Introducing the Medieval Swan

Natalie Jayne Goodison

Description

What comes to mind when we think of swans? Likely their beauty in domestic settings, their preserved status, their association with royalty, and possibly even the phrase ‘swan song’. This book explores the emergence of each of these ideas, starting with an examination of the medieval swan in natural history, exploring classical writings and their medieval interpretations and demonstrating how the idea of a swan’s song developed. The book then proceeds to consider literary motifs of swan-to-human transformation, particularly the legend of the Knight of the Swan. Although this legend is known today largely through Wagner’s opera, it was a best-seller in the Middle Ages, and courts throughout Europe strove to be associated as descendants of this Swan Knight. Consequently, the swan was projected as an icon of courtly and eventual royal status. The book’s third chapter looks at the swan as icon of the Lancasters, particularly important during the reign of Richard II and the War of the Roses, and the final chapter examines the swan as an important item of feasting, focusing on cookery and husbandry to argue that over time the right to keep swans became an increasingly restricted right controlled by the English crown. Each of the swan’s medieval associations are explored as they developed over time to the modern day.

Introduction
1. The Medieval Swan: History and Culture
2. The Swan in Literature
3. The Swan at Court
4. The Swan in Art
5. The Legacy of the Medieval Swan
Bibliography

Sujets

• Medieval
• Histoire
• History
• Europe

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786838407
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 16 Mo

Extrait

INTRODUCING THE MEDIEVAL SWAN

INTRODUCING THE MEDIEVAL SWAN NATALIE JAYNE GOODISON

UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS 2022 2019

© Natalie Jayne Goodison, 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any

material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium

by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to

some other use of this publication) without the written permission

of the copyright owner. Applications for the copyright owner’s written

permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be

addressed to the University of Wales Press, University Registry,

King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NS.

www.uwp.co.uk

British Library CIP Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 9781786838391 eISBN 9781786838407

The right of Natalie Jayne Goodison to be identified as author of this

work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 79 of the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Designed and typeset by Chris Bell, cbdesign

Printed by the CPI Antony Rowe, Melksham, United Kingdom

SERIES EDITORS’ PREFACE

HE UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS series on Medi aim T developing new insights, analysing cultural, social of eval Animals explores the historical and cultural impact of animals in this formative period, with the and theological tensions and revealing their remarkable resonances with our contemporary world. The series inves tigates ideas about animals from the fifth century to the sixteenth, and from all over the world. Medieval thought on animals preserved and incorporated a rich classical and mythological inheritance, and some attitudes towards animals that we might consider as having characterized the Middle Ages persisted up to the Enlightenment era – and even to the present day. We are so grateful to Dr Natalie Goodison for writing this book on the Medieval Swan and permitting us to remember Dr Jayne Wackett in the dedication. Jayne, a wonderful art historian, first proposed this title but sadly died after her proposal was accepted.

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Acknowledgements List of Plates and illustrations List of Abbreviations

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Introduction 1 The Swan in Natural History:  The Swan’s Song 2 The Swan in Literature:  Transformation of Men, Women, and Children 3 The Swan at Court:  The Descendants of the Swan Knight 4 The Swan in Practice:  Cookery, Husbandry, and the Law 5 Swansong:  The Afterlives of the Medieval Swan

Endnotes Bibliography  Primary  Secondary Websites/News Articles Online Sources for Images Objects Index

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AM DEEPLY indebted to many in writing this book. D I r Corin Corley and Dr Alex Wilson to whom I owe many Colleagues, whose scholastic and linguistic expertise is greater than my own have been invaluable, including thanks. The manuscript has been wonderfully improved thanks to the reviewer, the editors, and the preparation team at University of Wales Press. My special thanks to Sarah Lewis, Dr Dafydd Jones, Dr Victoria Blud, and Dr Diane Heath, for their patience and enthusiasm. Many of the photographs in this book were provided through the kindness of organisations dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges of knowledge. These include the British Library, the Bodleian Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Heidelberg Universitätsbibliothek, Frankfurt Cathedral, Washington DC’s Library of Congress, Wawel Royal Castle, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Huntington Library, and the National Gallery, London. The commitment of these bodies to intellectual and cultural exchange of knowledge is praiseworthy. Their kindness has made this small book far richer. The remaining costs of photographs for this book