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Use of Gestures in the Medieval Society

            Medieval civilization was a society flooded with the use of physical gestures and hands on experiences. This need for such gestures was because it gave every object and ritual a sense of real life. Since the majority of people were not educated in any way other than religious teachings and those of whatever their jobs may require of them, this may have been one of the few ways to explain the world. .
             While much of the medieval world was based upon the miracles and myths of religion and other tall tales, much of what people believed in was represented by a physical item. Amulets, crosses, and churches are examples of these. What wizard would be complete without his staff or wand? These mythical items physically manifested themselves into real items in the daily lives of the medieval people. .
             Outward appearances were the staple of medieval society, much like it is in today's society. The foremost important show was of course the body. The body was the shell of your soul, the only real link to the spiritual world. LeGoff points out many examples of the ceremonies and viewpoints of the body. "To the hermits, filth was a virtue. Baptism was supposed to wash a Christian once and for all . Nakedness was a punishment for sin." (LeGoff, 355) Even upon death, the body had an important role. Bodies were treated with the utmost care, people paid homage to the corpses of great persons. Such practices were believed to assist in the resurrection of the soul and were cared for with extreme attention. .
             Of course what one would wear would also have a great effect on the stature of a person and how others treated you. Lavish clothing would be adorned by the wealthy, with various examples of crests and other meaningful signs found on the clothes. .
             The use of gestures was to manifest the words of someone into the real world. They were used during mass, and they were used when agreeing to contracts.


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