Magic That Works: Performing Scientia in the Old English Metrical Charms and Poetic Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn

Autor:	James Paz
Rok vydání:	2015
Předmět:	Cultural Studies Literature History Poetry Saturn (rocket family) business.industry General Arts and Humanities media_common.quotation_subject Magic (paranormal) language.human_language Old English language business media_common
Zdroj:	Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. 45:219-243
ISSN:	1527-8263 1082-9636
DOI:	10.1215/10829636-2880875
Popis:	Is it possible to reach a deeper understanding of early medieval science through poetry of the period? This article examines how Anglo-Saxon scientia was performed in a practical way, as a kind of craft, in the Old English metrical charms and poetic dialogues of Solomon and Saturn. In the process, the article challenges modern readers to discard casual assumptions about benighted inhabitants of the “Dark Ages” and to engage with the nuances of Anglo-Saxon cognitive modes. This reassessment of the Old English texts aims to break down barriers to understanding created by terms like “superstition” and thus to extend scientific knowledge into the early Middle Ages, long before the much-lauded achievements of the “Renaissance” and “Enlightenment.” From this vantage point, Anglo-Saxon ways of perceiving and knowing do not mirror or anticipate modern mental habits that split science and poetry apart; rather, the powers of science and poetry are fused together to create an impact in the world.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::daa9b19c11b2130948a2523e97de87f3 https://doi.org/10.1215/10829636-2880875 Zobrazit plný text záznamu