The textual and visual study of English book culture from 14th to 16th centuries
| Project/Area Number |
14510540
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
英語・英米文学
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Keio University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
MATSUDA Takami Keio University, Faculty of Letters, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (50190476)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
|
| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2004)
|
| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
|
|---|
| Keywords | manuscript miscellany / bestseller of the Middle Ages / Book of Hours / digital bibliography / book history / popular Christianity |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
The English book culture from 14th to 16th centuries has been investigated through the analysis of textual as well paratextual elements (e.g. illustration, page layout) comprising a book. Particular researches have been conducted on the following 3 points.
1.Several MS religious anthologies of the 15th century have been compared and analyzed in terms of its contents and the use of illustrations. It has been shown that an intimate relationship exists between text and image, reflecting the compiler's own reading of a particular text and testifying to his close involvement in the editorial process.
2.The study of the Books of Hours has been enlarged to include the Kalender of Shepherdes, published repeatedly in the 15th and 16th centuries. Through the comparative analysis of its English editions, its process of compilation has been discussed in relation to the French source materials as are found in the contemporary Horae and 15th-century MSS, thereby tracing the process of its dissemination and transformation from 15h-c. Northern France to 16th-c. England.
3.Popular books as discussed above provide didactic narratives and religious motifs to the contemporary literary texts, such as romance, travel writings, and the visions of the afterlife. Through the discussion of such works as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it has been shown that the precise knowledge of the popularity of such motifs can contribute to a more historical interpretation of the literature of late medieval England.
Through the study of the book culture of late medieval England in relation to publishing and translating activities in Northern France, we can see that a number of the ‘popular' books of the time are illustrated. The popularity of the images in other media also further enhanced the popularity of such books. This aspect of popularity can be studied further through the analysis of the actual reading practice of the time.
|
Report
(4 results)
Research Products
(19 results)
