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REVOLTING NUNS

Revolting Nuns: Rebellion at Sainte-Croix, 590

by Jennifer C. Edwards

Scandal at Sainte-Croix

From 589-590 a group of forty nuns at the Abbey of Sainte-Croix in Poitiers, France rebelled against their abbess for months. They hired troops, kidnapped their abbess, stole the abbey's relic, and refused to disband until soldiers defeated them. This game places rival factions of Sainte-Croix's nuns in the tribunal that followed the rebellion. Bishops hear from the abbess and the rebels to determine who was at fault, why, and what penalties should be imposed. The game examines powerful and active roles for early medieval women as they wrestled with questions about who should lead a prominent monastery.

This is a Microgame that is still under development but has been approved by the Reacting Editorial Board (REB) for general use. A detailed explanation of the editorial process and game levels can be found on our REB Page.

ABOUT THE GAME

Details

Disciplines

Cultural & Social History, Medieval History, Religion, Women, Gender, & Sexuality, Western Civ/History

Era 

Sixth Century

In a Few Words

Rebellion, Nuns, Power

Geography 

Europe, France

Themes and Issues  

Authority and Power, Monasticism, Women and Gender

Player Interactions 

Factional, Competitive, Aggressive

Sample Class Titles

Roots of the Modern Age; Premodern Women and Gender; Experiencing History

Notable Roles

Abbess Leubovera;

Nuns Basina and Clotild;

Bishop Gregory of Tours

Mechanics 

Physical Props

Chaos and Demand on Instructor 

Not very demanding, fairly structured

Primary Source Highlights 
History of the Franks, Gregory of Tours

Using the Game

Class Size and Scalability 
This game is recommended for classes with 8-40+ Students, with 36 unique roles and 5 that can be duplicated.

Class Time  
This game can be played in a single session.

Assignments
You can adjust the assignments based on the desired learning outcomes of your class. This game does not include any assignments.


GAME MATERIALS

Reacting Consortium members can download all game materials below. You will be asked to sign in before downloading.  

Instructor's Manual

The Instructor's Manual includes guidance for assigning roles, presenting historical context, assignments, activities and discussion topics, and more. 

.pdf, Updated Oct 2024.

Role Sheets and Additional Materials

Students also need a Role Sheet, which contains biographical information, role-specific resources or assignments, and their character's secret victory objectives. Some games have handouts and rubrics which are included in an Additional Materials folder.

.zip folder, Updated Oct 2024.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

JENNIFER C. EDWARDS

Jennifer C. Edwards is Professor of History and Director of Medieval Studies at Manhattan University in Riverdale, NY, where she teaches medieval and ancient history. Her research examines medieval European women and gender, power and authority, religion, and health. She is the author of Superior Women: Medieval Female Authority in Poitiers’ Abbey of Sainte-Croix (Oxford, 2019) and Daily Life of Women in Chaucer’s England (ABC-CLIO, 2022) and the Reacting to the Past game-under-review, "Christine de Pizan and the Querelle des Femmes." She is working currently on a book project, “Holy Healing: Saints and Leprosy in the Middle Ages,” that examines the treatment of leprosy in the medieval cult of the saints. She earned her PhD and MA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and BA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is general editor of Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality and serves on the Advisory Board of the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship.

Reacting and Related Titles


QUESTIONS

Members can contact game authors directly

We invite instructors join our Facebook Faculty Lounge, where you'll find a wonderful community eager to help and answer questions. We also encourage you to submit your question for the forthcoming FAQ, and to check out our upcoming events


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