Description
Book SynopsisIn The Giant Hero in Medieval Literature Tina Boyer counters the monstrous status of giants by arguing that they are more broadly legible than traditionally believed. Building on an initial analysis of St. Augustine’s City of God, Bernard of Clairvaux’s deliberations on monsters and marvels, and readings in Tomasin von Zerclaere’s Welsche Gast provide insights into the spectrum of antagonistic and heroic roles that giants play in the courtly realm. This approach places the figure of the giant within the cultural and religious confines of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and allows an in-depth analysis of epics and romances through political, social, religious, and gender identities tied to the figure of the giant. Sources range from German to French, English, and Iberian works.
Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgements vii List of Figures viii Introduction 1 1 The Giant in the Medieval Mind 26 St. Augustine and the Monstrous Races 29 Biblical Giants 33 Theological Conceptions 36 Secular and Courtly Conceptions 39 2 The Monster from the Outside 51 Sigenot 53 The Giantesses of the Eckenlied 66 Grauer Rock (Orendel) 75 3 Misplaced Loyalties and Evil Minions 101 Daniel von dem blühenden Tal 102 Virginal 116 Laurin and Walberan 125 4 A Fighter for Court and Hero 131 König Rother 132 Boeve de Haumtome 148 Nibelungenlied 156 5 Of Monstrous Courts and Heroes 161 Herzog Ernst 162 6 The Questing Giant 187 Fierabras 188 Eckenlied 200 Conclusion 221 Questions of Monstrous Identity in Romances and Epics 222 Our Medieval Inheritance 227 vi Contents Figures 233 Bibliography 245 Index 260
