAS, MARIA DE FATIMA (Tutorships)
DIEZ PLATAS, MARIA DE FATIMA (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
And My Weapon is Hate: The abject body as a political weapon in The Immortal Hulk
Authorship
R.P.G.
Master in Advanced English Studies and its Applications
R.P.G.
Master in Advanced English Studies and its Applications
Defense date
02.12.2025 14:00
02.12.2025 14:00
Summary
Julia Kristeva's concept of the abject runs through the veins of Gothic fiction, from is inception to its modern iterations, and has evolved past the written word and into other forms of fiction. Among a sea of monstrous creations, Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk (2018-2021) stands out as a work that not only embraces the roots of nineteenth-century Gothic fiction by fixating on the physicality of the monster it portrays, but manages to evolve the concept of the monster itself by presenting abjection and physical otherness in itself as a political weapon. This thesis intends to examine Immortal Hulk as an evolution of Gothic monster narratives, utilizing the work of Julia Kristeva to analyze the trajectory of the physically abject in literature. To this end, this study will be structure into three main parts. In the first one, the concept of the abject will be examined as it pertains to Gothic fiction and Gothic monsters across its timeline. This will be followed by a contextualization of the character of the Hulk as a creation inspired by works of Gothic fiction, and finally, the third chapter will provide a close reading of Immortal Hulk in which I shall examine its position as a recontextualization of the Hulk mythos as well as the evolution of the Gothic abject it presents, in the form of a political weapon.
Julia Kristeva's concept of the abject runs through the veins of Gothic fiction, from is inception to its modern iterations, and has evolved past the written word and into other forms of fiction. Among a sea of monstrous creations, Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk (2018-2021) stands out as a work that not only embraces the roots of nineteenth-century Gothic fiction by fixating on the physicality of the monster it portrays, but manages to evolve the concept of the monster itself by presenting abjection and physical otherness in itself as a political weapon. This thesis intends to examine Immortal Hulk as an evolution of Gothic monster narratives, utilizing the work of Julia Kristeva to analyze the trajectory of the physically abject in literature. To this end, this study will be structure into three main parts. In the first one, the concept of the abject will be examined as it pertains to Gothic fiction and Gothic monsters across its timeline. This will be followed by a contextualization of the character of the Hulk as a creation inspired by works of Gothic fiction, and finally, the third chapter will provide a close reading of Immortal Hulk in which I shall examine its position as a recontextualization of the Hulk mythos as well as the evolution of the Gothic abject it presents, in the form of a political weapon.
Direction
Pereira Ares, Noemí (Tutorships)
Pereira Ares, Noemí (Tutorships)
Court
BLANCO SUAREZ, ZELTIA (Coordinator)
Lojo Rodríguez, Laura María (Chairman)
JIMENEZ PLACER, SUSANA MARIA (Secretary)
SACIDO ROMERO, JORGE (Member)
BLANCO SUAREZ, ZELTIA (Coordinator)
Lojo Rodríguez, Laura María (Chairman)
JIMENEZ PLACER, SUSANA MARIA (Secretary)
SACIDO ROMERO, JORGE (Member)
Diaspora, Memory and Identity: How Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love Reflects upon the Cuban-American Experience
Authorship
B.I.D.S.C.
Master in Advanced English Studies and its Applications
B.I.D.S.C.
Master in Advanced English Studies and its Applications
Defense date
02.13.2025 12:00
02.13.2025 12:00
Summary
Long periods of warfare, political tensions, and famine in Europe have made the Americas an appealing final destination for many since the early decades of colonisation. In the case of Cuba, the island remained a receiving country of migration for many years, but would make a sharp turn outwards as the political climate began to get heated in the second quarter of the 20th century. The main country to welcome the many waves of migration that followed was the United States of America. This mass migration led to a process of transculturation, the merging of two cultures, among the members of the diasporic community, which brought forward feelings of belonging and unbelonging, troubled memories of the past, and questions regarding cultural identity. This master’s thesis intends to examine the impact of migration on the Cuban diaspora living in the United States by carrying out an analysis of the characters that appear in Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1990). Consequently, the analysis will consist of a theoretical framework that aims to expand on the concepts of diaspora, memory, and identity that make up the experience of Cuban immigrants in America; and a literary analysis that will focus on the application of such terms to Hijuelos’ characters. Furthermore, the impact of music, both in the novel and in Cuban culture, will be essential to bring together the theoretical aspects in question. Through the figure of Eugenio Castillo, and driven by his status as second-generation immigrant, this dissertation aims to bring the aforementioned theoretical notions together by presenting him as the ultimate representative of the process of transculturation. To carry it out, the study will be contrasted to several relevant bibliographical sources and will be illustrated with a number of excerpts from the novel.
Long periods of warfare, political tensions, and famine in Europe have made the Americas an appealing final destination for many since the early decades of colonisation. In the case of Cuba, the island remained a receiving country of migration for many years, but would make a sharp turn outwards as the political climate began to get heated in the second quarter of the 20th century. The main country to welcome the many waves of migration that followed was the United States of America. This mass migration led to a process of transculturation, the merging of two cultures, among the members of the diasporic community, which brought forward feelings of belonging and unbelonging, troubled memories of the past, and questions regarding cultural identity. This master’s thesis intends to examine the impact of migration on the Cuban diaspora living in the United States by carrying out an analysis of the characters that appear in Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1990). Consequently, the analysis will consist of a theoretical framework that aims to expand on the concepts of diaspora, memory, and identity that make up the experience of Cuban immigrants in America; and a literary analysis that will focus on the application of such terms to Hijuelos’ characters. Furthermore, the impact of music, both in the novel and in Cuban culture, will be essential to bring together the theoretical aspects in question. Through the figure of Eugenio Castillo, and driven by his status as second-generation immigrant, this dissertation aims to bring the aforementioned theoretical notions together by presenting him as the ultimate representative of the process of transculturation. To carry it out, the study will be contrasted to several relevant bibliographical sources and will be illustrated with a number of excerpts from the novel.
Direction
ALONSO ALONSO, MARIA (Tutorships)
ALONSO ALONSO, MARIA (Tutorships)
Court
BLANCO SUAREZ, ZELTIA (Coordinator)
GONZALEZ GROBA, CONSTANTE (Chairman)
JIMENEZ PLACER, SUSANA MARIA (Secretary)
PALACIOS GONZALEZ, MANUELA (Member)
BLANCO SUAREZ, ZELTIA (Coordinator)
GONZALEZ GROBA, CONSTANTE (Chairman)
JIMENEZ PLACER, SUSANA MARIA (Secretary)
PALACIOS GONZALEZ, MANUELA (Member)
The Mercantile Mentality in the Netherlands in the Fifteenth Century
Authorship
M.T.F.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
M.T.F.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 09:30
07.10.2025 09:30
Summary
The territory of the Netherlands was a forerunner in the establishment of a market economy and capitalist modes of production and exchange. Certain geographic conditions -such as soil subsidence, a high level of literacy, a substantial proportion of wage labor, and the advantages conferred by fluvial communication routes-combined with the existence of institutions in which civil society retained a significant degree of influence over political decision-making. Consequently, the social conflict conditions that the classical Marxist model generically posits as prerequisites for the transition from feudalism to capitalism did not materialize. In this way, a mercantile ethos took shape from the early fifteenth century onward, driven by the active involvement of urban centers in which a burgeoning mercantile bourgeoisie conducted its affairs, giving rise to a genuine koopman geest -a distinctive character of the Dutch people.
The territory of the Netherlands was a forerunner in the establishment of a market economy and capitalist modes of production and exchange. Certain geographic conditions -such as soil subsidence, a high level of literacy, a substantial proportion of wage labor, and the advantages conferred by fluvial communication routes-combined with the existence of institutions in which civil society retained a significant degree of influence over political decision-making. Consequently, the social conflict conditions that the classical Marxist model generically posits as prerequisites for the transition from feudalism to capitalism did not materialize. In this way, a mercantile ethos took shape from the early fifteenth century onward, driven by the active involvement of urban centers in which a burgeoning mercantile bourgeoisie conducted its affairs, giving rise to a genuine koopman geest -a distinctive character of the Dutch people.
Direction
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, XOSE MANOEL (Tutorships)
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, XOSE MANOEL (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
The Forest in the Prose Lancelot: Treatment, Image, and Dual Conception of Nature in Arthurian Literature.
Authorship
M.T.C.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
M.T.C.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 12:00
07.10.2025 12:00
Summary
This work aims to analyse the various dimensions of the forest as imagined and depicted item in one of the most notable literary cycles of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: the Prose Lancelot. Focusing the matter, the work will focus on medieval France, considering different dimensions revealed by the work: the forest's demarcation from its real context; the relationship, exploitation and transformation of the forest by medieval communities; and its conception as the space of the marvellous and miraculous. Through the texts and images of the Lancelot, we will examine the forest's main representations; both the well-known, strolled-through and exploited one, as that one that came from an imaginary world taken as real by its contemporaries but believed as full of wonders. A work in which the forests, full of symbolic richness, end up becoming the mirror reflection of a mentality in which the common life and the marvellous are inextricably linked.
This work aims to analyse the various dimensions of the forest as imagined and depicted item in one of the most notable literary cycles of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: the Prose Lancelot. Focusing the matter, the work will focus on medieval France, considering different dimensions revealed by the work: the forest's demarcation from its real context; the relationship, exploitation and transformation of the forest by medieval communities; and its conception as the space of the marvellous and miraculous. Through the texts and images of the Lancelot, we will examine the forest's main representations; both the well-known, strolled-through and exploited one, as that one that came from an imaginary world taken as real by its contemporaries but believed as full of wonders. A work in which the forests, full of symbolic richness, end up becoming the mirror reflection of a mentality in which the common life and the marvellous are inextricably linked.
Direction
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, XOSE MANOEL (Tutorships)
SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, XOSE MANOEL (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
The Slaughter of the Innocents in Medieval Art: texts and images
Authorship
A.V.L.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
A.V.L.
Master in European Medieval Studies: Images, Texts and Contexts
Defense date
07.10.2025 12:00
07.10.2025 12:00
Summary
This paper studies the episode of the Slaughter of the Innocents from various perspectives, both through canonical and apocryphal sources and liturgical dramas and works of art from the late tenth century to the late fifteenth century. To do so, we will look at how the story was told and how it led to the liturgical dramas that were performed in churches. On the other hand, we will also analyse the different characters that take part in the scene, Herod, mothers and children, in order to be able, in a final section, to approach the iconography that identifies each of them in the artistic works that deal with the theme of the Slaughter of the Innocents.
This paper studies the episode of the Slaughter of the Innocents from various perspectives, both through canonical and apocryphal sources and liturgical dramas and works of art from the late tenth century to the late fifteenth century. To do so, we will look at how the story was told and how it led to the liturgical dramas that were performed in churches. On the other hand, we will also analyse the different characters that take part in the scene, Herod, mothers and children, in order to be able, in a final section, to approach the iconography that identifies each of them in the artistic works that deal with the theme of the Slaughter of the Innocents.
Direction
CENDON FERNANDEZ, MARTA (Tutorships)
CENDON FERNANDEZ, MARTA (Tutorships)
Court
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)
SANMARTÍN BARROS, ISRAEL (Coordinator)
ANGUITA JAEN, JOSE MARIA (Chairman)
CARREÑO LÓPEZ, SARA (Secretary)
PELAZ FLORES, DIANA (Member)