Flesh and Word: Reading Bodies in Old Norse-Icelandic and Early Irish Literature

Künzler, S. (2016) Flesh and Word: Reading Bodies in Old Norse-Icelandic and Early Irish Literature. Series: Trends in medieval philology (31). Walter de Gruyter GmbH: Berlin. ISBN 9783110455380

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Abstract

Bodies and their role in cultural discourse have been a constant focus in the humanities and social sciences in recent years, but comparatively few studies exist about Old Norse-Icelandic or early Irish literature. This study aims to redress this imbalance and presents carefully contextualised close readings of medieval texts. The chapters focus on the role of bodies in mediality discourse in various contexts: that of identity in relation to ideas about self and other, of inscribed and marked skin and of natural bodily matters such as defecation, urination and menstruation. By carefully discussing the sources in their cultural contexts, it becomes apparent that medieval Scandinavian and early Irish texts present their very own ideas about bodies and their role in structuring the narrated worlds of the texts. The study presents one of the first systematic examinations of bodies in these two literary traditions in terms of body criticism and emphasises the ingenuity and complexity of medieval texts.

Item Type:Books
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Kuenzler, Dr Sarah
Authors: Künzler, S.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Celtic and Gaelic
Publisher:Walter de Gruyter GmbH
ISBN:9783110455380
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