A comment from the literary side: the fragmentation of bodies is a common
motif in medieval literature--a lover's heart served up to his true love,
who promptly expires on learning what she has ingested (Chatelain de
Coucy; Konrad von Wurzburg, Das Herzmaere); lover's heads planted in pots
(Decameron), etc. Caroline Walker Bynum has an essay on this topic"
Material Continuity, Personal Survival and the Resurrection of the Body:
A Scholastic Discussion in its Medieval and MOdern Contexts" in
FRagmentation and Redemption. New York: Zone Books, 1992, 239-297.
Ann Marie Rasmussen Office: (919) 660 3160
Box 90256 Fax: (919) 660 3166
German Department Home: (919) 286 5850
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0256
"Algernon: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No
man does. That's his." Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
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