2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Comparative Research of 12th-13th Century Vision Literature and the Bible that was Based on its Creation
| Project/Area Number |
17520216
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
ヨーロッパ語系文学
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| Research Institution | Fukuoka Dental College |
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Principal Investigator |
MIBU Masahiro Fukuoka Dental College, Department of Dentistry, Professor (30249784)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
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| Keywords | English Literature / The Other World Study / Medieval Dream Literature / Bible / Apocrypha / Pseudepigrapha |
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| Research Abstract |
Vision literature in the Middle Ages treats with topics that the leading character travels to the other world, such as paradise, purgatory and hell. That is why dream visions may be said to be affected a lot by Biblical thoughts. The purpose of the study is to make it clear that, focused on 12th-13th century works of vision literature, which were based on canonical books, apocrypha and pseudepigrapha. Through this inquiry, it can be expected that outlooks of death and life, religion, and universe which lie behind the vision literature narrating another world.
Referred to the statement of H.R. Patch(1950), medieval descriptions of the other world in myth, allegory and romance were mixed with not only ancient thoughts such as the Orient, Greece, and Rome but traditional accounts of the German race and the Celts. However, in case of vision literature, besides descriptions of purgatory, hell and paradise, we can find the descriptions concerning sinners, saints and angels who live in these areas. These aspects of descriptions show the relation to Jewish and Christian holy book, the Bible. Therefore, researching dream visions is expected to be useful in understanding medieval people's consciousness to the other world in medieval Christian society.
As a result of the research, it was made clear that apocalyptic books had the closest relationship to vision literature among Biblical books. Henceforth, this study should be the comparative one focused on books from dream literature and apocalypse.
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