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Papers by David Lawton

Voice in Later Medieval English Literature

Voice in Later Medieval English Literature, 2017

Voice in Later Medieval English Literature, 2017

Renaissance Quarterly, 2018

The Yearbook of Langland Studies, 1987

... The passage goes on to develop the idea that those who did badly are saved (the examples give... more ... The passage goes on to develop the idea that those who did badly are saved (the examples given include Dismas the robber, Mary Mag-dalen, David, and Paul, "that no pite hadde/ Cristene kynde to kille to dethe," 421-22), while wise writers (such as Solomon) are damned. ...

The Modern Language Review, 1995

The Modern Language Review, 2001

Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies, 1995

Olivier, on the other hand, that "rational" man (p. 103), introduces Mediterranean values by his ... more Olivier, on the other hand, that "rational" man (p. 103), introduces Mediterranean values by his antiheroic wisdom and sense of measure (p. 117). His Old Testament connection is to Ecclesiastes. Guillaume d'Orange appears as a hero "on a human scale," a Mediterranean presence, with comic elements. His Christian reference is to the New Testament. A connection, incomprehensible to me, seems to hinge on a word play made by the author and possible in Greek but not in Latin or in any of the languages of the poems under discussion: "the weeds are the traitors. .. who diavalloun (slander) and thus perform the work of the Diavolos (devil), which is what the apostolic parable (Matt. 13.36-43) says" (p. 181). The poet, however, did not have the Greek to play such elegant quasi-etymological games, nor does the Latin New Testament allow them. A recurring phrase of the author is "the popular [presumably, folk] poet," or, alternatively, "the popular imagination," which he thinks is present in these poems, informs them, and is responsible for the traits of the heroes. But it is far from self-evident that the extant versions were written by popular or folk poets; the statement needs elucidation and elaboration, and an effort should have been made to distinguish what may be owed to folk memory and what to a more learned hand. This concept serves the author ill when he notes that scholars have found, in the Montage Guillaume, references to historical events of the time of Tancred de Hauteville and Robert Guiscard. How the "folk poet" or the "popular imagination" knew and incorporated these historical elements is not explained. Belief in folk poetry also sits poorly in the discussion of the Song of Digenis, a Greek poem probably of the twelfth century and a learned construction for sure. Quite rightly, the author does not find in the hero, Digenis Akritas, the elements that distinguish the heroes of Western epics. He seems to think that this is a flaw in the poet, who intended to write an epic and failed. But the Song of Digenis is not an epic, nor was it meant to be one, although the first part of the poem, sometimes known as the Song of the Emir, has old antecedents and may well preserve elements of the songs of the frontier. The Song of Digenis is a romance rather than an epic; if the author of this study had taken account of the difference, he might have avoided statements such as, "it is truly disappointing to see the harsh, Herculean hero opt for a life of luxury and softness" (the reference is to the description of Digenis's palace, p. 220), or, "the greatest enemy of Akritas is not Charon but the untalented poet, who, although he knows well that men die by the sword, does not hesitate to give to his hero a sad end, from illness" (p. 251). The book has, undoubtedly, some interesting points: the discussion of symbolism in the Chanson de Roland, for example (p. 56). But the belief that all the texts in question were composed by popular or folk poets creates difficulties. The discussion of Digenis Akritas is especially flawed, not least by the deficient bibliography. Furthermore, much of the book consists of lengthy quotations from other modern authors, mostly in French, English, or German. This makes it hard to read, poses the problem of originality, and leaves one wondering about the intended audience. The student of Western medieval literature will not be able to read the Greek part of the text, and the Greek reader will have to wade through lengthy quotations in various languages; the former might have profited from an in-depth discussion of Digenis Akritas, but unfortunately that is not offered here.

Journal of the Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association, 1989

The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 2019

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2012

Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to crimina... more Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The Modern Language Review, 1996

The Modern Language Review, 1988

The Catholic Historical Review, 2001

Voice in Later Medieval English Literature

Voice in Later Medieval English Literature, 2017

Voice in Later Medieval English Literature, 2017

Renaissance Quarterly, 2018

The Yearbook of Langland Studies, 1987

... The passage goes on to develop the idea that those who did badly are saved (the examples give... more ... The passage goes on to develop the idea that those who did badly are saved (the examples given include Dismas the robber, Mary Mag-dalen, David, and Paul, "that no pite hadde/ Cristene kynde to kille to dethe," 421-22), while wise writers (such as Solomon) are damned. ...

The Modern Language Review, 1995

The Modern Language Review, 2001

Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies, 1995

Olivier, on the other hand, that "rational" man (p. 103), introduces Mediterranean values by his ... more Olivier, on the other hand, that "rational" man (p. 103), introduces Mediterranean values by his antiheroic wisdom and sense of measure (p. 117). His Old Testament connection is to Ecclesiastes. Guillaume d'Orange appears as a hero "on a human scale," a Mediterranean presence, with comic elements. His Christian reference is to the New Testament. A connection, incomprehensible to me, seems to hinge on a word play made by the author and possible in Greek but not in Latin or in any of the languages of the poems under discussion: "the weeds are the traitors. .. who diavalloun (slander) and thus perform the work of the Diavolos (devil), which is what the apostolic parable (Matt. 13.36-43) says" (p. 181). The poet, however, did not have the Greek to play such elegant quasi-etymological games, nor does the Latin New Testament allow them. A recurring phrase of the author is "the popular [presumably, folk] poet," or, alternatively, "the popular imagination," which he thinks is present in these poems, informs them, and is responsible for the traits of the heroes. But it is far from self-evident that the extant versions were written by popular or folk poets; the statement needs elucidation and elaboration, and an effort should have been made to distinguish what may be owed to folk memory and what to a more learned hand. This concept serves the author ill when he notes that scholars have found, in the Montage Guillaume, references to historical events of the time of Tancred de Hauteville and Robert Guiscard. How the "folk poet" or the "popular imagination" knew and incorporated these historical elements is not explained. Belief in folk poetry also sits poorly in the discussion of the Song of Digenis, a Greek poem probably of the twelfth century and a learned construction for sure. Quite rightly, the author does not find in the hero, Digenis Akritas, the elements that distinguish the heroes of Western epics. He seems to think that this is a flaw in the poet, who intended to write an epic and failed. But the Song of Digenis is not an epic, nor was it meant to be one, although the first part of the poem, sometimes known as the Song of the Emir, has old antecedents and may well preserve elements of the songs of the frontier. The Song of Digenis is a romance rather than an epic; if the author of this study had taken account of the difference, he might have avoided statements such as, "it is truly disappointing to see the harsh, Herculean hero opt for a life of luxury and softness" (the reference is to the description of Digenis's palace, p. 220), or, "the greatest enemy of Akritas is not Charon but the untalented poet, who, although he knows well that men die by the sword, does not hesitate to give to his hero a sad end, from illness" (p. 251). The book has, undoubtedly, some interesting points: the discussion of symbolism in the Chanson de Roland, for example (p. 56). But the belief that all the texts in question were composed by popular or folk poets creates difficulties. The discussion of Digenis Akritas is especially flawed, not least by the deficient bibliography. Furthermore, much of the book consists of lengthy quotations from other modern authors, mostly in French, English, or German. This makes it hard to read, poses the problem of originality, and leaves one wondering about the intended audience. The student of Western medieval literature will not be able to read the Greek part of the text, and the Greek reader will have to wade through lengthy quotations in various languages; the former might have profited from an in-depth discussion of Digenis Akritas, but unfortunately that is not offered here.

Journal of the Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association, 1989

The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 2019

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2012

Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to crimina... more Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The Modern Language Review, 1996

The Modern Language Review, 1988

The Catholic Historical Review, 2001