Gold, jewels and a cross that is able to speak: these elements are nowhere to be found in the Biblical story about the crucifixion of Christ, but they do appear in the Old English poem The Dream of...Show moreGold, jewels and a cross that is able to speak: these elements are nowhere to be found in the Biblical story about the crucifixion of Christ, but they do appear in the Old English poem The Dream of the Rood. This poem is a retelling of the Biblical story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and there are three characters in this poem: the Dreamer, the Cross and Christ. These characters are linked, because they all experience one or multiple physical or mental transformations. The poet intended for these transformations to be an inspiration for the reader of the poem. Especially the transformation of the Dreamer is supposed to be inspirational, because the Dreamer is the most relatable character for the reader through the focus on their human nature. The question that is discussed in this thesis is: what does the transformation of the Dreamer look like and why can it be inspirational for the reader? The suggested answer to this question is that the poet of The Dream of the Rood used the character of the Dreamer to illustrate the life-changing effect that knowledge of the Bible and following the example of Christ can have on a human being. The reader of the poem is encouraged to follow in the footsteps of the Dreamer, the first step being reading The Dream of the Rood.Show less
The fictional works of English author and Oxford philologist, J.R.R. Tolkien, have been subjected to many literary and comparative analyses ever since they first came within the purview of academia...Show moreThe fictional works of English author and Oxford philologist, J.R.R. Tolkien, have been subjected to many literary and comparative analyses ever since they first came within the purview of academia. Source criticism (i.e. the analysis of how Tolkien drew inspiration from medieval texts, Catholicism, WWI, etc.) and thematic oppositions, such as light vs. dark, have especially attracted scholarly attention. What has not yet been satisfactorily explored within source criticism and light-dark opposition is Tolkien’s use of the ‘shadow’ as a literary motif in 'The Lord of the Rings' and its possible resonances with Old English conceptions of the shadow. This study combines a close reading, philologically-minded analysis of 'The Lord of the Rings' with a comparative approach centred on the occurrence of shadows in Old English poetic contexts. In so doing, the arguments and evidence brought forth in this study make a strong case for shadow as both a viable literary motif throughout the narrative and as a likely area of borrowing from early medieval Old English poetry.Show less
Questa tesi cerca di inquadrare il lavoro di Reginaldo Accetto (Il Thesoro della volgar lingua) nell'ambito della questione ortografica del Cinquecento. In più, abbiamo collazionato le copie della...Show moreQuesta tesi cerca di inquadrare il lavoro di Reginaldo Accetto (Il Thesoro della volgar lingua) nell'ambito della questione ortografica del Cinquecento. In più, abbiamo collazionato le copie della princeps secondo i metodi della bibliografia testuale e abbiamo trascritto filologicamente il trattato.Show less
Since the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for...Show moreSince the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for the stylistic features of the source text, and these are therefore largely lost. For a text which relies heavily on stylistic features, such as poetry, this means that a word-for-word translation can actually be an impediment to a full appreciation of the text. Philology and its translation methods originated in the nineteenth century, but more recently, starting from around the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, the field of translation studies has given rise to alternative ways of thinking about translation. Translation theory has concerned itself with such matters as how best to maintain stylistic features and which word choice might be the most appropriate given the text as a whole. Thus, it seems that there is an opportunity here for a productive cooperation between philology and translation studies. This thesis summarises translation theory which is relevant to the translation of Old English poetry, and directly demonstrates the relevance of translation theory to philology by putting it into practice in the translation of the Old English poem, Deor.Show less
Since the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for...Show moreSince the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for the stylistic features of the source text, and these are therefore largely lost. For a text which relies heavily on stylistic features, such as poetry, this means that a word-for-word translation can actually be an impediment to a full appreciation of the text. Philology and its translation methods originated in the nineteenth century, but more recently, starting from around the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, the field of translation studies has given rise to alternative ways of thinking about translation. Translation theory has concerned itself with such matters as how best to maintain stylistic features and which word choice might be the most appropriate given the text as a whole. Thus, it seems that there is an opportunity here for a productive cooperation between philology and translation studies. This thesis summarises translation theory which is relevant to the translation of Old English poetry, and directly demonstrates the relevance of translation theory to philology by putting it into practice in the translation of the Old English poem, Deor.Show less
It is believed that Tolkien's knowledge of Anglo-Saxon culture did not only inspire him to write The Lord of the Rings, but that he also reproduced the Anglo-Saxons and their warrior culture in his...Show moreIt is believed that Tolkien's knowledge of Anglo-Saxon culture did not only inspire him to write The Lord of the Rings, but that he also reproduced the Anglo-Saxons and their warrior culture in his works. However, the heroic ethos that the characters live up to in The Lord of the Rings, and in particular oath-taking, diverges intentionally from the heroic ethos and oaths of loyalty in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. This thesis explores Tolkien’s views on and presentation of oath-making and –breaking in his trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s works and his representation of oaths are compared to sworn speech in the Old English poems Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon. This thesis shows that Tolkien created a heroic code that is different from the traditional Anglo-Saxon heroic ethos, one in which free will plays an important part. Tolkien made a conscious attempt to reshape the heroic code and attached other values to the oath of loyalty in The Lord of the Rings.Show less
Inspiration drawn from the Middle Ages can be found in many forms of modern pop culture. In fact, so-called ‘neomedievalism’ has emerged onto the global scene, and has become almost as widespread...Show moreInspiration drawn from the Middle Ages can be found in many forms of modern pop culture. In fact, so-called ‘neomedievalism’ has emerged onto the global scene, and has become almost as widespread and as often referenced as when the Roman and Greek cultures were rediscovered during the Italian Renaissance. Neomedievalism is described as the postmodern ‘use’ of medieval cultures which often deliberately denies historical accuracy and is usually a nostalgic or romanticized version - or a crude representation - of medieval culture. This way of appropriating medieval themes and stories is possible because it is still “productive in the contemporary imagination”. This claim is substantiated by the popularity of countless medieval-inspired TV-series, films, medieval-styled ‘role playing games’, books such as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book and TV series - and of course music containing neomedievalist themes. This thesis will explore the role of neomedievalism in Viking Metal, Anglo-Saxon Metal and Neofolk, to find out how neomedievalism fits in with the counter-culture of these music subgenres.Show less
This thesis discusses the similarities and differences between the portrayal of knights and their battles in medieval romances and medievalist video games, the representation of knights and battles...Show moreThis thesis discusses the similarities and differences between the portrayal of knights and their battles in medieval romances and medievalist video games, the representation of knights and battles in these video games and romances, and explores why these similarities and differences have occurred. To obtain an idea of what kind of differences there are, three video games were chosen to be compared alongside three medieval texts. The games in question are Dragon Age: Origins, Mount & Blade: Warband, and World of Warcraft. The medieval texts are Le Morte d’Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Ywain and Gawain.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
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This thesis aims to present a new critical edition of the first section (anuvāka) of book (kāṇḍa) 17 of the Atharvaveda Paippalāda, a corpus of religious hymns and magical incantations dated to the...Show moreThis thesis aims to present a new critical edition of the first section (anuvāka) of book (kāṇḍa) 17 of the Atharvaveda Paippalāda, a corpus of religious hymns and magical incantations dated to the late second millenium BCE, which furnish the second-oldest body of Vedic Indian literature to survive to the present day. This thesis focuses on the first section of book 17, consisting of a great praise hymn addressed to the earth. It strives to improve the previous Indian edition (Bhattacharya 2011), by collating additional manuscript sources, providing a rigorous critical apparatus that includes all the variants found in the manuscritps, as well as an edited text based on established text-critical criteria. In addition, an analysis of the poetic meter of each verse is also provided next to each stanza, as well as a translation and detailed commentary in which I discuss the interpretation of each stanza with notes on its ritual, literary and linguistic context. Given the limited extension of the extant corpus of Vedic texts, the edition of a new text is of extreme importance, as it not only adds new information to our knowledge of the Vedic language, but also furnishes new precious linguistic material for the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European and the study of the history of its Indo-Iranian branch. Moreover, the acquisition of a philologically reliable version of such a text is a fundamental step towards any future anthropological or religious study on ancient Vedic India.Show less
The Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer is famous for its ambiguity, mystery, and difficulty of interpretation. According to Elaine Treharne, “it is one of the most challenging Old English poems to...Show moreThe Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer is famous for its ambiguity, mystery, and difficulty of interpretation. According to Elaine Treharne, “it is one of the most challenging Old English poems to translate satisfactorily.” There are various ways to interpret and translate Wulf and Eadwacer, and many different translations have already been published. Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, translators have tried their best to create translations of Wulf and Eadwacer that reflect their opinions, serve their purposes, and appeal to their particular audiences. John Adams believes Wulf and Eadwacer must be seen as a riddle, and has translated it as such, while others, like Treharne, consider the poem a woman’s song. The choices that translators make show how they interpret the poem, and the examination in this thesis will show what might have influenced the translators to create their particular translation, and how their choices and interpretations of Wulf and Eadwacer have influenced their translations.Show less
Throughout time, the legend of King Arthur has been adapted and exploited to meet the needs of each era; each era has its own King Arthur. In this thesis the focus will be on how the legend lends...Show moreThroughout time, the legend of King Arthur has been adapted and exploited to meet the needs of each era; each era has its own King Arthur. In this thesis the focus will be on how the legend lends itself to such manipulation and adaptation and in what ways the legend has been adapted to suit changing political times. From the start of the Early Middle Ages, the legend of King Arthur was firmly established in society and many medieval writers embellished the legend. Authors like Chretien de Troyes and Thomas Mallory enriched the legend, subtly imposing the conflicts of their time onto the legend. After falling from popularity in the Early Modern era the legend was to experience a revival of interest in the 19th and 20th centuries. The portrayal of Arthur throughout each era differs spectacularly and sheds light on contemporary political issues, as the outside world feeds into the view. This in turn calls attention to my research question; how does the portrayal of Arthur in different eras relate to the outside political world and concerns of the time? My provisional thesis statement is that the legend of Arthur has been adapted throughout time to express and relate the needs and concerns of different eras. In order to answer my research question I will make use of several primary texts from the Middle Ages, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae, Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and the poem the Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle and compare them with texts from the 19th and 20th century. In particular, Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Tennyson’s Idylls of the King and T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. I will carry out a historically and culturally contextualised analysis of the portrayal of Arthur and his knights in each era that will explain the differing ways in which they are presented.Show less
