IMC 2006: Sessions
Session 1115: Theories of Emotion, II
Wednesday 12 July 2006, 11.15-12.45
| Moderator/Chair: | Marco Mostert, Onderzoekinstituut voor Geschiedenis en Kunstgeschiedenis, Universiteit Utrecht |
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| Paper 1115-a | 'Music': Emotional Expression in Old English Poetry (Language: English) Index terms: Language and Literature - Old English, Music |
| Paper 1115-b | Medieval Definitions of Emotion: Rhetorical Pathos and Affective Piety (Language: English) Index terms: Lay Piety, Learning (The Classical Inheritance), Religious Life, Rhetoric |
| Paper 1115-c | Emotions and Dreams in the Early Middle Ages: Theories and Representations (Language: English) Index terms: Hagiography, Monasticism, Theology |
| Abstract | Abstract Paper -a: Music indicates emotion, idea, and practice. The term is problematic, however, because it fails to show up in the Old English lexicon. While Old English poetry was initially oral and most certainly musical in its delivery, poets felt the need to utilize their own terminology in their descriptions of musical practices. Through Old English poetry, I explore Anglo-Saxon musical terminology. I argue that the terms in use describe the ideas and practices which prevail at the time. More importantly, I point out that musical word-choice is an emotional outpouring that cannot be reflected outside of Old English. Abstract Paper -b: This paper examines evidence for medieval definitions of emotions in two kinds of texts available in the late Middle Ages: rhetorical manuals, used for composition instruction in the schools, and 2) devotional manuals, used for religious instruction. The theory of emotional appeal in rhetorical and spiritual texts can be traced from Greek and Roman rhetoric, through early Christian and monastic writers, leading to the development of affective piety in Christian devotional practice. Devotion is based on emotional appeal by the worshipper to the deity, culminating in a spiritual/emotional response in the worshipper as participant and audience. Abstract Paper -c: I propose to look at Patristic and early medieval ideas about dreams and visions in the context of Christian ideas about emotion. What were the roles of emotions or of ascetic theories of emotions in early medieval narratives of dreams and visions? I shall explore the perceived roles of emotions in the origin of dreams, as well as the role of emotions in confronting or evaluating a vision. What kinds of models of conduct emerge? Do monastic contexts produce significant differences to attitudes in lay or mixed congregations? |