Medieval Narratives: Living On
Ruth Evans|Ana M. Montero
Medieval Narratives: Living On Ruth Evans and Ana M. Montero Introduction What we understand today by the term “narrative” is not universal or transparent. Nor cultural work that narratives do. That varies across different cultures at times. According to OED, two main current definitions of narrative are “spoken written account connected events; a story,” “practice art telling stories.” The first definition highlights emplotting aspect narrative, namely it does more than describe events because makes connections between them, while second points narrator’s deployment technique, expertise, conventions within defined social situation. Storytelling only requires skill but also presupposes an audience. understandings share these broad modern definitions. But if look specialized meanings term, see some differences in range now Middle Ages. word medieval one. It recorded English 1539 as Scottish law meaning “[a] part legal document which contains statement alleged relevant facts closely with matter purpose document” (OED). Its common meaning—“[a]n series events, facts, etc., given order establishing them”—is attested 1571. Later, acquires field literary criticism, 1843: “[t]he text, esp. fiction, represents sequence distinguished from dealing dialogue, description, etc.; narration method genre.” In definition, unfolds chronologically (“in order”) establishes connections: mere recounting attempt shape those articulating their inter-relationality way [End Page 1] intentionally meaningful—what might call, relation texts, “plot.” this sense, story. As British writer critic E. Forster puts it: “The king died then queen died, grief plot.”1 third, critical narratological characteristic fiction—that is, presents imagined (necessarily) true—but refers uniquely narrating deals time, linear unfolding opposed other modes, such dialogue so temporality. twentieth-century structuralist poststructuralist theory, even meaning: “representation history, biography, process, has been constructed into story accordance particular ideology; grand . representation used give explanatory justificatory society, period, etc.” One familiar took many shapes, was least ninth century, translatio studii et imperii, transferral power Rome, learning Athens Rome Paris. imperialist: translation “other” terms Roman Carolingian empire, through appropriation displacement (often aggressive) classical texts.2 Narratives can thus represent organize historical ideologically, enshrining values interests ruling elites, presenting “truth” what happened highly specific ways. Anna Wilson’s words, “culturally determined structures our perception reality.” 3 These organization time works. Wilson argues, historian Hayden White’s Metahistory: Historical Imagination Nineteenth-Century Europe (1973) “organizes works dramatic forms prefigurative strategies. ‘emplotment’ White suggests, follows one four generic have arisen Western...
Essays in Medieval Studies