Imagination and Fantasy in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Time

Projections, Dreams, Monsters, and Illusions
1. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-3-11-069294-5
Verlag: De Gruyter

Buch, Englisch, 807 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 230 mm, Gewicht: 1294 g

Reihe: Fundamentals of medieval and early modern culture

The notions of other peoples, cultures, and natural conditions have always been determined by the epistemology of imagination and fantasy, providing much freedom and creativity, and yet have also created much fear, anxiety, and horror. In this regard, the pre-modern world demonstrates striking parallels with our own insofar as the projections of alterity might be different by degrees, but they are fundamentally the same by content. Dreams, illusions, projections, concepts, hopes, utopias/dystopias, desires, and emotional attachments are as specific and impactful as the physical environment. This volume thus sheds important light on the various lenses used by people in the Middle Ages and the early modern age as to how they came to terms with their perceptions, images, and notions. Previous scholarship focused heavily on the history of mentality and history of emotions, whereas here the history of pre-modern imagination, and fantasy assumes center position. Imaginary things are taken seriously because medieval and early modern writers and artists clearly reveal their great significance in their works and their daily lives. This approach facilitates a new deep-structure analysis of pre-modern culture.

Zielgruppe

Scholars of the Middle Ages and the early modern age, scholars in

Autoren/Hrsg.

Classen, Albrecht

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Weltgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Europäische Literatur
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie Mittelalterliche, neuzeitliche Archäologie (Europa)

Über Autor(innen)

Albrecht Classen, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.