Fonds AR152 - Beryl Rowland fonds

Beryl Rowland was born in Scotland, 10 April 1918 and died 24 April 2003 in Victoria, B.C. In the 1950's Rowland lived in Calgary Alberta, and wrote fictional works and arts reviews for The Albertan. She received an M.A. (Alberta) and Ph.D. at U.B.C (1962) where Earle Birney became her thesis advisor and friend. She later received a D.Litt. from Mount St. Vincent. Rowland taught English at York (Toronto) from 1962 and was made Distinguished Research Professor (1982). From 1984-1986 she was President of The New Chaucer Society. After her York retirement she was Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria, B.C.,1989-1997. Rowland's major research areas included: Medieval women's medicine and cosmetics (Trotula); Chaucer; bestiaries; social history and folk metaphor. She published over 150 articles in learned journals. Her books include: Blind Beasts: Chaucer's Animal World (1971), Animals with Human Faces: A Guide to Animal Symbolism (1973) and Birds with Human Souls: A Guide to Bird Symbolism (1978), A Medieval Woman's Guide to Health (1981). She edited the Companion to Chaucer Studies (1979) and Essays on Chaucerian Irony by Earle Birney (1985).