Water in Medieval Literature

Download or read book Water in Medieval Literature written by Albrecht Classen and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2017-08-15 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecocritical thinking has sensitized us more than ever before to the tremendous importance of water for human life, as it is richly reflected in the world of literature. The great relevance of water also in the Middle Ages might come as a surprise for many readers, but the evidence assembled here confirms that also medieval poets were keenly aware of the importance of water to sustain all life, to provide understanding of life’s secrets, to mirror love, and to connect the individual with God. In eleven chapters major medieval European authors and their works are discussed here, taking us from the world of Old Norse to Irish and Latin literature, to German, French, English, and Italian romances and other narratives.