The Otherworldly Lure: Supernatural Aspects of the Hunt in Medieval Welsh Literature

Bartliff, Z. (2016) The Otherworldly Lure: Supernatural Aspects of the Hunt in Medieval Welsh Literature. International Medieval Congress 2016, Leeds, UK, 04-07 Jul 2016.

Abstract

There appears to have been a universal tendency among early civilisations to attribute supernatural qualities to the most significant aspects of life (fertility, death, etc.). Equally, however, a degree of supernaturalism was assigned to the culture of nobility thus raising them above the masses. The hunt appears within medieval Welsh literature as possessing supernatural aspects. This paper shall examine these supernatural presentations of the hunt and discuss whether these are a remnant of archaic spirituality representative of the wild and natural virility of man and his ability to master nature to acquire food, or representative of the evolving status of hunting as an elite sport.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Additional Information: Paper 1221-c, presented in Session 1221: Hunting and Husbandry.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Bartliff, Dr Zoe
• Authors: Bartliff, Z.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Information Studies