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Comparative Literature

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Articles 1 - 30 of 191

Full-Text Articles in Medieval Studies

“He Had Named Himself The Stranger”: From 'Germanic' Heroic Hospitality To Elvish Memorial Mediation In Tolkien’S Book Of Lost Tales, Paolo Pizzimento Dr. Jul 2026

“He Had Named Himself The Stranger”: From 'Germanic' Heroic Hospitality To Elvish Memorial Mediation In Tolkien’S Book Of Lost Tales, Paolo Pizzimento Dr.

Journal of Tolkien Research

This article examines the narrative functions of strangeness and hospitality in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Book of Lost Tales, focusing on Eriol’s transformation from foreign traveller into listener, witness, and transmitter of Elvish tradition. Through a comparative reading of selected Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon texts—particularly Hávamál, Gylfaginning, and Beowulf—it identifies recurrent literary configurations in which hospitality regulates admission, identity, reciprocity, danger, and access to knowledge. The comparison is morphological rather than genetic: it does not posit direct derivation or a uniform Germanic code. Drawing on Jan Assmann’s theory of cultural memory, the article argues that Tolkien redirects …


Analyzing Early Medieval Perspectives Of Fetal Development, Nivedha Srinivasan Jan 2026

Analyzing Early Medieval Perspectives Of Fetal Development, Nivedha Srinivasan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines early medieval perspectives of fetal development by analyzing two manuscripts: British Library, Cotton Tiberius A III and Leiden University, Vossianus lat. Q69. This study will investigate how knowledge of pregnancy was shared throughout England before the establishment of universities. Interest in medieval reproductive language has piqued in importance in recent years, especially due to modern legal debates surrounding reproductive rights. By examining descriptions of the nine months of fetal development in these two manuscripts, as well as in widely known earlier medical texts like Pliny’s Natural History and Vindicianus’ Gynaecia, this research explores how monastic writers in …


The Influence Of The Pearl-Maiden On The Imagination Of J. R.R. Tolkien, Jane Beal Aug 2025

The Influence Of The Pearl-Maiden On The Imagination Of J. R.R. Tolkien, Jane Beal

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


I’D Rather (S)He Was Dead: Resurrection & Gender Transition In Superhero Comics, Jonathan Sexton, Eitan Runyan Aug 2025

I’D Rather (S)He Was Dead: Resurrection & Gender Transition In Superhero Comics, Jonathan Sexton, Eitan Runyan

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


From Hildeburh To Héra: Recuperating Women’S Presence In Beowulf, J.R.R. Tolkien’S The Lord Of The Rings, And Kenji Kamiyama’S The War Of The Rohirrim, Christopher Vaccaro Aug 2025

From Hildeburh To Héra: Recuperating Women’S Presence In Beowulf, J.R.R. Tolkien’S The Lord Of The Rings, And Kenji Kamiyama’S The War Of The Rohirrim, Christopher Vaccaro

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


The Tragedy Of Arwen Evenstar In “The Tale Of Aragorn And Arwen” And In Her Legacy On Film, Nicole Duplessis Aug 2025

The Tragedy Of Arwen Evenstar In “The Tale Of Aragorn And Arwen” And In Her Legacy On Film, Nicole Duplessis

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


The Lay(Er)S Of The Corrigan, Lelie Brémont Aug 2025

The Lay(Er)S Of The Corrigan, Lelie Brémont

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


“Mysterium Tremendum Et Fascinans”: Melian’S And Lúthien’S Numinosity, Alexandra Filonenko Aug 2025

“Mysterium Tremendum Et Fascinans”: Melian’S And Lúthien’S Numinosity, Alexandra Filonenko

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Mythopoeic Awards Ceremony, The Mythopoeic Society Aug 2025

Mythopoeic Awards Ceremony, The Mythopoeic Society

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Our Flag Means Gender: Gender “Fuckery” In Our Flag Means Death, Megan Abrahamson, Dusty Brooks, Cassidy Percoco Aug 2025

Our Flag Means Gender: Gender “Fuckery” In Our Flag Means Death, Megan Abrahamson, Dusty Brooks, Cassidy Percoco

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Bolg’S Mother: Orc Women In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Robert T. Tally Jr. Aug 2025

Bolg’S Mother: Orc Women In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Robert T. Tally Jr.

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Grendel's Mother Talks Back: Contemporary Women's Mythopoeic Revisions, Anna Smol Aug 2025

Grendel's Mother Talks Back: Contemporary Women's Mythopoeic Revisions, Anna Smol

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Revisiting Ambiguous Aredhel, Megan Abrahamson Aug 2025

Revisiting Ambiguous Aredhel, Megan Abrahamson

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Sex, The Body, And Learning Gender: Demons In The World Of The Five Gods, Erin Mcbrien Aug 2025

Sex, The Body, And Learning Gender: Demons In The World Of The Five Gods, Erin Mcbrien

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Desirable Lady’ Or ‘She Who Desires’: Examining Aredhel’S Agency In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Lyra Keran Zhang Aug 2025

Desirable Lady’ Or ‘She Who Desires’: Examining Aredhel’S Agency In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Lyra Keran Zhang

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Belief After The Death Of King Arthur: Lev Grossman’S Postsecular Portrayal Of Nimue In The Bright Sword, Liz Busby Aug 2025

Belief After The Death Of King Arthur: Lev Grossman’S Postsecular Portrayal Of Nimue In The Bright Sword, Liz Busby

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


She Chose Her Fate: The Genderqueer Women Of Tolkien And Freedom Beyond The Patriarchal Binary, Alicia Fox-Lenz, Grace Moone, Leah Hagan Aug 2025

She Chose Her Fate: The Genderqueer Women Of Tolkien And Freedom Beyond The Patriarchal Binary, Alicia Fox-Lenz, Grace Moone, Leah Hagan

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


“The Gift Which Was Withheld I Take”: The Rape Of The Sun Maiden In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Kristine Larsen Aug 2025

“The Gift Which Was Withheld I Take”: The Rape Of The Sun Maiden In Tolkien’S Legendarium, Kristine Larsen

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


From Once To Future Queen: Revitalizing Guinevere In Recent Arthuriana, Michael A. Torregrossa Aug 2025

From Once To Future Queen: Revitalizing Guinevere In Recent Arthuriana, Michael A. Torregrossa

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Painting “The Most Beautiful Of All The Children Of Ilúvatar”: Aesthetic Beauty In The Silmarillion And Its Illustrations, Marie Bretagnolle Aug 2025

Painting “The Most Beautiful Of All The Children Of Ilúvatar”: Aesthetic Beauty In The Silmarillion And Its Illustrations, Marie Bretagnolle

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Witches, Prophets, And Outcasts: Liminal Women In Mythopoeic Fantasy, Supriya Baijal Aug 2025

Witches, Prophets, And Outcasts: Liminal Women In Mythopoeic Fantasy, Supriya Baijal

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Reimagining Human-Nonhuman Friendships Through Feminist Animal Studies: An Exploration Of Sunny And Della’S Cross-Species Friendship In Nnedi Okorafor’S The Nsibidi Scripts Series, Akshitha Javahar Aug 2025

Reimagining Human-Nonhuman Friendships Through Feminist Animal Studies: An Exploration Of Sunny And Della’S Cross-Species Friendship In Nnedi Okorafor’S The Nsibidi Scripts Series, Akshitha Javahar

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


“Her Hair Was Held A Marvel Unmatched”: The Significance Of Long, Blonde Hair In Tolkien’S Imagination, Sara Brown Aug 2025

“Her Hair Was Held A Marvel Unmatched”: The Significance Of Long, Blonde Hair In Tolkien’S Imagination, Sara Brown

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Keynote: Still Perilous, Still Fair: Perspectives On The Legacy, Or How (Not)Éowyn And (Not) Galadriel Made The Magic Work, Leslie Donovan, Janet Brennan Croft Aug 2025

Keynote: Still Perilous, Still Fair: Perspectives On The Legacy, Or How (Not)Éowyn And (Not) Galadriel Made The Magic Work, Leslie Donovan, Janet Brennan Croft

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

No abstract provided.


Welcome And Announcements, The Mythopoeic Society Aug 2025

Welcome And Announcements, The Mythopoeic Society

Online Midwinter Seminar (OMS)

Join us for a screening of the Welcome and Announcements video and have a cup of coffee before we get started!


Compilation As Narrative Art In Medieval Islam: The Redemption Of Kuthayyir In The Book Of Songs, Kirsten Beck Jul 2025

Compilation As Narrative Art In Medieval Islam: The Redemption Of Kuthayyir In The Book Of Songs, Kirsten Beck

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

This article examines the narrative art of Abū ‘l-Faraj al-Iṣbahānī’s Kitāb al-Aghānī through a close reading of the chapter on the poet Kuthayyir ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (d. 723). Though Kuthayyir is mocked throughout for his short stature, unorthodox beliefs, and supposed insincerity, the chapter ends with a surprising scene: his death is mourned by the people of Medina in a large public funeral, suggesting a reevaluation of his character. I argue that this tonal shift is not incidental but the result of Iṣbahānī’s deliberate narrative arrangement. By analyzing the structure of the chapter—including the juxtaposition of genealogical accounts, the gradual …


Beowulf And Théoden: Differing Teaching Methods Of Hrothgar And Gandalf, Ali Mirzabayati Jul 2025

Beowulf And Théoden: Differing Teaching Methods Of Hrothgar And Gandalf, Ali Mirzabayati

Journal of Tolkien Research

Most studies on the character of Théoden in The Lord of the Rings center on Germanic heroic themes like courage and oath-keeping, often emphasizing his renewal by Gandalf at Meduseld and his death at the Battle of Pelennor Fields. This perspective overlooks Théoden's growth in wisdom and hope between these events. During this period, Théoden learns about the various forces in Middle-earth and contemplates his role in the broader world, leading to a profound sense of humility. Building on Tolkien's inspiration from Beowulf, this paper compares Théoden and Beowulf to explore their learning processes and heroic outcomes. This comparison …


The Rhetorical Use Of The Lower Classes In Three Primary Accounts Of The First Crusade, John Hannon May 2025

The Rhetorical Use Of The Lower Classes In Three Primary Accounts Of The First Crusade, John Hannon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the rhetorical use of the lower classes in three primary accounts of the First Crusade: Albert of Aachen, the Gesta Francorum, and Raymond of Aguilers — specifically with an eye towards the proper maintenance of the order of society through everyone performing their assigned role. Through a close reading of these three texts this study demonstrates how the three authors engage with and uphold versions of the idealized three orders model of medieval society. Though there is nuance between each source, broadly, each of the authors presents the lower classes as a force that needs to …


Courtly Love: A Comparative Study, Danya Larosa Jan 2025

Courtly Love: A Comparative Study, Danya Larosa

2025 CoLA Student Showcase

Presented at the 2025 College of Liberal Arts Showcase, LaRosa dives into the medieval European concept of Courtly Love.


Tolkien's 'Beloved' _Pearl_, Jane Beal Phd Oct 2024

Tolkien's 'Beloved' _Pearl_, Jane Beal Phd

Journal of Tolkien Research

Abstract: This essay explores Tolkien’s life-long engagement with the fourteenth-century, Middle English, dream vision poem called Pearl. It examines the inspiration he took from the poem through reading, reciting, copying, editing, translating, and teaching it to undergraduate students at the University of Leeds and Merton College, Oxford University. Milestones in Tolkien’s work on Pearl include his edition of it, produced with E.V. Gordon and Ida Gordon for Oxford University Press (1953), and a metrical translation of it that he worked on from 1920s onwards, which was published with Allen & Unwin in London and Random House in New York …