"On colored and dark clothes: Childhood scenes in the Exeter Book" · In the opening verses of The Fortunes of Men and in the final section of Christ C (both poems preserved in the Exeter Book of Old English poetry) two very different family scenes occur. An infant child lies at the centre of both scenes, but in Fortunes he is made the object of his parents’ affection, loving care and education (§ 2), whereas in Christ C he is a ‘lonely’ baby Jesus resting in darkness on ‘hard stone’ in one of the most dramatic representations of the Nativity in medieval literature (§ 4). A detail in the description of both children has gone unnoticed so far in critical literature, though, namely the quality of the (swaddling) clothes in which they are wrapped or covered, with all its social and metaphorical possible implications. In other words, the sharp contrast between the two passages is emphasized by the child in Fortunes being «dressed in bright colours» (mid bleom gyrwað, 3b), and by Jesus in Christ C being described as «wrapped in dull greyish clothes» (biwundenne mid wonnum claþum, 1423a). After reassessing some textual cruces in the Fortunes passage (§ 2), and after considering some allegorical meanings of colour on garments in the Old English homilies (§ 3), the present analysis focuses on the occurrences of OE blēo (§ 5) and wonn (§ 6) in the corpus, reading them in context in order to evaluate their potential (evocative or truly symbolic) power in poetry. By comparing also various Anglo-Saxon archaeological, historical and literary sources on dressing and textiles, concluding remarks (§ 7) can point to a conscious attitude by our Old English poets towards both the figurative sense and the social implications of such infant dress code. Dyed or colouradorned garments are meant for well-born children, who nevertheless cannot be assured of future happiness, however richly attired they are. Achromatic natural cloth is the standard for children from less-favourite social classes, down to hardly more than filthy rags for the poorest; but, according to the Christian (especially monastic) ideal, a modest dress covering an abundance of spiritual virtues is one of the safest passes to Heaven.

Di vesti colorate e oscuri panni: scene d’infanzia nell’Exeter Book

Cucina, C.
2021-01-01

Abstract

"On colored and dark clothes: Childhood scenes in the Exeter Book" · In the opening verses of The Fortunes of Men and in the final section of Christ C (both poems preserved in the Exeter Book of Old English poetry) two very different family scenes occur. An infant child lies at the centre of both scenes, but in Fortunes he is made the object of his parents’ affection, loving care and education (§ 2), whereas in Christ C he is a ‘lonely’ baby Jesus resting in darkness on ‘hard stone’ in one of the most dramatic representations of the Nativity in medieval literature (§ 4). A detail in the description of both children has gone unnoticed so far in critical literature, though, namely the quality of the (swaddling) clothes in which they are wrapped or covered, with all its social and metaphorical possible implications. In other words, the sharp contrast between the two passages is emphasized by the child in Fortunes being «dressed in bright colours» (mid bleom gyrwað, 3b), and by Jesus in Christ C being described as «wrapped in dull greyish clothes» (biwundenne mid wonnum claþum, 1423a). After reassessing some textual cruces in the Fortunes passage (§ 2), and after considering some allegorical meanings of colour on garments in the Old English homilies (§ 3), the present analysis focuses on the occurrences of OE blēo (§ 5) and wonn (§ 6) in the corpus, reading them in context in order to evaluate their potential (evocative or truly symbolic) power in poetry. By comparing also various Anglo-Saxon archaeological, historical and literary sources on dressing and textiles, concluding remarks (§ 7) can point to a conscious attitude by our Old English poets towards both the figurative sense and the social implications of such infant dress code. Dyed or colouradorned garments are meant for well-born children, who nevertheless cannot be assured of future happiness, however richly attired they are. Achromatic natural cloth is the standard for children from less-favourite social classes, down to hardly more than filthy rags for the poorest; but, according to the Christian (especially monastic) ideal, a modest dress covering an abundance of spiritual virtues is one of the safest passes to Heaven.
2021
Fabrizio Serra Editore
Internazionale
http://www.libraweb.net/articoli.php?chiave=202104801&rivista=48
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11393/305159
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