Animal crossings of human borders

• Verfasst von: Haufe, Dunja [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Animal crossings of human borders
• Titelzusatz: human-animal relationships in three lays by Marie de France
• Verf.angabe: Dunja Haufe
• E-Jahr: 2023
• Jahr: 2023-12-14
• Umfang: 16 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 18.12.2023
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Das Mittelalter
• Ort Quelle: Heidelberg : Heidelberg University Publishing, 1996
• Jahr Quelle: 2023
• Band/Heft Quelle: 28(2023), 2, Seite 331-346
• ISSN Quelle: 2196-6869
• DOI: doi:10.17885/heiup.mial.2023.2.24851
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• K10plus-PPN: 1876336579
• K10plus-PPN:
  Universitätsbibliothek
• Lokale URL UB: Zum Volltext

Abstract

This article examines a selection of border cross­ings carried out by animals in three of Marie de France’s lays. It will be argued that the animal characters perform acts of border crossing that introduce and highlight a non-traditional representation of the human-animal relationship. The examples encompass the speaking hind in ‘Guigemar’, whose anthropomorphised representation destabilises the human-animal border; the weasel in ‘Eliduc’, which revives its mate and crosses the boundary of life and death; and the messenger swan in ‘Milun’, which disregards man-made (physical) borders and, as a pet, occupies an intriguing position on the human-animal spectrum. Besides their implied subversive potential, the three acts of border crossing also raise questions of agency, self-awareness, emotional capacity, and rational thought. Drawing on these concepts of animal studies, I aim to analyse the animals’ representations and to contextualise them in the philosophical, scientific, and cultural environment of the 12th century.