Bodiesinflux:RewritingtheBodyinMedieval
Literature,Art,andCulture1000-1450
20thMay2017,UniversityofWarwick
KeynoteSpeakers:
DrMirandaGriffin(StCatharine’sCollege,Cambridge),
DrRobertMills(UniversityCollegeLondon)&DrDebraStrickland(UniversityofGlasgow)
Followtheday’sevents:
@medievalwarwick#bodiesinflux
ConferenceProgramme
9.30-10.00
Registration,TeaandCoffee,OpeningRemarks(Wolfson1)
FirstSession
Parallelpanels
10.00-11.30
11:30-11.45
Panel1:SpeciesEncounters–Chair:LiamLewis(Wolfson3)
EleanorHodgson(UniversityofSouthampton),‘Disguised,transformed,or
trappedbodies?Questioningvoluntaryandreversiblemetamorphosisinthe
GuillaumedePalerneanimal-skinmotif’
HarrietJeanEvans(UniversityofYork),‘Shakingearsandwarriorcattle:
mutualtransformationbetweendomesticanimalsandhumansinthe
Íslendingasögur’
PhilippaCarter(UniversityofYork),‘Embodyingexcess:thebodyofthegiant
intheMiddleEnglishpopularromances’
Panel2:SeizingTheUnrulyBody–Chair:ChristianiaWhitehead(Wolfson1)
BonnieMillar(UniversityofNottingham),‘HearingandAuthority:Auditory
transformationsintheMiddleAges’
AislingReid(Queen’sUniversityBelfast),‘CarnalVisualityandtheEvilEyein
LateMedievalItaly’
Teaandcoffee(Wolfson1)
SecondSession Panel1:DivineEncounters–Chair:JaneSinnett-Smith(Wolfson3)
Parallelpanels
CherCasey(UniversityofYork),‘MakingMatteroftheMind:reconstructing
11.45-13.15
themedievalcranialanatomyofCologne’s11,000HolyVirginskullrelics’
JonahComan(UniversityofStAndrews),‘Grimestone’sbook,Grimestone’s
body:volatilematterandcreationofidentityintheAdvocatesMS18.7.21
SophieKelly(UniversityofKent),‘DiabolicalorDivine?:TheThree-headed
TrinityintheStJohn’sPsalter(StJohn’sCollege,Cambridge,MSK26)’
Panel2:(Dis)membered–Chair:LindaPaterson(Wolfson1)
EmmaCampbell(UniversityofWarwick),‘IntheCut:ReadingMutilationin
PhilippedeRémi’sLaManekine’
PamelaDiaz(HamiltonCollege),‘FeelingCutOff:Allegory,Aestheticsand
CastrationintheRomandelaRose’
CatherineCoffey(Queen’sUniversityBelfast),‘Thebodyfightingthefleshin
MechthildvonMagdeburg’sDasfließendeLichtderGotthei’
2
13.15-14.15
Lunch(Wolfson1)
ThirdSession
Parallelpanels
14.15-15.30
15.30-16.00
Roundtable
16.00-18.00
18.00-19.00
19.30
Panel1:ThinkingBeyondtheBody–Chair:ImanSheeha(Wolfson3)
SebastianKleinschmidt(Albert-Ludwigs-UniversitätFreiburg),‘Embodying
Salvation–CrossingtheBoundaryBetweentheNarrativeandtheReaderin
MiddleEnglishVisionsoftheAfterlife’
MarcoNievergelt(UniversityofWarwick),’Theoryvs.Experience:firstpersonnarrativeandthebody-soulprobleminscholasticismandpoetry’
Panel2:(Trans)historicalChange–Chair:SarahWood(Wolfson1)
BlakeGutt(King’sCollege,UniversityofCambridge),‘Bodilytransformation,
continuityandchangeinTristandeNanteuil’
SophieConaghan-Sexon(UniversityofGlasgow),‘WhyDoWomenNeeda
FemaleChrist?’
Teaandcoffee(Wolfson1)
Chair:EmmaCampbell(Wolfson1)
MirandaGriffin(StCatharine’sCollege,UniversityofCambridge)
RobertMills(UniversityCollegeLondon)
DebraStrickland(UniversityofGlasgow)
Featuringpresentationsanddiscussionfromourkeynotespeakersonthe
themeofbodilytransformationintheMiddleAges.
ClosingRemarksandWineReception(Wolfson1)
Conferencedinner(Xananas,WarwickPlaza)
3
WelcometoBodiesinFlux!
WearedelightedtowelcomeyoutotheUniversityofWarwickforthisinterdisciplinary
conferenceonthethemeofbodilytransformationintheMiddleAges.
Thisconferencepromisestobeanexcitingevent,drawingscholarsfromallmannerofdisciplines
withaspecialinterestinmedievalbodies,whattheymeant,whattheycontinuetomean,andhow
theycanshednewlightonourunderstandingoftheMiddleAges.
Today’seventshavebeengenerouslysupportedbytheWarwickHumanitiesResearchCentre,the
SocietyforFrenchStudies,andtheDepartmentofFrenchStudiesintheSchoolofModern
LanguagesattheUniversityofWarwick.Extrateaandcoffeebreakshavebeengenerously
providedbytheLibrary’sPostgraduateCommunityEngagementteam.Wewouldalsoliketothank
staffattheUniversityofWarwickLibrary,andatWarwickFoodandDrink,withoutwhomtoday
wouldnothavebeenpossible.
Mostofall,however,wewouldliketothankyouforsupportingthisconference,whetherthrough
submissionofabstracts,assistanceinorganizingtheconference,orattendanceasdelegates.We
wereoverwhelmedwithresponsesofinterestedparticipantsinallaspectsoftheconference,
whichattestsnotonlytothegreatinterestinthefield,butalsotothevaluethatsuchdiscussions
holdforacademicresearchintothepast.Wehopethattodayprovidesanopportunitytogaina
deeperaccessintothissubject,andtocreatenewconnectionsandinspirationforresearch.
Ifyouareonsocialmedia,pleasejoinusonTwitter@medievalwarwickusingthehashtag
#bodiesinfluxifpanelistsarewilling.Weareexcitedattheprospectofdiscussionsstartingtoday
andextendingwellintothefuture,sodokeepintouchoncethedayisover!
Warmregards,
LiamLewisandJaneSinnett-Smith
HRCDoctoralFellowsattheUniversityofWarwick
4
Abstracts
FirstSession,Panel1:SpeciesEncounters
EleanorHodgson
Disguised,transformed,ortrappedbodies?Questioningvoluntaryandreversible
metamorphosisintheGuillaumedePalerneanimal-skinmotif
Thelatetwelfth-centuryOldFrenchanonymousromanceGuillaumedePalernehasbeenthe
subjectofagrowingbodyofcriticismoverthepastdecadeinwhichscholarshavequestionedthe
representationofmetamorphosisinthetext.Theworkfeaturesawerewolf,Alphonse,whose
lycanthropicstateisparalleledinthenarrativebythequasi-transformationoftheeponymous
heroandhisbeloved(andlaterofhislong-lostmother)whoalldonanimalskinsinorderto
concealtheirhumanform.Recentstudies,suchasthoseofGriffin(2015),Small(2013),and
Ferlampin-Acher(2012),havediscussedthewayinwhichtherepresentationofhumansinanimal
skinsinGuillaumeraisesquestionsofidentity,doubling,anddisguise.Inparticular,theanimal-skin
motifismostoftenseenasmimickingthewerewolf’stransformation,asthethreehumans
voluntarilyadoptananimalformwhichtheycanremoveatwill.However,closeanalysisofthe
depictionoftheloversintheskinsrevealsamorecomplexrelationshipbetweentheseemingly
reversibledisguisesandthewerewolf’sinvoluntaryhybridform.
Thispaperwillcompareandcontrastthefigureswhosehumanbodiesare‘influx’inGuillaume,
examiningthewayinwhichthepoetmanipulatesimagesoftransformedhumansinorderto
questionthepermanenceandreversibilityofmetamorphosisinthenarrative.Thisanalysiswill
revealanambiguouspictureofhybridityinGuillaume,whichwillinturnfacilitatediscussionofthe
notionsofdoublingandcorrespondencehighlightedbythezoomorphictransformationsinthis
intriguingtext.
EleanorHodgsoncompletedherPhDinmedievalFrenchliteratureinJuly2015attheUniversityof
Sheffield,whereshehadalsocompletedaBAinFrenchandMusicandaMastersinMedieval
French.HerdoctoralthesisfocusedonexploringtheanonymousromanceGuillaumedePalerneas
aself-reflexivetextinwhichtheprocessesofromanceproductionandreceptionarereflectedin
thenarrative’sthemesoftransformation,doubling,andrecognition.SinceSeptember2015
EleanorhasbeenteachingFrenchandGermaninaDevonSecondaryschoolaspartofthe
programme‘ResearchersinSchools’,includingrunningmedievalFrenchsessionswithsixthformers.
HarrietJeanEvans
Shakingearsandwarriorcattle:mutualtransformationbetweendomesticanimalsandhumans
intheÍslendingasögur
ThemedievalÍslendingasögurcontainmanyepisodesinwhichtheboundarybetweenhumanand
animalisblurred.Humansbecomepigs,cattlebecomewarriors,thedeadfleshofanimalstakethe
placeofhumanfigures,andthespiritofadeadmancomesbackasabulltoavengethekillingof
theman’sson.Whilethebodiesofanimalsandhumansaredepictedasinterchangeableandfluid
inthesetexts,theyarealsotangibleandphysicalentities,andoftentreatedtonaturalistic
descriptions,groundingtheseliteraryanimalsintheirphysicalcounterparts.
5
Twofourteenth-centurysagasinparticular,Harðarsaga,andGull-Þórissaga,containepisodesin
whichmagicalillusionsarecastinanattempttoallowanimalstodefendthefarmintheformof
humans,andhumanstoescapeanattackintheshapeofanimals.Thisreversaloftherelationsof
careandprotectionindomesticanimal-humanrelationshipsmaysuggestthattherelationsofcare
wereperceivedasmutual,two-waynetworks,inwhichanimalsandhumansrequiredeachother
inordertosurvive.Thispaperwilladoptaninterdisciplinaryapproachtotheseepisodes,
consideringthepresenceofanimalbodiesinthespacesofmedievalIcelandicsociety,andthe
influenceofthephysicalworldandlivedexperienceontheformationofliterarynarratives.
HarrietJeanEvansisaPhDcandidateattheUniversityofYorkfundedbytheWolfsonFoundation.
HerinterdisciplinaryPhDresearchfocussesonrelationshipsbetweenhumansanddomestic
animalsinViking-ageandmedievalIceland,andthetextualrepresentationsoftheserelationships.
Inparticular,sheconsidersthespatialaspectsoftheserelationships,andthenetworkofanimals,
humans,andplaceonthefarmsteadsdepicted.Herthesisisco-supervisedbyDrMatthew
TownendandDrSteveAshby.
PhilippaCarter
Embodyingexcess:thebodyofthegiantintheMiddleEnglishpopularromances
IntheMiddleEnglishromanceBevisofHampton,theeponymousheroisconfrontedbyabody
altogethertoolargetobehuman.Marvellingatthegiant’sheight,Bevisaskswhetherallthemen
ofhistownare‘asmeche’ashe.Thegiantexplainsthat,onthecontrary,athomehehadbeen
ostracizedandbulliedonaccountofhisdwarfism.Whateffectonthereaderdidtheauthorintend
bythisgiddyingshiftinperspective?WhatculturalworkisperformedbythegiganticbodyinBevis
andtheothervernacularromancesoflatemedievalEngland?Thispaperaddressesthese
questionsbydrawinguponcurrentneuroscientificunderstandingsofhowthebraingainsa
workingknowledgeofthebody.Theneuroscientificmodelknownasthe‘sensoryhomunculus’–a
visualizationofahumanbodywhichinflatesagivenzoneofthebodyaccordingtotheproportion
ofthecortexdevotedtoit–isamonstruminwhichmedievalaudienceswouldsurelyhave
delighted,andsuggeststhatwesharewiththemadesiretoexploretheoftenbizarreexperience
ofhumanembodimentthroughdistortionandextremes.Examiningthewaysinwhichthe
destabilizationofthebrain’s‘bodyschema’cantriggerapleasure-givingcognitivedissonance,this
paperarguesthattheromances’disorientatingoscillationsofscale–betweensmallandbig,
feminineandmasculine,goodandevil,intimacyandalterity–ultimatelyservetodestabilizethe
safequarantinetotheexcessivebodyofthegiantofallthatis‘tomeche’abouthumanity.
PhilippaCarterisaMastersstudentinMedievalStudiesattheCentreforMedievalStudies,
UniversityofYork.ShecompletedherundergraduatedegreeinHistoryandHistoryofArtatthe
UniversityofEdinburghin2016.HercurrentprojectlooksatrepresentationsofskinintheMiddle
Englishromances.
6
FirstSession,Panel2:SeizingtheUnrulyBody
BonnieMillar
HearingandAuthority:AuditorytransformationsintheMiddleAges
Inbothmedievalself-narrativesandfictionalstorieshearingandauthoritycanbeintrinsically
linked.Non-normativehearingpatternsandauditorytransformationsareindicativeofvirtue,
communicationwiththedivineorfemaleauthority.TeresadeCartagena,afifteenth-centurynun
inherautobiographicalaccountArboledadelosenfermos,depictsheracquiredprofounddeafness
asavirtue,whichfacilitatesherwithdrawalfromthetemptationsofworldlyvanitiesandenables
hertofocusonthepathtosalvation.Chaucer’sWifeofBath,whobecomespartiallydeafened
throughafightwithherhusband,isfreedfromlisteningtomaleauthorityandabletovoiceher
ownarguments,confrontingmaleLatinatetextualauthority.Conversely,thesoundsandvoices
heardbyMargeryKempe,JulianofNorwichandHildegardofBingen,resemblingcontemporary
accountsoftinnitusandauditoryverbalhallucinations,wereinterpretedasevidenceoftheir
transitionintovehiclesofdivinecommunication.Thesensorycomponentsofthesewomen’s
visionshavespawnedanumberofalternativeretrospectivemodernmedicaldiagnosesranging
frommigraineattacks,neurosis,andbipolardisordertotemporallobeepilepsyandTourette’s
syndrome.However,thispaperwillexaminehowthroughauditorytransformationsthenun,three
mystics,togetherwiththefictionalmodeloftheWifeofBatharetranslatedintoauthoritative
figuresintheirnarratives.
BonnieMillariscurrentlyaresearcherattheUniversityofNottingham.Bonniehasauthoreda
criticalstudyofthe“SiegeofJerusalem”,andalsopublishedregularlyonalliterativepoetry,
medievalromances,gendertheory,medicalhumanitiesandsoundstudies.Recentpublications
includeapaperentitled:“HeroorJester:GawaininMiddleEnglishRomancesandBallads”inLe
PersonagedeGauvaindanslaliteratureeuropéenneduMoyenÂge,achapteron“KeyCritics,
Concepts&Topics”intheContinuumHandbookofMedievalBritishLiterature,“AMeasureof
Courtliness:SirGawainandtheCarlofCarlisle”inCulturesCourtoisesenMouvement:Proceedings
oftheThirteenthCongressoftheInternationalSocietyofCourtlyLiteratureand“Namingand
Unnaming:Cynewulf’sRunicSignatures”inLaconstrucciód’identitatsimaginages.Current
projectsincludetheanalysisofTinnitusnarrativesandafulllengthstudyofGawaininMiddle
EnglishandEarlymodernEnglishromancesandballads.
AislingReid
CarnalVisualityandtheEvilEyeinLateMedievalItaly
ThispaperwillexploreideassurroundingtheevileyeinlatemedievalandearlymodernItaly.
Drawingonmedievaltheoriesofvision,aswellastheologicaltexts,itwilloutlinetheperceived
corporealcapacitiesofvisionanditspotentialtoaffectharm.Thenon-opticalqualitiesofvision
were,forinstance,demonstratedbythethirteenthcenturytheologianscholarPeterofLimoges,
whosestudyintoopticsknownastheDeOculoMoraliwastranslatedintoItalianandwidely
circulated.Theeighthchapterofhisworkalignsthevariousfunctionsoftheeyeswitheachofthe
sevendeadlysins.Hewarnsofthedangersof‘licentious’looksbetweenmenandwomen,which
cancausebothbodilyandspiritualdamage.Thephysicalcapacityofsightisoutlinedthroughhis
exampleofHolofernes,whowas‘captured’bytheeyesofJudithwhenheenteredhersight.The
authordrawsanalogybetweenthebasilisk,whoselookkillsbirdsflyinginthesky,andwomen
7
wholookatmenandspirituallykillthem.Thephenomenonisexplainedinbothextramissiveand
tactileterms;whenawomanlooks‘licentiously’ataman,theprurientfumeswhichemergefrom
herheartareemittedthroughhereyes.Thesethenclashwithmen’seyesandpenetratetheheart
withtheir‘corruption’.Women’sfumesareconceptualisedintermsofa‘venerealray’which
spreadsthroughtheeyeslikeasexuallytransmitteddisease.SightinlatemedievalItalythus
entailedatactileinteractionbetweenbodiesandthe‘evil’eyecouldenactphysicalchange.
AislingReidisbasedatQueen’sUniversityBelfast,whereshesuccessfullydefendedher2015PhD
dissertationontheroleofmaterialartefactsinthereligiouspracticesoflatemedievalItaly.She
specializesinmedievalmaterialcultureandisparticularlyinterestedinconfraternalstudies.
SecondSession,Panel1:DivineEncounters
CherCasey
MakingMatteroftheMind:reconstructingthemedievalcranialanatomyofCologne’s11,000
HolyVirginskullrelics
EighthundredhumanskullsgracethewallsofCologne’sGoldenChamberintheChurchofSt
Ursula;afurthertwohundredskullsaredisplayedintheneighbouringCathedralSacristy.Enabled
bythe1106discoveryofCologne’sAgarursulanus,theextensiveRomancemetery,thecultofthe
HolyVirginsbecameamedievalrelicphenomenonofunrivalledproportions.Abundantcollections
oftheskullrelicsfromthissiteandtheirmonumentaldisplayswithinCologne’sreligious
institutionsandbeyond,demonstratetheelevatedsignificanceoftheheadatthistime.Enveloped
withinlayersofform-fittingtextilesthatoftenrevealedtheforehead,thesefreestandingskulls
inviteexplorationofthe(sacred)headintwelfth-andthirteenth-centuryEurope.Thispaperwill
exploretheconnectionsbetweenthereliquaries’layeredtextileconstructionandexposureof
bonewithanatomicalaccountsofthehumanheadcirculatingacrossEuropeinthehighmiddle
ages.Inadditiontotheperceptionoftheheadasconstructedfromlayersofbiologicalmaterials
protectingthebrain,elementsofcranialanatomywereoftendescribedthroughliteraland
metaphoricreferencestothreads,weaving,andfabric.Itwillbearguedthatanalysisofsuch
descriptionsandterminologyfoundwithinmedicalwritingspresentconsiderableinsighttothe
phenomenonofassembling,wrappingand,re-wrappingintextilesanddecoratedneedlework
typicalofCologne’sskullreliquaries;thisinturnshedslightonthewiderunderstandingofthe
saintsandthereconstructionoftheirsacredanatomyaspresentintheirreliquaries.
CherCaseyisaHistoryofArtdoctoralstudentattheUniversityofYork.Sheiscurrentlyexploring
themedievalandearlymoderntextileskullreliquariesofCologne’s11,000HolyVirgins.This
interdisciplinaryprojectexploresthesacred,cultural,medical,andmaterialelementsofthese
objectswithinCologneandthroughoutEurope.CherearnedherMAfromtheUniversityofYork
andherBAfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruzwhereshetaughtforsixyearsfollowing
herdegree.Herinterestsincludesitesofreligiousintersections,intellectualnetworks,andthe
visualcultureoffemalecloisters.Outsideacademia,CherenjoysleadinghistorictoursofYork.
8
JonahComan
Grimestone’sbook,Grimestone’sbody:volatilematterandcreationofidentityintheAdvocates
MS18.7.21
WhileFriarGrimestone’smanuscript(Edinburgh,NLSAdvocatesMS18.7.21,c.1372)isgenerally
knownforitswealthofvernacularreligiouslyricsandpreachertags,noscholarhasyet
approachedthesmall,ruggedmanuscriptasmaterialartefactworthyofstudy.AFranciscan
preacher’shandbook,themanuscriptrevealsundercloserinspectionadeepsensibilitytothe
productionofbody,identityandgender,throughtheexperienceofthematerialworldandits
boundaries.Grimestone,thecreator,binderandfirstownerofthemanuscript,seemstohave
beenextremelypreoccupiedwiththeontologicalconditionofthehumanandthesacredbodies.
BystudyingtheChristocentricdevotionofGrimestone,Idiscoveredasophisticatedunderstanding
ofhumananddivineidentitypredicatedontheChalcedonianbody,andatthesametime,the
Franciscan’ssolutiontothedesireofintegrationintothissacredbody
Iwillarguethat,throughtransgressivereplacements,theobjectofthebookbecomesthemeeting
placeoftwobodies,standingwitnessforaChristianmysticalmaterialism.Asthepersonal
handbookofamendicantfriarsworntopoverty,themanuscriptbecomesanappendixofthe
Franciscan’sbody,andbythis,aconduitformetamorphosisandtransformation:avolatileobject.
Usingasmaintheoreticaltoolthenotionof‘theextendedmind’,Iarguethatthetrifoldphysicality
thatthepreacher’snotebookstandswitness(Grimestone’sbook,Grimestone’sbodyandChrist’s
body)iseffectingaqueertransformationofbodies.Thisway,IshowhowGrimestone’sliterary
andphysicalpracticesregardinghisreadingcanbemappedontothematerialartefactaslocusfor
transformation.
JonahComanisanSGSAH-fundedsecond-yearMedievalStudiesPhDstudentattheUniversityof
StAndrews.Heiscontinuingresearchonthetopicofhismaster’s,developedatthesame
institutionunderthesupervisionofDrsBettinaBildhauerandKathrynRudy.Jonahisinterestedin
painandtortureinlatemedievalcrucifixions,andinhowtheserelatetogenderandits
expression.
SophieKelly
DiabolicalorDivine?:TheThree-headedTrinityintheStJohn’sPsalter(StJohn’sCollege,
Cambridge,MSK26)
TheholybodyoftheTrinitywasthoughtbysomemedievaltheologianstodefyanthropomorphic
orcorporalrepresentation:asAugustinestatedinhisDeTrinitate,theconceptofaGodwhois
boththreepersonsandone,thoughfundamentaltotheChristianfaith,isatthesametimean
‘unimaginablemystery’.YetthroughouttheMiddleAgesartistsincreasinglyturnedtomore
inventivevisualformsinorderto‘imagine’thebodyoftheTrinitarianGod.Thispaperwilladdress
arguablythemostunusualoftheseartisticsolutions,thethree-headedTrinity.Thisiconography
becameapopularwaytorepresenttheTrinityinthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturies,butthe
earliestextantexample,afull-pageilluminationfromtheStJohn’sPsalter(StJohn’sCollege
Cambridge,MSK26,f.9rand9v),wasmadeinEnglandinthelatethirteenthcentury,andisone
ofonlyahandfulofexamplesofthree-headedTrinitiestodatefrombeforethefifteenthcentury.
Thispaperwillsituatethethree-headedTrinityintheStJohn’sPsalterwithinthewidercultureof
theperiod,exploringtheconnectionsbetweenthis‘heavenly’three-headedbeingandother
9
representationsof‘three-headed’bodies,suchasthatoftheanti-Christandthegiant.Engaging
withtheoriesonbodilydeformityandthemonstrous,andparticularlytheworkofscholarssuchas
DebraStrickland,JeffreyCohenandRobertMills,thepaperwillaskhowaniconographicdevice
typicallyusedtorepresentthediabolicalandthe‘other’wasreconciledwiththe‘divine’bodyof
theTrinity.
SophieKellyisaPhDcandidateintheCentreforMedievalandEarlyModernStudiesatthe
UniversityofKent.HerresearchexplorestheiconographyoftheTrinityinEnglishandFrench
Gothicart.Sophie’sprojectexaminesthewaysinwhichartistsfoundsolutionstothecomplexand
paradoxicalideathatGodis‘threepersonsinone’,exploringtherelationshipsbetween
theologicalinterpretationsoftheTrinityanditsvisualrepresentationacrossavarietyofdifferent
media.ThethesisspecificallyexploresmoreunusualorstrangeTrinitarianimages,suchasthe
‘three-headed’or‘three-faced’Trinity,addressingwhyartiststurnedtomoreatypicaland
inventivedesignstoexpresstheproblematicconceptofthetriuneGod.Sophie’sPhDprojectis
fundedbytheArtsandHumanitiesResearchCouncil.
SecondSession,Panel2:(Dis)membered
EmmaCampbell
IntheCut:ReadingMutilationinPhilippedeRémi’sLaManekine
Thispaperfocusesonthetransformationofthebodyasthisoccursthroughmutilation,
consideringnotonlyhowthisisrepresentedinonemedievalromance,butalsohowthisaffects
other,morematerialaspectsofthereadingprocess.
PhilippedeRémi’sthirteenth-centuryFrenchromanceLaManekineisthestoryofayoung
HungarianprincesscalledJoie:aheroinethreatenedbyincestuousdesirewho,inanattemptto
dissuadeherfatherfrommarriage,amputatesherownhand.Inherexilefromthecourtwhere
shegrewup,thisamputationgivesJoiethenamebywhichshecomestobeknown–‘Manekine’–
anamethatreference’stheheroine’smutilationandinvertsthejoyfulmeaningofheroriginal
name.
Mypaperexaminesthesignificanceofmutilationinthetextontwodifferentlevels,arguingthat
thethematicsofamputationandcuttingintheromanceextendtoquestionsofreadershipand
materialtransmission.PhilippedeRémi’sworksarecontainedinasingle,illuminatedmanuscript
ofc.1300:Paris,Bibliothèquenationale,fr.1588.Readersofthismanuscripthaveleftanumberof
tracesonthemanuscriptpages,includingmarginalhighlightingandunderliningoftext;the
parchmentofanumberoffoliosisalsocutorstitched,afeaturethatappearstobemorefrequent
inthesectionofthecodexcontainingLaManekine.DrawingonDerrida’sdiscussionsofcuttingas
astructuralfeatureofoperationsofreadingandwriting,mypaperexplorestheinterconnections
betweentheactivitiesofcutting,amputating,andgraftinginthemanuscriptandthesignificance
ofthesegesturesastheyaredepictedinthetextitself.
EmmaCampbellisAssociateProfessorofFrenchattheUniversityofWarwick.Sheistheauthor
ofMedievalSaints’Lives:TheGift,KinshipandCommunityinOldFrenchHagiography(2008)and
co-editorofRethinkingMedievalTranslation:Ethics,Politics,Theory(2012)andofTroubledVision:
Gender,SexualityandSightinMedievalTextandImage(2004).Hernextbook,whichcomesoutof
10
aprojectsupportedbyanAHRCfellowship,explorestherelationshipbetweentranslationand
untranslatabilityinmedievalfrancophonetextsandmanuscripts.
PamelaDiaz
FeelingCutOff:Allegory,AestheticsandCastrationintheRomandelaRose
InJeandeMeun’s13thcenturycontinuationoftheRomandelaRose,thecastrationstoriesof
Origen,Saturn,andAbelardbecomeallegoriesfortheallegoricalmethoditself,understoodasa
fertilecutting-offresultingintheproliferationofmeaning.Similarly,thesinglerosebud,theobject
ofthemalelover’sdream-quest,representsthefemalegenitalia—singled-out,protected,and
completelydecontextualizedfromtheabsentfemalesubject.Thisthemeofcuttingoffis
representedinthe15thcenturyRosemanuscript(Bodl.Douce195),wherealarge,colorful
miniaturedepictsanotherwise-clothedOrigen,frontandcenter,preparingtoemasculatehimself,
genitaliaoutandknifeinhand.Thoughthisimageanticipatestheviolent,self-inflictedgesture,I
willarguethatbecauseitissuspended,itprovokesasenseofdetachment,leavinguswithan
aestheticobjecttocontemplate:theviolenceofthegesturenevercomesbutitisasiftheobjectis
alreadydetached.Thissenseofdetachmentislikewisemirroredinthemarginaliaofa14thcentury
Rosemanuscript(BnFFr.25526)showinganunpickingfruitfromwhatmightbecalleda“phallus
tree.”Apatternofdistortion,reframing,anddecontextualizingemerges,suggestingthatwemight
readdismembermentasanaestheticmodeaswellasanallegoricaltoolresonatingwithJeande
Meun’sliteraryaestheticofleavingactionandmeaning,andevenhisreaders,insuspensebefore
finallyreshapingorredirectingthem.
PamelaDíazisVisitingInstructorofFrenchatHamiltonCollege,NewYork.Shegraduatedfrom
CornellUniversitybeforeundertakingdoctoralworkattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley.Her
thesisexaminesthehermeneuticsofhungerintheRomandeRenartthroughthelensesofvisual
andverbalproof,spaceandplace,theunrulinessoflanguage,andtheinstabilityofbodies.She
hasbegunaprojectondismembermentinmedievaltextualandvisualculture,andhaspublished
onfrontierepicinElCidyelMundoÉpico.
CatherineCoffey
‘Mitzwoelftugendenstritetsiwiderdasvleisch’:thebodyfightingthefleshinMechthildvon
Magdeburg’sDasfließendeLichtderGottheit
Alandmarktextinthehistoryofmedievalfemale-authoredmysticism,Mechthildvon
Magdeburg’sDasfließendeLichtderGottheit(FL)seesthenarrativevoiceoscillatebetween
ambivalence,antagonismandacceptance,asregardsitsrelationshipwiththephysicalbody.The
distinctionandconflictwithinthebodyitself,betweenlîpandvleisch,isquicklyestablished.
Strugglingtoriseabovethisbattleisthevoiceofthesoul,initsquesttoachieveuniomysticawith
God.YetMechthild’svisionsofthisinteractionaremarkedlyembeddedinthephysical,andthe
translationoftheseexperiencestothepagenecessitateextensiveuseofbodilyimagery.
Separatingthebodyintoseveralentities,includingthesoulandsenses,Mechthildcloakseach
componentofthehumanbeinginatleastsomeformofphysicality.Theaimofthispaperisnot
simplytodrawattentiontothecomplexandoftenfraughtnatureofthemannerinwhichthe
bodyisdismembered,reconstructedandtranslatedintheFL.Morespecifically,themannerin
whichthedifferent“voices”extantinDasfließendeLichtderGottheitmovefromtheembodiedto
thedisembodiedandviceversawillbeconsidered.Inordertoinvestigatethisthoroughly,each
11
facetwillfirstbeviewedthroughtheprismofgender,therebyhighlightingthesignificanceof
Mechthild’sownfemalebodyinthetranslationofherphysically-orientedvisionaryexperiences.
CatherineCoffeycompletedherBAinFrench&GermanatBrasenoseCollege,Oxford.Shefurther
developedtheinterestinmedievalstudiesgarneredhereduringaMAinMedievalStudiesat
Queen'sUniversityBelfast,whereshealsoundertookaMAinTranslationStudies.Catherineis
nowcompletingherPhDatQueen's,focusingonMechthildvonMagdeburg'sDasflieẞendeLicht
derGottheitthroughthelensesoftranslation,genderandreceptiontheories.
ThirdSession,Panel1:ThinkingBeyondtheBody
SebastianKleinschmidt
EmbodyingSalvation–CrossingtheBoundaryBetweentheNarrativeandtheReaderinMiddle
EnglishVisionsoftheAfterlife
Itisacommonplacethatthebodiesofthesoulsinhabitingtheafterlifeandsometimesalsothose
ofthetravelingvisionariesplayasignificantroleinandforvisions.Thetransformativenatureof
thepunishmentexactedonthesespiritualbodieshasbeenstressed,the‘popular’natureofthe
depictionofthempointedout;thus,researchhas,sofar,mainlyfocusedonthestorylevel.The
connectioncreatedbetween(thebodiesof)thenarrativeand(thebodiesof)thereadersor
listeners,however,hasnotbeenaddressedyet.Iwillconsiderthisspecialrelationshipbylooking
atdifferentMiddleEnglishvisionsoftheafterlife,e.g.TheVisionofTundaleandtheRevelationof
Purgatory,thatenablesuchaconjunction.Myargumentisatwofoldone:First,Iwillarguethat
thefocusonthevisionary’s‘physicality’andtheirexperience,especiallywhentheyaresufferingin
purgatory,facilitatesamergingofnarrativeandphysicalbody,throughwhichthelatterisaffirmed
andtransformed,i.e.cleansed.Second,Iwanttoarguethatthewaythevisionsarenarrated
furthersphysicalinvolvementofthereader.Byconsideringthemedievalpracticeofreadingand
memorycreationinconjunctiontomyargumentitwillbecomeclearthatvisionsdidnotmerely
wanttoentertainthroughnarratingagruesomeandbeatificstorybutweremeanttoactively
transformthereader’sphysicalandspiritualnature.
SebastianKleinschmidtstudiedEnglish/AmericanStudies,Biology(bothB.A.),andMedievaland
RenaissanceStudieswithamajorinEnglishandminorsinGerman,History,Philosophyand
Archaeology(M.A.)atRuhrUniversityBochumfrom2009to2015.Sincethenheisamemberof
theDFG-fundedresearchtraininggroup“FactualandFictionalNarration”attheUniversityof
Freiburgandworkingonhisdissertation“MemoriaorImaginatio?NarratingSalvationinMiddle
EnglishVisionsoftheAfterlife”,whichanalysestheextantMiddleEnglishvisionsoftheafterlife
fromapragmaticandnarratologicalpointofview.
MarcoNievergelt
CanThoughtExperimentsBackfire?Avicenna’sFlyingMan,IntellectualCognitionandthe
ExperienceofAllegoryinDeguileville’sPèlerinagedeVieHumaine.
Avicenna’s‘FlyingMan’thoughtexperimentintheDeAnimawasfrequentlyusedoralludedtoby
scholasticauthorsintheirdiscussionsofthenatureandcognitivefacultiesofthehumansoul.The
FlyingManowesitspopularitytothefactthatitcouldbeemployedtovalidateAugustine’stheory
12
ofthesoulasanindependentsubstancecapableofperformingitsowncognitiveactswithout
needofthebody—apositionthatcameunderthreatwiththeconsolidationofAristotelianmodels
ofcognitioninthethirteenthcentury.ThereisatleastonevernacularversionoftheFlyingMan,
hithertounnoticed,inGuillaumedeDeguileville’swidelycirculated,influentialallegory,
thePèlerinagedeVieHumaine(1331and1355).Butratherthaninvitinghisreaderstoperforman
exerciseofmentalvisualisationofthesoulasanindependentsubstance,Deguilevillewritesafirstpersonnarrativethatallowshispilgrim/narratortoexperience(‘esprouver’,PVH1l.6169)the
separationofhissoulandbody,thankstotheoperationsofLadyRaison.Whilethisliterarydevice
enhancestheideaofathoughtexperimentasanactualexperience,itprovesultimatelyselfdefeating.Thepilgrim’sexperienceofhisowndualityisdescribedindistinctivelybodilyterms,
notablybydescribinghowthedisembodiedpilgrim’ssoul,orself,bendsdowntofeeltheabsent
pulseofhisinertbody.ThiscontradictstheveryideathattheFlyingManthoughtexperimentis
intendedtosupport,namelytheabilityofthesoultogainknowledgeinternallyandnotthrough
corporeallymediatedsenseperception.FinallyAvicenna’sthoughtexperimentendsupimplicitly
validatingtheverypropositionitwasdevelopedtorefute.Therearenumeroussignsthat
Deguilevillerealisedthis,notablyhisdecisiontoprovideanextended,laboriousbutultimately
inconclusivediscussionofthestatusofmentalimagesinhislonger,revisedversionofthepoem.
Thissuggeststhatfarfrombeingeasilycontrolled,allegoricalthoughtexperimentseasilydevelop
alifeoftheirown,openingupspeculative,truly‘experimental’possibilitiesthattheiroriginal
devisermaynothaveforeseen.Suchthoughtexperiments,andallegoricalnarrativesmorewidely,
caneasilyendupinterrogatingordismantlingphilosophicalpropositionstheyweredesignedto
uphold.
MarcoNievergeltspecialisesinlatemedievalandearlyEnglishmodernliterature,oftenfroma
comparativeangle(French,Italian,German).HeholdsanMAdegreeinGermanandEnglish
languageandliteraturefromtheUniversityofLausanne;anMPhilinEnglishfromtheUniversityof
Glasgow;andaDphilinEnglishfromtheUniversityofOxford.Hisinterestsincludechivalric
romance,allegory,andFranco-Englishculturalandliteraryrelations.Hiscurrentworkfocuseson
thedevelopmentofvernacularnarrativeallegoryinthewakeoftheRomandelaRose,specifically
onthephilosophicalaspectsofthetraditionandtherelationofvernacularnarrativetoscholastic
theoriesofcognitionandsignification.HehasheldvariousteachingpositionsattheUniversitiesof
GenevaandLausanne,andresearchfellowshipsattheUniversitiesofLausanne(SNFAmbizione
fellow2012–15),Oxford(visitingfellowCorpusChristiCollege,2012–13),andasaEURIASjunior
researchfellowattheParisInstituteforAdvancedStudies(2015–16).HeiscurrentlyaSenior
TeachingFellowintheDepartmentofEnglishandComparativeLiteraryStudiesattheUniversityof
Warwick.
ThirdSession,Panel2:(Trans)historicalChange
BlakeGutt
Bodilytransformation,continuityandchangeinTristandeNanteuil.
Blanchandine,inthefourteenth-centurychansondegeste,TristandeNanteuil,isaSaracen
princesswhobecomesthewifeoftheeponymousTristan,andthemotherofhissonRaimon.
However,bytheendofthetext’s23,000+lines,BlanchandineisnowBlanchandin,aChristianking
andknight,andthefatherofanotherson,SaintGilles.Thistransformationinvolvesbothmundane
andsupernaturalelements:Blanchandine’sconversiontoChristianityisunremarkable,whereas
13
theinterventionofanangelwhorewritesherbodytobecomehisbodyislesscommonplace
(althoughnotwithoutprecedent–anotherchansondegeste,thethirteenth-centuryYdeetOlive,
presentsastrikinglysimilarscenario).
Inthispaper,IexaminethefluctuationsofBlanchandin/e’sbodyandidentitythroughoutthe
narrativeofTristandeNanteuil,disentanglingtheelementsofcontinuitywhichpersistdespitethe
character’salteredembodimentfromthechangeswhichs/heexperiences.Thetransformationis
propelledbyasacredgenealogicalimperative,sinceJesuswishesBlanchandintofatherSaint
Gilles.ThebodilymetamorphosiswhichisdemandedsignificantlyaltersbothBlanchandin/e’s
socialpositioningandher/hisinterpersonalrelationships:Blanchandincannotstaywithhis
husband,andmustnowhaveawifeofhisown.IemploytransgendertheoryasIquestionthe
continuityofBlanchandin/easacoherentpersonalityundergoingbothphysicalrewritingandits
socialconsequences,andexploretheresonancesanddissonancesbetweenmoderntransition
narrativesandthismedievalFrenchtaleoftransformation.
BlakeGuttisathird-yearPhDstudentatKing'sCollege,Cambridge,supervisedbyProfessorBill
Burgwinkle.Hisdoctoralthesis,entitled'Rhizomes,Parasites,FoldsandTrees',isaninvestigation
ofconceptualnetworksandthewaysinwhichtheyunderliebothtextanditsmanuscript
presentationacrossarangeofthirteenth-andfourteenth-centuryFrench,OccitanandCatalan
literaryworks.Theprojectexplorestheresonancesoftwentieth-andtwenty-first-century
theorisationsofsystemswithmedievaltexts,whichincludesaints’lives,encyclopedicworks,and
textsfeaturingcharacterswhocanbereadastransgender.
SophieConaghan-Sexon
'WhyDoWomenNeedaFemaleChrist?'
SuzannahBiernoff(2002)writesthatinthelatemedievalperiod,‘Christ’sbodyissemantically
unstable.Itsignifiesexcessively.’Oneofthesesemanticinstabilitiesisthegendered
representationofChristinartandliteraturewrittenbyorintendedfortheuseofwomen.This
paperusesqueertheorytochallengeheteronormativeassumptionsaboutthepresentationand
receptionofChrist’sgenderidentitythroughanexaminationoftherepresentationofandpossible
responsestoChrist’swound.Inmyinterdisciplinaryapproach,Iwillconcentrateonaselectionof
imagesinlatemedievalBooksofHourswhereChrist’sdisembodiedsidewoundisrepresentedin
devotionalcontexts,andcontrastthesewithfeminizedrepresentationsofChristinthewritingsof
JulianofNorwichandMargeryKempe.
Anumberofcritics(includingCarolineBynumandKarmaLochrie)havedoneextensiveworkon
thesignificanceofthefeminisationofChristinlatemedievalculture.Buildingonthiswork,this
paperwillusequeertheorytoexplorethepossiblereasonswhywomenwouldhavehistorically
representedChristasfemale,anddemonstratehowwomencouldbenefitfromtransforming
Christ’sbodyintothefeminine.
WhetheritbeusingthefemalebodytoportrayaqueerChristinlatemedievalBooksofHours,or
tocreateaqueerrelationshipwiththemotherChristinfemalewritingtoprotectagainstthe
threatofrape,thispaperaskshowthegenderofthemostculturallysignificanticonofthisperiod
istransformed,andwhatgendernormsaredisturbedanddispelledbygenderingChristasfemale.
14
SophieSexonisa2ndyearPhDcandidateattheUniversityofGlasgow.HerAHRCfundedPhD
takesaqueertheoreticalapproachtoexplorethegenderedsignificanceofChrist’swoundsinboth
latemedievalsourcesandcontemporaryqueerperformanceart.Aspartofherpracticeand
research,sheperformsasherdragkingalterego,BorisGay,atvariousvenuesacrossScotland.
15
Roundtablediscussion
MirandaGriffin
MirandaGriffinistheFellowinFrenchatStCatharine’sCollege,Cambridge.Herfirstbook,The
ObjectandtheCauseintheVulgateCycle,waspublishedbyManeyin2005;hersecond,
TransformingTales:RewritingMetamorphosisinMedievalFrenchLiterature,waspublishedby
OUPin2015.ShehasalsopublishedarticlesonthemedievalFrenchlaiandfabliaux,aswellasthe
PerceforestandthepoetryofChristinedePizan.Hercurrentresearchinterestsfocuson
materialityandthesensesinmedievalFrenchliterature,especiallyinrelationtolandscapeand
journeys.
RobertMills
RobertMillsisReaderinMedievalArtatUniversityCollegeLondonanddirectorofUCL'sLGBTQ
networkqUCL.AuthorofSuspendedAnimation:Pain,PleasureandPunishmentinMedieval
Culture(2005)andSeeingSodomyintheMiddleAges(2015),hehasrecentlycompletedabookon
DerekJarman'smedievalismentitledDerekJarman'sMedievalModern.Currentprojectsincludea
bookonanimalityandsovereigntyandanarticleonthecultofSaintEugenia.
DebraStrickland
DrDebraHiggsStricklandteachesmedievalandRenaissancearthistoryattheUniversityof
Glasgowandhaspublishedextensivelyonbeasts,monsters,andrepresentationsofnon-Christians
inChristianart.SheisauthorofMedievalBestiaries:Text,Image,Ideology(1995)andeditorof
TheMarkoftheBeast:TheMedievalBestiaryinArt,Life,andLiterature(1999).Herothermajor
studiesincludeSaracens,Demons,andJews:MakingMonstersinMedievalArt(2003)andmost
recently,TheEpiphanyofHieronymusBosch:ImaginingAntichristandOthersfromtheMiddle
AgestotheReformation(2016).SheisamemberoftheAdvisoryBoardforanewMedieval
InstitutePublicationsseriesonMonsters,Prodigies,andDemons:MedievalandEarlyModern
ConstructionsofAlterityforwhichshewelcomespotentialcontributions!Hercurrentwriting
projectsincludeashortstudyofinsectsinRenaissanceartandanewbookonBosch’sMonsters.
16
Notes
17