Spolia-inflected poetics of the old English Andreas

Date
2013
Advisor
Instructor
Source Title
Studies in Philology
Print ISSN
0039-3738
Electronic ISSN
1543-0383
Publisher
University of North Carolina Press
Volume
110
Issue
2
Pages
199 - 219
Language
English
Type
Article
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract

Throughout this essay, I focus on the spolium, a fragment charged with meaning that crosses several boundaries, in order to illuminate the poetics of a notoriously idiosyncratic Anglo-Saxon text, the poem now called Andreas. After a short introduction to several literal and metaphorical instances of recycling of objets d'art in the early Middle Ages, on the Continent, and in England, I discuss in detail two episodes in Andreas in which animated artifacts appear as both results of and participants in spoliation—the angel sculpture from a temple set in motion by Jesus and the water-issuing marble column from the Mermedonian dungeon activated by Andrew.

Course
Other identifiers
Book Title
Keywords
Statues, Harrowing, Apostles, Medieval poetry, Narratives, Christianity, Literary style, Lyric poetry, Art objects
Citation
Published Version (Please cite this version)