Looking at the Lancelot reading again I want to parallel the evil dwarf with the evil Jinn of the Arabian Nights. That’s pretty obvious– they’re both wretched, tricky creatures, even if the Jinn is not that bright, not to mention their hideous physical features. Is this a ridiculous statement, though? Should this be regarded as possible evidence of the Arabic influence on Western medieval literature, or is the depiction of such a villain pretty universal, so much so that the attempt to draw this parallel is pretty worthless?
What’s going on with the Decameron? I’ve never seen so much un-chivalrous behavior in my life. For example, many of the stories of Day Two dealing with people who run into misfortune only to find themselves incredibly lucky (usually wealthy) one day actually deal with people who have engaged in unseemly behavior and brought misfortune on themselves at some point. There’s the pirate who […]
Original post by jordan