The Hero's Place: Medieval Literary Traditions of Space and Belonging

Description

'The Hero's Place' presents an innovative study of how the spaces described in a literary work contribute dynamically and profoundly to that work's meaning. Three seminal works of the Middle Ages - 'The Life of Saint Alexis', 'The Song of Roland', and 'Tristan and Iseut' - are closely analyzed from the vantage point of two distinct but interconnected ways of looking at space: that of spatiality (the objective 'where' of the story), and that of place (space as it is subjectively and meaningfully experienced by the story's characters). Special attention is given to the sense of belonging to place as experienced by the works' three protagonists, Alexis, Roland, and Tristan, and to the ways in which their relationship with place informs their identity. The romance hero Tristan's highly problematic belonging to place represents a fundamental and previously overlooked aspect of his character, one that sets him apart both from his hagiographic peer, Alexis, and the epic Roland. While Alexis' and Roland's stories depict and indeed celebrate a strong connection to their respective home places of Rome and France, 'Tristan and Iseut' tells a tale of profound placelessness and exile. 'The Hero's Place' offers historical context for the place-relationships of Alexis, Roland, and Tristan by examining the phenomena of pilgrimage and crusade, which developed contemporary to these works and are deeply expressive of the medieval experience of space. In addition, it brings together in original fashion the previously unconnected disciplines of literary studies and humanistic geography. Humanistic geography's analysis of how space is subjectively experienced adds a fresh dimension to literary studies. Theoretically resonant and philologically sound, 'The Hero's Place' enriches our appreciation of place in literature while bringing new understanding to three beloved works of the Middle Ages. Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Place and Literature 1 Three Medieval Genres, Three Medieval Heroes 3 Spatiality and Place: Some Terminology 9 Place Studies: An Overview 13 Place in the Biblical Tradition: A Binary View 28 Holy Places: Some Notes on Medieval Pilgrimage and Crusade 31 1. The Old French 'Vie de saint Alexis' 63 The Spatial Framework 65 Places of Earth and Heaven 98 2. 'La Chanson de Roland' 117 The Spatial Framework 120 Places of Belonging 145 The Place of a Hero 177 3. Tristan and Iseut before the Potion 179 Tristan’s 'Prehistory': Generalities 184 Rivalin and Blanchefleur 192 Tristan’s Childhood 199 The Couple before the Potion 210 4. After the Potion 227 The Lovers at Mark’s Court 230 King Mark’s Justice 233 The Morois Forest 237 Reconciliation 248 Separate Spaces, Separate Lives 257 The Lovers’ Death 269 The Place of Poetry 281 Conclusions 285 Place’s Fate Revisited: A New Interpretation 285 Literature and Place 293 Bibliography 301 Index 315