The Ontology of Monstrosity

Definitions of Monstrosity

Be able to compare, contrast, and apply

Augustine

Bernard

Mandeville (Bovey)

OED (Bovey)

Camille (related to marginal art, Chapter 1)

curiositates

babuini

fatrasies

babewyns

grotesques

le singe, le signe, the ape as sign

Mills/Bildhauer

Key Theoretical Terms

The basis for all we do in this course. Be able to provide concise definitions and examples

Arnold van Gennep's model of transformation

Separation, Liminal Phase, Reincorporation

Victor Turner's notions of ambiguity and communitas

liminality/ liminal

ambiguity / ambiguous

hybridity/ hybrid

abjection / abject

polysemous

Typology of Monstrosity

Understand the distinctions, give examples

temporal

spatial

physical

social

gendered

natural and supernatural

sacred and profane

Centers of Power

How are these defined by and how do they define the marginal and the liminal?

monastery (Romanesque Architecture; Camille, Chapter 2)

mead hall (Beowulf)

cathedral

court

city

Texts

Know what these are and how each one redefines verbal and pictoral monstrosity

Bibles,

Missals

Pontificals

Psalters

Books of Hours

Romances

Decretals

Codices

Bestiaries

Lapidaries

Illuminations

Learn this vocabulary to be able to talk about our manuscripts and illuminations!

border

rubric

script

initial (decorated, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, gymnastic, historiated, inhabited)

border (foliate, arabesque)

miniature, illumination

colophon

drollery

iconography

papyrus, parchment (vellum), paper