1. Why do places occur in medieval literary and religious texts?
The occurrence of places in medieval literary and religious texts is crucial and depends on various factors. The genre of the text plays a significant role, as some texts thematize places by reporting on wars, crusades, and travels, while others focus on more exotic and less known locations. In religious narratives, places are often situated in an exotic macrospace, unfamiliar to the medieval Danes and Swedes, and serve to demonstrate the universal validity of religious rites and the omnipresence of the deity. Religious texts often lack place-names, except for common biblical places that have become places of memory. The lack of verbally coded spatial orientation in religious texts is not unique to them, but they reflect locations that could carry a name but often do not. Churches, monasteries, and cities, as well as natural features, are examples of such entities that are often unnamed in religious narratives. The use of parenthetical relative clauses is a common technique to indicate the named feature itself rather than the naming per se. The omission of place-names in religious texts can be intentional or a result of textual transmission. Understanding the reasons behind place-name omission requires analyzing the genre, sources, and manuscript variations of the texts.
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2. What is the significance of using periphrastic forms instead of place-names in medieval religious texts?
The use of periphrastic forms instead of place-names in medieval religious texts serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it allows for a more universal and exemplary model of religious behavior, as the focus is on the exemplar rather than the specific location. This is particularly evident in the Old Danish itinerary Vejleder for Pilgrimme, where the author chooses not to name the locations and instead describes what makes them special. Secondly, the use of periphrastic forms can enhance the credibility of the story by providing a concrete localization when necessary, as seen in the case of the Tanzwunder in the German town Kolbigk. However, the use of periphrases also reflects the dynamic and spatial worship of medieval piety, as specific places and movements between them were tied to religious significance. The lack of established endemic names for foreign locations further emphasizes the use of periphrases as a means to denote exotic places. Overall, the use of periphrastic forms in medieval religious texts highlights the tension between the desire for universal models and the need for authentic, spatial settings, and contributes to the richness and diversity of the textual landscape.
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3. How did vocabulary change during the Middle Ages?
During the Middle Ages, vocabulary, including names and common nouns, underwent significant changes. Periphrasis, an alternative to compounding, was used in medieval texts, such as 'oli af oliuae' for 'olive oil' and 'plasther aff mercke' for 'plaster of water parsnip.' Compound common nouns were first attested in the post-medieval period, as found by Danish philologist Peter Skautrup. However, it is uncertain if the use of compound nouns was directly linked to an increase in abstract thinking. Examples like 'pegefingeren' replacing 'then fingaer thaer aer naest' demonstrate the shift from periphrastic forms to compound nouns in the early sixteenth century. Proper names, such as 'Peter' and 'Church of the Pater Noster,' have a more abstract essence compared to determinated common nouns and periphrastic forms, which denote specific individuals and places in language.
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4. Why do texts contain nameless places?
Texts contain nameless places due to various reasons. Some genres are more suited to including place-names, but the presence and absence of spatial information in different parts of Fornsvenska legendariet call for a caveat against seeing genre as a determinant of spatiality in texts. Instead, texts should be viewed individually. Names can be lost in the transmissions of texts, and exotic place-names may not capture the attention of Eurocentric copyists. The vagueness of unnamed places, such as 'thaen stath' ('the place'), can be seen as an indirect witness against the idea that the Danish author had himself been to Jerusalem. The places pointed out in this way may have had some kind of marking that would make them identifiable to pilgrims. The author/translator/copyist makes individual choices for dealing with spatiality and naming in the specific text.
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