Anglo-Saxon England was highly fascinated by monstrous creatures. Monsters and hybrid figures are attested several times in the Old English literary. Monstrosity and hybridity seem to be the categories of imagination preferred to deal with the heterogeneous and contradictory elements characterizing the formation of a culturally unitary England. Thisaims to look at these chosen metaphors through their direct representation in the Wonders of the East and through the evolution of the Anglo-Saxon origin myth. It will draw an imaginary line between the monstrous races, depicted in the Wonders of the East as distant but dangerous entities for the Anglo-Saxon reader, and the characters of Hengest and Horsa, leaders in the migration myth, elected as progenitors of the Anglo-Saxon race and symbol of the nation.
Meraviglie d’Oriente e mostri d’occidente: il mostruoso alle origini della cultura anglosassone
Bria, Jasmine
2018-01-01
Abstract
Anglo-Saxon England was highly fascinated by monstrous creatures. Monsters and hybrid figures are attested several times in the Old English literary. Monstrosity and hybridity seem to be the categories of imagination preferred to deal with the heterogeneous and contradictory elements characterizing the formation of a culturally unitary England. Thisaims to look at these chosen metaphors through their direct representation in the Wonders of the East and through the evolution of the Anglo-Saxon origin myth. It will draw an imaginary line between the monstrous races, depicted in the Wonders of the East as distant but dangerous entities for the Anglo-Saxon reader, and the characters of Hengest and Horsa, leaders in the migration myth, elected as progenitors of the Anglo-Saxon race and symbol of the nation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
