Pro tempore, No. 16, 2021.
Review article
The Role of Rumors in the Public Life of the Medieval Dalmatian Commune Society
Marija Antolić
Marija Dizdar Mihaljević
Abstract
Encouraged by the public debate on the fight against the spread of misinformation, the authors have decided to investigate the impact of rumors on the lives of both individuals and societies on the Dalmatian territory in the Middle Age. Research of various types of sources (both legal and literary) relating to the history of certain Dalmatian communes reveals a connection between social standings of individuals and rumors, the difference between different terms that denote these rumors, the effect of rumors on outcomes of litigation processes, as well as the importance of rumors in public life, especially in times of threat to social security. A general impression is given of the role of rumors inside a medieval commune and attention is brought to specific cases in which that role can be studied. These particular cases are observed through sources in which one can find terms such as fama or rumores, which indicate the presence of rumors. Through an analysis of the sources, the presence, character and role of rumors are observed, and perceiving these characteristics leads to the conclusion that medieval societies were deeply imbued with rumors, and that their spreading in many ways marked the social life in Dalmatian communes.
Keywords
rumors; fama; public sphere; Middle Ages; Dalmatia
Hrčak ID:
277564
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2021.
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