Medieval mythography: from Roman North Africa to the School of Chartres, A.D. 433-1177

Abstract

The mythic world of Juno, Jupiter's consort, is one of flesh and begetting, of suffering and death, and of poetry itself. Exploring the relationship between that realm of the classical gods and the sphere of medieval mythographers, this work illuminates the efforts of medieval writers to understand human existence and the forces of nature in relation to Christian truth. The first of two books that together will trace the history of medieval mythography from the 5th through the 15th centuries, this monumental volume serves as a resource for anyone concerned with survival of the classics and for everyone interested in medieval ideas about mythological figures. Aeneas travelling to the Underworld to seek his father's advice, Orpheus seeking his lost Eurydice, Hercules braving Cerberus or Hydra - the author analyses the ways in which these heroes became models for the Christian seeking wisdom, love and salvation. She tracks the evolving meanings of Cupid's quiver, Bacchus's fan and the asp whose bite sent Eurydice to Hades, making accessible a huge body of work that has often seemed too abstruse for even a sophisticated medievalist. The text also sheds light on the mythographers' complex textual use of Juno (whom she calls the Virgin Mary); she contends that the mythographers' empowerment of pagan heroes and goddesses is evidence of their feminisation of church traditions. The book's chronological organisation permits easy access to information on influences and schools and conveys a strong sense of how the commentaries reflect their historical and intellectual setting. The book is illustrated with 31 photographs of medieval manuscript pages depicting the mythographers' Christianised classical gods and heroes.

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