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Cursor Mundi(CURSOR 21) N. I. Petrovskaia Medieval Welsh Perceptions of the Orient XXXV+241 p., 7 b/w ill. + 5 colour ill., 4 b/w tables, 156 x 234 mm, 2015 ISBN: 978-2-503-55155-5 Languages: English, Latin Hardback The publication is available. Retail price: EUR 115,00 This book introduces a new theoretical framework for the examination of medieval Western European perceptions of the Orient. Through the application of the medieval concept of translatio studii et imperii, it proposes the identification of three distinct conceptions of the Orient in medieval sources: Biblical, Classical, and Contemporary. Welsh textual material from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries is used as a case-study to develop and illustrate this theory. This study brings historical sources to bear on previously unexplained literary phenomena and it examines the evolution of texts and ideas in the process of transmission and translation. The sources analysed here include vernacular and Latin texts produced in Wales, as well as material that has been translated into Welsh such as Imago mundi and legends about Charlemagne. It thus combines an important and much-needed account of the development of Welsh attitudes to the East with a unique analysis of Oriental references across an extensive literary corpus. Table of Contents Foreword - ERICH POPPE Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Sources of Information Chapter 1. Theory: Geography, translatio studii et imperii and the Three Orients Chapter 2. Travel and Contact: Chronicle Evidence Chapter 3. Legend: The Charlemagne Material in Wales Conclusion to Part I Part II: The Impact on Literature Chapter 4. Speaking of India: Alexander, Culhwch, and Peredur Chapter 5. Christians versus Pagans: Peredur and Owain in Strange Lands Conclusion to Part II Conclusion Bibliography Index Review From the Foreword: 'Natalia Petrovskaia's insightful and thought-provoking study is a significant and timely contribution to the scholarly literature on medieval engagements with the Orient. It shows that Wales, even though it may appear to have been located at the western margins of Europe, actively participated in the great intellectual, cultural, and religious discussions of the Middle Ages, and it also suggests an original interpretative framework of wider applicability for the analysis of medieval perceptions of the Orient.' --Erich Poppe, Professor of Celtic Studies, Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Germany Interest Classification: Medieval & Modern (Indo-European) Languages & Literatures Other Indo-European langs & lits Celtic languages & literatures Comparative & cultural studies through literature Medieval & Renaissance History (c.400-1500) Size: 156 x234 mm.

Edizione: edition originale.