medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Although I can't give any serious bibliographic reference at the moment, the
parallel between Dante's Inferno Canto V - per più fïate li occhi ci
sospinse etc. - and the Historia Calamitatum seems to be obvious: Apertis
itaque libris, plura de amore quam de lectione verba se ingerebant... (HC)
Francesca's love complaint - e quella a me: nessun maggior dolore - che
ricordarsi del tempo felice ne la miseria... - perhaps alludes to Heloisa's
Minor non succedat dolor quam precessit amor... (HC).
But what's about "reading by a fire"?
In this connection, I will focus your attention on a little painting of
Salvador Dali, who had probably noticed some parallels, too. Click here:
http://www.abaelard.de/abaelard/080024dali.htm
The painting was published in 1959, in a French version of the Comedia
divina. It was placed in Purgatorio, Canto 29, although this scene doesn't
reflect the motive. As Dali had named the original painting "Abelard and
Heloise" (private collection J&T Long), he may have been alluding to Inferno
V, Francesca and Paolo, too.
You'll find bilingual versions of the Comedia here:
http://dante.ilt.columbia.edu/comedy/index.html
Kind regards
W. Robl
----- Original Message -----
> Dear List,
>
> Apologies for sending a query only tangentially
> religious in nature, but you are the most learned
> medieval scholars I am in contact with and I cannot
> resist asking these rather literary questions of you:
> 1) Is it not the case that Abelard and Heloise, and
> Paolo and Francesca all got into trouble as they were
> reading by a fire; if so, has anyone suggested that
> Dante was in some way inspired by their story; or were
> Paolo and Francesca "real" people whose story was
> common knowledge/gossip in Dante's world?
> 2) Can anyone suggest a good edition of the _Commedia_
> with Italian and English on facing pages? Failing
> that, what is the best English translation of the
> work?
> Many thanks,
> MG
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