The Geography of the Puranas c4.3

c4.3

The study of these works is essential for an understanding of the medieval mind. They reveal the values and beliefs of the time, and the way in which the Church sought to communicate these values to the laity. They also show the way in which the medieval world was connected to the past, and how it sought to integrate the classical and biblical traditions into a coherent worldview. The *Gesta Romanorum*, the *Legenda Aurea*, and the *Speculum Historiale* are not just historical curiosities; they are key texts for understanding the intellectual and cultural history of the Middle Ages.