italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Adrienne Defendi wrote:
> italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I'm preparing a lecture on the motif of Dante's dark woods and its
> evolution and persistent significance from Dante's time to the modern
> period. If anything comes to mind, either primary or secondary sources,
> I would greatly appreciate it.
>
> Grazie, Adrienne Defendi
On persistant significance: this caught my eye in class yesterday.
We have just been looking at the prologue of Feo Belcari's
_Rappresentazione d'Abram quando volse sacrificare Isac_ (first performed
1449)
The prologue announces (line 23) that the Angel will tell Abraham:
cammina per la terra aspra e diserta
But in one of the earliest printed editions (Florence, Bartolomeo de'
Libri, 24 October 1485), the force of Dantesque image is so great that it
becomes
camina perla selua aspra & deserta (Ai recto)
? overriding all the standard exegesis that Abraham and Isaac have to
carry the wood for the burnt offering because there is no wood along the
way and because Isaac is linked typologically to Christ carrying the
cross.
I hope this is not too trivial to be interesting.
Nerida
--
Nerida Newbigin
[log in to unmask]
Department of Italian Studies, A26
University of Sydney,
NSW 2006 Australia
Tel +61 2 9351 3584
Fax +61 2 9351 3407
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