To 'reproduce the forms of ancestors': The Conception(s) of Medieval Romance

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My doctoral research will generate the first book-length study of the theme of conception in Old French, MiddleFrench, and Middle English romances. Today, conception is seen as the essential yet fleeting moment whichbegins each of our lives. However, in the Middle Ages conception was more than a biological process: not only didit enable the structures of inheritance which underpinned medieval hierarchies, but through the Immaculateconception it became the narrative structure upon which Christianity was built, thus shaping the religious and sociallandscape of Europe. The importance of conception is displayed through its familiar, frequently-problematic, andundoubtedly-influential presence across medieval romance. These works show that conception extends beyond aproductive sexual encounter: it is a romance mechanism with the potential to enhance and even change ourunderstanding of texts in which it features. This subject offers unique insights into the genesis of medieval life andliterature.