The Rock of  Resurrection in twelfth Century French Literature Cover Image

Le Rocher de la Résurrection dans la littérature du XIIe siècle
The Rock of Resurrection in twelfth Century French Literature

Author(s): Brînduşa Grigoriu
Subject(s): Studies of Literature, French Literature, Theory of Literature
Published by: Editura ARTES
Keywords: rock; symbol; Resurrection; Béroul; Tristan; Marie de France; Bisclavret

Summary/Abstract: In 12th century French literature, the rock is a sign of the divine : Béroul’s description of Tristan’s leap into the other-world of the Morrois (in Le Roman de Tristan by Béroul) as well as Marie de France’s depiction of Bisclavret’s metamorphosis into a wolf (in the lai Bisclavret) require an adequate scenery for a supernatural act in need of legitimization. The presence of a cliff in the first context and of a stone cavity in the second serve in both cases as indications of God’s secret will, manifesting itself in the proximity of a chapel. Our paper focuses on the literary representations of the sacred in connection to the image of the rock as a symbol of resurrection.

  • Issue Year: II/2015
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 217-225
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: French