| OCR Text |
Show MEDIEVAL APPARITIONS IN MEDIEVAL AND SECULAR CONTEXTS: THE LEGEND OF THEOPHILUS AND THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE Emma Martin (Jerry Root) Department of World Languages and Cultures During the Middle Ages, the apparition of the Virgin Mary in the legend of Theophilus set a precedent for divine intervention. If an individual, like Theophilus, followed the right steps, they had the opportunity to receive help in times of need. In spite of a strong religious influence during the period, secular apparitions also appear in medieval literature, as in Guillaume de Lorris’ and Jean de Meun’s Romance of the Rose. In part one, the lover fails to make his beloved Rose appear at the Fountain of Narcissus and in part two, Pygmalion successfully makes his statue come alive. Both individuals attempt to invoke apparitions of these women, who are the objects of their desire. The Lover tries to invoke a divine apparition in a secular situation, which is unsuccessful. Pygmalion, however, recognizes that the apparition of his statue originates from carnal desire, which allows his apparition to succeed. Through text and images, it is shown that the efficacy of an apparition is based on the expectations and methods of the individual who invoked it. Manuscripts BL, MS Royal 20 A. XVII BNF, fr. 12595 Matutinalbuch, (1200-50) Munich Staatsbibl., Clm 17401 MS Douce 195 Paris, BNF Fr 22928, Miracles de Nostre Dame Roman de la Rose de Guillaume de Lorris du Manuscrit Urb. Lat. 376 St. Petersburg: Miracles Ms Fr F.v.XIV.9 (1260-70) Texts Dahlberg, Charles. The romance of the rose. Princeton University Press, 1995. De Coincy, Gautier. Le miracle de Théophile: ou comment Théophile vint à la pénitence. Honoré Champion, 1998. De Lorris, Guillaume. Le roman de la rose. Translated by Jean Dufournet. GF Flammarion, 1999. |
