Flesh And Word: Reading Bodies In Old Norse-icelandic And Early Irish Literature (trends In Medieval Philology; Volume 31)

Bodies and their role in cultural discourse have been a constant focus in the humanities and social sciences in recent years, but comparatively few studies exist about Old Norse-Icelandic or early Irish literature. This study aims to redress this imbalance and presents carefully contextualised close readings of medieval texts. The chapters focus on the role of bodies in mediality discourse in various contexts: that of identity in relation to ideas about self and other, of inscribed and marked skin and of natural bodily matters such as defecation, urination and menstruation. By carefully discussing the sources in their cultural contexts, it becomes apparent that medieval Scandinavian and early Irish texts present their very own ideas about bodies and their role in structuring the narrated worlds of the texts. The study presents one of the first systematic examinations of bodies in these two literary traditions in terms of body criticism and emphasises the ingenuity and complexity of medieval texts. Preface -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Speak for Yourself! Expressive Mediality and the Self -- 3. I am the Other -- Who are You? Expressive Mediality and the Other -- 4. Scratching the Surface: Reading Bodies in Transmissive Mediality -- 5. The Need to Need: Natural Bodily Matters in Mediality Discourse -- 6. Concluding Matters -- 7. List of Abbreviations -- Index This study examines the reading of bodies in social (mediality) discourse in Old Norse-Icelandic and early Irish texts. It shows that even in medieval texts, bodies can be consciously installed and read as much more than physical entities: they can be meaningful in relation to identity discourse, inscribed skin or the regulation of bodily needs. A study that examines the reading of bodies in social (mediality) discourse in Old Norse-Icelandic and early Irish texts. It discusses a number of examples in their respective context through close readings. It shows that even in medieval texts, bodies can be consciously installed and read as much more than physical entities.