The natural world in the Exeter Book riddles / Corinne Dale.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dale, Corinne, author.

Series:

Nature and environment in the Middle Ages 2399-3804

Nature and environment in the Middle Ages, 2399-3804

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Exeter book.

Riddles, English (Old)--History and criticism.

Riddles, English (Old).

English poetry--Old English, ca. 450-1100--History and criticism.

English poetry.

Riddles in literature.

Nature in literature.

English poetry--Old English.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

viii, 217 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : D. S. Brewer, 2017.

Summary:

This book examines the depiction of the non-human world in the Exeter Book Riddle Collection, investigating humanity's action with, and attitudes towards, the rest of creation using the fields of eco-criticism and eco-theology. While much scholarly attention has been given to what the riddles have to say abuot human society and culture, about heroism, service, sex and war, little has been said about the natural world. The author argues that there is a programme of resistance to anthropocentrism at work in the riddles, whereby the riddles challenge human-centred ways of depicting and interpreting the created world: depictions of the marginalised perspectives of sentient and non-sentient beings such as trees and animals are not just a characteristic of the riddle genre, but are actively used to explore the point of view of the natural world and the impact humanity has on its non-human inhabitants. She also draws on eco-theology to deepen our understanding of the depiction of the natural world in the riddles, via the main themes of place, labour, creation, transformation, accountability, mastery and wisdom.0.

ISBN:

1843844648

9781843844648

OCLC:

960277154