Mikael Males, ed., Etymology and Wordplay in Medieval Literature. Disputatio, 30. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers n.v., 2018, 272 pp., 10 ill.

Mediaevistik ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 320-322
Author(s):  
Robert E. Bjork
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
The World

During the logocentric Middle Ages, etymology and wordplay helped exegetes, philosophers, theologians, and poets understand the world and the world’s relationship to the divine. The case studies presented in this useful and fascinating collection of essays demonstrate how.

scholarly journals GAME PHENOMENON IN MEDIEVAL CULTURE

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
World Outlook ◽  
The World ◽  
Poetic Text ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Performing Art ◽  
The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages added their own ludological culture traditions to those which they had inherited from the Ancient Ages. First of all, such notions were connected with the form of existence and perceiving the Christianity which was a basis for the whole civilization. Epistemological notions of those times were also built in accordance to those norms of world outlook. A cognitive act of an individual was understood as entrance of the subject to the world of general tragic game where he is risen up from sensual forms of being to being of over-sensual beauty, which is defined only through forms of mental cognition and through beauty to over-essential being of its Creator. Philosophical thought of the Middle Ages inherited the Platonic ludological tradition. According to these notions, personal creativity of an individual (artistic, scientific etc.) was understood as being identical with cognition and perceived only as reproduction, retrieval of what had already been programmed by the Creator, that is, as a game and through the game. The brightest page of the Middle Ages is connected with chivalry and its comprehension because the phenomenon of chivalry is the top of medieval culture, its ethical and esthetical ideal, which was over-thought by its self-consciousness as a form of game. Distribution of roles covered all main manifestations of individual’s life. Therefore even usual outside manifestation of any personal emotions by an individual in his public life (happiness, satisfaction, anger, despair, sadness and so on) was subject to this “role dictate”. So, a sphere of public emotions display by an individual was also predetermined by imperativeness of his own social role he was playing. We can speak about consciousness of those times perceiving a poetic text as a played game and author art as predominantly performing art. Then constancy of plots and anonymity of works, which is a feature of medieval literature, becomes more understandable; as every author perceived it as a script and tried to play his role as best as possible; his role was written down as a corresponding    text. Moreover, we should add that a similar game was predetermined also by some other peculiarities of medieval mentality. The reason is that medieval people tried to identify themselves with a certain sample which had already had a certain approbation, to achieve full self-expression and make this self-expression understandable for the society. A role was determined and a model of behavior was built according to the admitted interpretation of this sample and its allegoric meanings (most often, there were widely known Biblical images). These established forms of self-expression made processes of understanding and interpersonal dialogue easier.

scholarly journals Global Middle Ages ou as virtudes do anacronismo. A lição do texto medieval

2019 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
pp. 117-149
Author(s):  
Carlos Carreto
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Meanings ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
Literature Mapping ◽  
History Of Literature

Has the Middle Ages invented globalization or revealed a clear consciousness of globality? On the other hand, may this anachronistic notion prove to be an appropriate and productive operative and analytical concept for rethinking medieval literature beyond its territorial and linguistic boundaries and the epistemological view of the world imposed by a (neo)positivist conception of the history of literature? Mapping the medieval literature in a global perspective implies a methodological repositioning and a process of deterritorialization of the concepts themselves that leads us to reinvest motives, forms, structuring notions (from the chivalric queste to the concept of romance as translatio, passing through the status of the marvelous) with new meanings and, consequently, new cultural and poetic implications.

The Silencing of the World: Early Medieval Soundscapes and a New Aural Culture

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-450
Author(s):  
Nira Pancer
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
Early Middle Ages ◽  
The World ◽  
World Point ◽  
Ancient Texts

While ancient texts contain many descriptions of soundscapes, early medieval literature remains largely silent. How can we explain the dwindling references to sound following the passage from antiquity to the early Middle Ages? Does this “silencing of the world” point to an alteration of the “objective” soundscape induced by changes in the material and physical environment, or does it indicate a deeper shift in the aural culture of the period? If there is reason to suppose that the decline in noise can be partly explained by an overall change in infrastructures, this transformation cannot account for the growing scarcity of sound references in the literature of the time. In order to understand this phenomenon, one must focus on the didactic character of hagiographic literature and on the theological motivations of its authors, whose goal was to sensitize their flock to a “sacred sonography.”

scholarly journals NAJSTARSZE (XI-XII W.) FIGURY SZACHOWE WYKONANE W STYLISTYCE ABSTRAKCYJNEJ ARABSKIEJ Z TERENU POLSKI , NA TLE TRENDÓW EUROPEJSKICH ZWIĄZANYCH Z POCZĄTKOWYMI FAZAMI ADAPTACJI W EUROPIE

2021 ◽  
pp. 285-315
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Stempin
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cultural Models ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
Board Game ◽  
Mathematical Aspect ◽  
Ideal Society ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
The World

Chess is a board game, in the Middle Ages referred to as a tabula. During the long way it took since its origin in India in the 6th century until modern times, the subsequent communities left their own, inimitable cultural marks. In India, chess had a deeply mystical nature; Persians used chess to picture the world as a battlefield; Arabs systematised many concepts and took note of the mathematical aspect; Europe made use of chess to define rules that should apply to an ideal society. This shows a perfect understanding of the balance on the chessboard, the mutual dependencies and consistent actions leading to success – both when playing and creating social life. Medieval literature provides an excellent basis for studies of the intertwining cultural trends and describing the reality. In the literature, elements based on playing chess are oftentimes among the postulated modes of education. However, the ideas encountered by the potential users of chess tournaments were best communicated by the figures and the accumulated plethora of notions. An analysis of the changes affecting jackstraws at an early stage of the game’s adaptation in Europe and other territories which took over chess as cultural models, leads to a conclusion that the material from the 11th-12th centuries that comes from Polish collections matches many Latin trends and shows considerable knowledge thereof.

scholarly journals Global Middle Ages: Eastern Wisdom (Buddhistic) Teachings in Medieval European Literature. With a Focus on Barlaam and Josaphat

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. p10
Author(s):  
Albrecht Classen
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Global Literature ◽  
European Literature ◽  
The World ◽  
Literary Histories

In contrast to many recent attempts to establish concepts and platforms to study global literature, and this also in the pre-modern world, this article claims to present much more concrete examples to confirm that a certain degree of globalism existed already in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. While numerous scholars/editors have simply invited many more voices from all over the world to the same ‘table,’ i.e., literary histories, which has not really provided more substance to the notion of ‘global,’ the study of translated texts, such as those dealing with Barlaam and Josaphat, clearly confirms that some core Indian ideas and values, as originally developed by Buddha, had migrated through many stages of translations, to high medieval literature in Europe.

scholarly journals Heaven and the Sphaera Mundi in the Middle Ages

2000 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 10-35
Author(s):  
Edgar Laird
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World ◽  
The Middle Ages

This paper examines the development of the idea of heaven in relation to the sphaera mundi - the sphere of the world - in medieval literature. The sphaera mundi is a model of the cosmos that at its most elementary is very simple indeed. At the centre of it is the earth, so small as to be virtually a dot in comparison to the whole or even to the smallest star. Earth is surrounded by the sea, which in turn is surrounded by air, as also air is surrounded by fire. Surrounding the fire is a sphere that 'bears' the moon, and around that sphere are others, like layers of an onion, bearing the other planets: Mercury, then Venus, the sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Then come the sphere bearing the fixed stars and, beyond it, one or more others. All these spheres together constitute the sphere of the world.

scholarly journals A Fortuna no Roman de Fauvel e sua relação com a tradição literária e religiosa da Civitate Dei e da Consolatio philosophiae na Idade Média

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Silva de Macedo
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
Divine Providence ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
14Th Century ◽  
The World ◽  
The Middle Ages

Este trabalho versará acerca da interação da tradição cristã e não cristã na representação da deusa no medievo e sob a ótica da Civitate Dei de Agostinho e da Consoloatio philosiphae de Boécio, mostrando a distinção entre "naturezas" entre Fauvel e Fortuna, esta, descrita como a própria Providência divina e equalizada à Sabedoria, sua irmã.Herdeira de divindades grega e romana, a Fortuna na Idade Média será vista como auxiliadora da providência divina perdendo o caráter deífico que lhe era próprio e sendo a ocasião e a sorte características de seu poder. Uma das narrativas poéticas medievais, no entanto, retoma a divindade de Fortuna retratando-a como filha de Deus e encarregada de governar o mundo, mas recuperando características da Antiguidade. Trata-se do Roman de Fauvel, poema elaborado na França do século XIV.Palavras-chave: Literatura medieval, Fortuna, Roman de Fauvel. AbstractThis paper will deal with the interaction of Christian and non-Christian tradition in the representation of the medieval goddess and from the perspective of Augustine's Civitate Dei and Boethius' Consolatio philosophiae, showing the distinction between "natures" Fauvel and Fortune, which is described as divine Providence itself and equalized to Wisdom, his sister.Heiress of Greek and Roman deities, Fortune in the Middle Ages will be seen as a helper of divine providence losing its deific character proper and accentuating the occasion and luck as characteristics of its performance. One of the medieval poetic narratives, however, takes up the deity of Fortune, portraying her as a daughter of God and charged with ruling the world, but recovering characteristics of antiquity. It is the Roman de Fauvel, a poem written in 14th century France.Keywords: Medieval literature, Fortune, Roman de Fauvel.

scholarly journals Between Mariners, Pirates and Priests: An Introduction to The World of Ship Graffiti In Medieval Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Nakas
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Ship Hulls ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Middle Ages

Ship graffiti are one of the most common illustrations or vandalismsfound on the walls of medieval and post-medieval monuments in Mediterraneancountries. A multitude of vessels of various types and sizes have been carvedor drawn by the people of the Middle Ages on monuments, such as the Parthenonand the cathedral of Majorca, and humble buildings, such as cisterns and baths. Who made these graffiti? And why? Their occurrence in places of worship(churches, mosques) indicates that they were tokens of suppliance and votives,but equally common is their appearance in secular buildings, often related withwater (baths, fountains, etc.). Moreover, their quality ranges from simplistic‘banana boats’ to highly accurate representations of ship hulls and theirrigging.  This paper will examine certain case studies of medieval Mediterraneangraffiti and propose different scenarios for the nature of their engravers orpainters and the circumstances which led to their creation. Its aim is toexplore the complicated relationship between the creation of ship graffiti andthe contemporary world.

scholarly journals Globalism in Medieval Literature? Pre-Modern Perspectives in Poetic Projections: Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival, Konrad Fleck’s Flore und Blancheflor, and Reinfried von Braunschweig

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-44
Author(s):  
Albrecht Classen
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Medieval Literature ◽  
Literary Imagination ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Modern World ◽  
The World ◽  
Considerable Impact ◽  
Flore Und Blanscheflur

This paper examines globalism in the pre-modern world as reflected in literary texts. In contrast to globalization, globalism indicates an opening of perspectives toward distant parts of the world and embracing to some extent the foreign people and their cultures as, relatively speaking, equals, more or less approaching the concept of transculturality. Whereas the European Middle Ages have commonly been identified as xenophobic, determined by fear, and parochial, many literary documents reflect a rather open-minded perspective and undermine such stereotypical judgments. Undoubtedly, of course, the paradigm of Christianity ruled strongly, but within the field of literary imagination, we can discover numerous examples of European protagonists openly, fairly, respectfully, and even lovingly interacting with people in the East and elsewhere. We might face here nothing but fictional projections, but those were obviously widely enjoyed by the contemporary audiences and so must have had a considerable impact on the readers/listeners. The examples chosen for this analysis are Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival, Konrad Fleck’s Flore und Blanscheflur, and the anonymous Reinfried von Braunschweig.

The New Terrain of International Law

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Alter
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
The Political ◽  
International Courts ◽  
Constitutional Review ◽  
Delegation Of Authority ◽  
The World ◽  
The Law

In 1989, when the Cold War ended, there were six permanent international courts. Today there are more than two dozen that have collectively issued over thirty-seven thousand binding legal rulings. This book charts the developments and trends in the creation and role of international courts, and explains how the delegation of authority to international judicial institutions influences global and domestic politics. The book presents an in-depth look at the scope and powers of international courts operating around the world. Focusing on dispute resolution, enforcement, administrative review, and constitutional review, the book argues that international courts alter politics by providing legal, symbolic, and leverage resources that shift the political balance in favor of domestic and international actors who prefer policies more consistent with international law objectives. International courts name violations of the law and perhaps specify remedies. The book explains how this limited power—the power to speak the law—translates into political influence, and it considers eighteen case studies, showing how international courts change state behavior. The case studies, spanning issue areas and regions of the world, collectively elucidate the political factors that often intervene to limit whether or not international courts are invoked and whether international judges dare to demand significant changes in state practices.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document