| The Mark of the Beast: The Medieval Bestiary in Art, Life, and Literature Contributor(s): Hassig, Debra (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0815329520 ISBN-13: 9780815329527 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $190.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: December 1998 Annotation: The medieval bestiary was the culmination and apogee of allegorical functions for animals, assembling stories and pictures of beasts and birds for purposes of moral instruction and courtly entertainment. It is indisputable that the bestiaries were an important medieval contribution to didactic religious literature. But far from comprising an isolated, specialist's genre available only to the religious and literate elite, bestiaries addressed concerns central to virtually all walks of Christian life. Art historical and literary essays with consistent emphasis on text and image analysis explore a variety of important issues treated both in the bestiaries and in their forerunner, the "Physiologus," These issues include the Church, the monarchy, anti-semitism, fantastic beasts, Classical thought, romance, sex, and death. Together, the essays clearly demonstrate how bestiaries both address and further develop some of the most important concerns of the Middle Ages, ultimately playing a significant role in thecreation of their own cultural milieu. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Medieval |
| Dewey: 809.933 |
| LCCN: 98-36629 |
| Series: Garland Medieval Casebooks |
| Physical Information: 0.94" H x 5.81" W x 8.83" (1.00 lbs) 252 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Medieval (500-1453) |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The medieval bestiary was a contribution to didactic religious literature, addressing concerns central to all walks of Christian and secular life. These essays analyze the bestiary from both literary and art historical perspectives, exploring issues including kinship, romance, sex, death, and the afterlife. |
