Dreaming in the Middle Ages (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature, Series Number 14)

This wide-ranging study examines the role of the dream in medieval culture with reference to philosophical, legal and theological writings as well as literary and autobiographical works. Stephen Kruger studies the development of theories of dreaming, from the Neoplatonic and patristic writers to late medieval re-interpretations, and shows how these theories relate to autobiographical accounts and to more popular treatments of dreaming. He considers previously neglected material including one important dream vision by Nicole Oresme, and arrives at a new understanding of this literary genre, and of medieval attitudes to dreaming in general. Medieval Attitudes Toward Dreaming Encompassed Both Deep Fascination And Strong Suspicion. In Dreaming In The Middle Ages, Steven Kruger Explores The Ambivalence Of The Medieval Dream Through A Close Examination Of Philosophical, Legal, And Theological Writings, As Well As Literary And Autobiographical Works. To Place The Medieval Dream In Its Historical And Cultural Context, Kruger Studies The Development Of Theories Of Dreaming From Late-antique Neoplatonic And Patristic Writers To The Dream Theorists Of The Late Middle Ages, And He Situates These Erudite And Complex Theories In Relation To More Popular Treatments Of Dreaming Like The Somniale Danielis. He Considers Previously Neglected Material, Including An Important Dream Vision By Nicole Oresme, And Arrives At A New Understanding Of The Literary Genre Of The Dream Vision. Finally, He Asks How Much We Can Discover About The Medieval Dreamer's Real-life Experience Of Dreaming, And Looks To Autobiographical Accounts, Particularly The Dreams Of Conversion In Hermann Of Cologne's Opusculum De Conversione Sua, To Provide A Partial Answer. Dreaming In The Middle Ages Presents A Wide-ranging And Challenging Reinterpretation Of The Medieval Dream, Exploring An Experience Of Crucial Importance For Our Broader Understanding Of Medieval Culture. Introduction: Modern And Medieval Dreams -- Dreambooks And Their Audiences -- The Doubleness And Middleness Of Dreams -- The Patristic Dream -- From The Fourth To The Twelfth Century -- Aristotle And The Late-medieval Dream -- Dreams And Fiction -- Dreams And Life. Steven F. Kruger. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 225-250) And Index. Steven Kruger's wide-ranging study examines the role of the dream in medieval culture, with reference to philosophical, legal and theological writings as well as literary and autobiographical works Writers of the high and late Middle Ages treated the experience of dreaming with simultaneous anxiety and fascination.