The Vulnerable Body of Havelok the Dane
Crawford, Donna
Medieval Forum, vol. 1 (2002)
Abstract
The Middle English verse romance Havelok the Dane provides a complex evocation of the construction of English national identity. By the narrative’s end, the transformation of the Danish Havelok into an English king makes clear that national identity is malleable rather than fixed. One of the factors enabling this malleability is the poem’s representation of different figures of the human body. This article examines how Havelok the Dane manifests the power relations that structure metaphorical inscriptions, such as the body politic, by representing the vulnerability of the individual body.
Click here to read/download this article (HTML file)
The Vulnerable Body of Havelok the Dane
Crawford, Donna
Medieval Forum, vol. 1 (2002)
Abstract
The Middle English verse romance Havelok the Dane provides a complex evocation of the construction of English national identity. By the narrative’s end, the transformation of the Danish Havelok into an English king makes clear that national identity is malleable rather than fixed. One of the factors enabling this malleability is the poem’s representation of different figures of the human body. This article examines how Havelok the Dane manifests the power relations that structure metaphorical inscriptions, such as the body politic, by representing the vulnerability of the individual body.
Click here to read/download this article (HTML file)
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse