Something quite.... bizarre
17/8/10 21:28![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scarletmorningSo, you already know that I'm writing a term paper. I've never told you my topic, have I? Anyways, it's about the ruler-ideal (excuse that expression, I can't think of a better one now) of the era of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty and the representation of that ideal in the Middle High German Arthurian novel "Erec" by Hartmann von Aue and the representation on the Krakauer Kronenkreuz (a crown nailed on a cross, more or less). So naturally, I have to read a lot about epic poetry (which is truly epic XD), thoughts about the ideal ruler from that time and other stuff. Now, I've encountered something.... strange.
Yesterday I read an article about the meaning and means of self-portrayal with clothing in the medieval epic poetry. Everything was pretty normal and okay until I reached the section about "Minnegeschenke". Which roughly means "a token of (courtly) love" in conjunction with a joust. The lady would give their knight a token so that he gains strength from it when he sees it (or feels it, whatev.). Now, those ladies could give their knights different kind of tokens and every one had a symbolic meaning. Most of it is harmless and boring (things like rings, kerchiefs, hats, etc.) and don't mean that much. Now there are two things that are the most valuable and the most precious, and therefore express deep "Minne" (love).
First one is harmless; the lady takes a piece of her sleeve (I can't remember how much of it, but I doubt that she ripped off her whole sleeve) and gives it to her knight. Sounds innocent? It is. At least in comparison to the other "most precious" token.
It's basicly, if you use modern day definition, her UNDERWEAR. Yes, the author described it as "the shift dress that directly touches the skin and pubic hair" (faithfully paraphrased since I can't remember the exact phrasing). The lady gives this to her knight and he wears it during the fight over his chain mail. And after the fight the lady gets the shift dress back and puts it back on.
It's... I don't know. It confuses me. And not only because I'm wondering how a MAN can wear the shift dress of a woman OVER ALL HIS ARMOUR. But since it's a stylistic device, I'll let it slip. A very implicit/explicit sexually device but.... I don't know what I should think about that.
BUT! Then I wondered how my three favourite knights would react to such.... an offer.
Kent is all "GO AWAY, IWANT DON'T WANT THAT! IT'S YOUR UNDERWEAR, LADY *insert name of your choice, coughLyncough*!!" He's completely uncomfortable with it and he's horrified by this custom. And because it means that Lyn this lady desires him. I think he's the most prudish of those three (though he's not THAT bad, just a bit). And no matter what Lyn that lady says he will never accept the shift dress.
Geoffrey would love to do the same as Kent. But he just can't refuse a gift from Elincia, so he has to accept it. He will not wear it, because it would never fit him, but the thought counts, AMIRITE? Also, he blushes the most. The two simple reasons for that; firstly, he's embarrassed because of the implications, of course. But he also inadvertently thought about WHERE exactly that shift dress touched Elincia´s skin. Therefore, he's a tomato head now. He's so cute!
Seth is embarrassed as well (Oh, the implications!), but I think he is the most experienced with regard to love. He would be very mature about this. He's not really comfortable with it, but he'll live. (He obviously got Eirika´s shift dress.)
Yesterday I read an article about the meaning and means of self-portrayal with clothing in the medieval epic poetry. Everything was pretty normal and okay until I reached the section about "Minnegeschenke". Which roughly means "a token of (courtly) love" in conjunction with a joust. The lady would give their knight a token so that he gains strength from it when he sees it (or feels it, whatev.). Now, those ladies could give their knights different kind of tokens and every one had a symbolic meaning. Most of it is harmless and boring (things like rings, kerchiefs, hats, etc.) and don't mean that much. Now there are two things that are the most valuable and the most precious, and therefore express deep "Minne" (love).
First one is harmless; the lady takes a piece of her sleeve (I can't remember how much of it, but I doubt that she ripped off her whole sleeve) and gives it to her knight. Sounds innocent? It is. At least in comparison to the other "most precious" token.
It's basicly, if you use modern day definition, her UNDERWEAR. Yes, the author described it as "the shift dress that directly touches the skin and pubic hair" (faithfully paraphrased since I can't remember the exact phrasing). The lady gives this to her knight and he wears it during the fight over his chain mail. And after the fight the lady gets the shift dress back and puts it back on.
It's... I don't know. It confuses me. And not only because I'm wondering how a MAN can wear the shift dress of a woman OVER ALL HIS ARMOUR. But since it's a stylistic device, I'll let it slip. A very implicit/explicit sexually device but.... I don't know what I should think about that.
BUT! Then I wondered how my three favourite knights would react to such.... an offer.
Kent is all "GO AWAY, I
Geoffrey would love to do the same as Kent. But he just can't refuse a gift from Elincia, so he has to accept it. He will not wear it, because it would never fit him, but the thought counts, AMIRITE? Also, he blushes the most. The two simple reasons for that; firstly, he's embarrassed because of the implications, of course. But he also inadvertently thought about WHERE exactly that shift dress touched Elincia´s skin. Therefore, he's a tomato head now. He's so cute!
Seth is embarrassed as well (Oh, the implications!), but I think he is the most experienced with regard to love. He would be very mature about this. He's not really comfortable with it, but he'll live. (He obviously got Eirika´s shift dress.)
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