A Comparative Study of Mirabilia in the Middle East and Europe

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22320074
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Literatures/Literary theories in other countries and areas
• Research Institution: National Museum of Ethnology
• Principal Investigator: YAMANAKA Yuriko 国立民族学博物館, 民族文化研究部, 准教授 (20251390)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IKEGAMI Shunichi 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (70159606) ; ONUMA Yu 同志社大学, 文学部, 准教授 (10546667) ; SUGITA Hideaki 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (90179143) ; MIICHI Masatoshi 中央大学, 文学部, 教授 (30027560) ; MORIKAWA Tomoko 北海道大学, 文学研究科, 准教授 (00431297)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KANAZAWA Momoe 東海大学, 文学, 教授 (10548001) ; KAMEYA Manabu 北海道大学, 文学研究科 (00586159) ; KUROKAWA Masatake 太成学院大学, 人間学部, 教授 (30342231) ; KOMIYA Masayasu 横浜国立大学, 教育人間科学部, 准教授 (80396548) ; SUGASE Akiko 国立民族学博物館, 研究戦略センター, 助教 (00444141) ; SUZUKI Hideaki 長崎大学, 多文化社会学部, 准教授 (80626317) ; TAKEDA Masaya 北海道大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (40216908) ; NINOMIYA Ayako 青山学院大学, 文学部, 准教授 (40571550) ; HAYASHI Norihito 龍谷大学, 国際文化学部, 講師 (20738215) ; MATSUDA Takami 慶応大学, 文学部, 教授 (50190476) ; MIYASHITA Ryo 大阪大学, 言語文化研究科, 助教 (00736069)
• Research Collaborator: OGURA Satoshi 日本学術振興会, 特別研究員(PD) ; KOBAYASHI Kazue 早稲田大学, 非常勤講師 ; TSUJI Asuka 日本学術振興会, 特別研究員(PD) ; YAJIMA Hikoichi 東京外国語大学, アジア・フアリカ言語文化研究所, 名誉教授
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 驚異譚 / 比較文学 / 博物誌 / 異境 / 文化交流史 / 想像界 / ヨーロッパ / 中東

Outline of Final Research Achievements

European marvels, or mirabilia in latin, have already been studied quite extensively, notably by Jaques Le Goff, and more recently by Daston and Park. Whereas its Middle Eastern equivalent, ajaib (also meaning "the wondrous", from the root of the Arabic verb, ajiba = to wonder), has yet to be examined in a comprehensive manner, although scholars have dealt with specific works. Not only are mirabilia and ajaib based on the same notion of "wonder", they often draw from traditions going back to common sources (Greek scientific writings, the Alexander Romance), and share a monotheistic view of the world. Thus, this interdisciplinary study endeavored to compare the conceptual frameworks of medieval marvels in Europe and the Middle East, and to reveal their entangled intellectual history, through the examination of texts and visual representation related to the wonders of the world.
The results will be published as a collective volume from Nagoya University Press in 2015.

Free Research Field

比較文学