Consequences of Bad Weather in Medieval Literature. From Apollonius of Tyre to Marguerite de Navarre's Heptaméron
Contrary to common assumptions, medieval poets did not shy away from discussing the various consequences of bad weather on the lives of their protagonists. In fact, a careful examination of a wide range of romances, verse narratives, goliardic epics, and prose tales, among other genres, reveals the true extent to which both Fall and Winter weather, but then also sudden tempests, surprising snow fall, flooding, scorching heat, the unexpected drop of temperature, mighty storms etc. could play a significant role in literary texts and often serve important functions as narrative catalysts both in the Middle Ages and in the early modern age. As this paper illustrates, bad weather, and hence the suffering of the protagonists, often proves to be instrumental in changing the course of events, in disrupting a hero's ordinary life, and in challenging an individual in his/her very existence. In particular love affairs could be severely impacted by bad weather, as some authors specifically explored in their texts that do not necessarily fall within the category of traditional courtly literature. Significantly, bad weather also served exceedingly well as the backdrop for the initiation of storytelling and so enjoyed a considerable metaphorical function.
Articles in the same Issue
- Consequences of Bad Weather in Medieval Literature. From Apollonius of Tyre to Marguerite de Navarre's Heptaméron
- Altersschwelle 30/33. Zur Geschichte einer semantischen Einheit
- Puppetry in Eighteenth-Century England and Germany, and in the Nachtwachen von Bonaventura
- Max Dauthendeys “japanische Novellen” in Die acht Gesichter am Biwasee – Literarischer Exotismus oder schon interkulturelle Literatur?
- The Creative Power in the Failure of Word and Language. On Silence, Stuttering and other Performative Intensities
- Meine Sprache und Ich. Ilse Aichingers Zwiesprache im Vergleich mit Derridas Le monolinguisme de l'autre
- “My mind is the subject of these bewildered fragments”. La défaite de l'homme et la défiguration progressive dans le théâtre de Sarah Kane
- Upstaging the “Death of the Subject”. Gertrude Stein, the Theater, and the Self-Differential Self
- Identifikation einer Frau – Terézia Moras Ophelia
- Rezeptionsmodelle in Milan Kunderas Roman L'immortalité
- Im Netz der Gewalt. Der Terrorfilm zwischen Horror, Zeitgeschichte und medialer Berichterstattung
- Rezensionen
- Adressen der Mitarbeiter
Articles in the same Issue
- Consequences of Bad Weather in Medieval Literature. From Apollonius of Tyre to Marguerite de Navarre's Heptaméron
- Altersschwelle 30/33. Zur Geschichte einer semantischen Einheit
- Puppetry in Eighteenth-Century England and Germany, and in the Nachtwachen von Bonaventura
- Max Dauthendeys “japanische Novellen” in Die acht Gesichter am Biwasee – Literarischer Exotismus oder schon interkulturelle Literatur?
- The Creative Power in the Failure of Word and Language. On Silence, Stuttering and other Performative Intensities
- Meine Sprache und Ich. Ilse Aichingers Zwiesprache im Vergleich mit Derridas Le monolinguisme de l'autre
- “My mind is the subject of these bewildered fragments”. La défaite de l'homme et la défiguration progressive dans le théâtre de Sarah Kane
- Upstaging the “Death of the Subject”. Gertrude Stein, the Theater, and the Self-Differential Self
- Identifikation einer Frau – Terézia Moras Ophelia
- Rezeptionsmodelle in Milan Kunderas Roman L'immortalité
- Im Netz der Gewalt. Der Terrorfilm zwischen Horror, Zeitgeschichte und medialer Berichterstattung
- Rezensionen
- Adressen der Mitarbeiter
