Angus Mackay (historian)

Angus Mackay (1939-2018) was a British historian specializing in the social, economic, and religious history of late medieval and early modern Spain, particularly Castile. He was a leading scholar in the study of popular movements, millenarianism, and social unrest during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Mackay received his education from the University of Edinburgh. He held academic positions at the University of St Andrews, where he taught for many years. He published extensively on topics such as confraternities, flagellants, and the dynamics of power between different social groups in medieval Castile.

His major works include:

• Spain in the Middle Ages: From Frontier to Empire, 1000-1500 (Macmillan, 1977)
• Money, Prices, and Politics in Fifteenth-Century Castile (Royal Historical Society, 1981)
• Popular Movements, Pogroms and Pilgrimages in Late Medieval Europe (Brill, 1987)

Mackay’s research emphasized the importance of understanding the social and economic context of religious and political developments. He argued against simplistic interpretations of popular movements and sought to uncover the complex motivations and strategies of the individuals and groups involved. His work has been influential in shaping the field of late medieval Spanish history.