The representation of the Others in Luigi Pulcis Morgante (1461-1483) and its contemporary reception between historicisation, actualisation and censorship

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Christine Barbara Ott
• Subject Area: European and American Literary and Cultural Studies
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 509481999

Is it even possible to do research on Morgante today - a chivalric epic of the late 15th century in which the pagan opponents of Christians are regularly stigmatised as 'dogs' or 'accursed heathens' and in which the objectification of others is expressed not least in the fact that their heads are split open like melons (Morgante III, 53) and bodies are cut open like loaves of bread (Morgante III, 71)? In research and in discussions within and outside the university, three possibilities of dealing with literary classics emerge that, from today's perspective, would have to be accused of political incorrectness. First, one can simply ignore such and similar 'disturbing factors' and rather turn to innocuous aspects of the work, which may seem difficult when the scolding of those of other faiths is an almost constitutive element of the text.Secondly, if one takes note of the xenophobic (from today's point of view) aspects of the work, one can, as it were, cancel them out through a historicising approach by declaring that insults such as "can saracino" ("Saracen dog", Morgante XXVII, 17) or "pagan maladetto" ("cursed heathen", Morgante XXVII, 18) are topical and not meant as insults at all, or that they correspond to the expectations of the audience or the narrative guidelines of the epic.Thirdly, there is the possibility of reading the texts in an updating manner, i.e. to view them from the perspective of the present. As an adaptation and/or creative reception, actualisation can uncover the work's current potential meanings; as a mode of reading, it can be problematic if it doesn't reach beyond a merely judging, possibly condemning or censoring approach.This poses completely new challenges for literary studies, which, in the name of the autonomy of the work of art, have privileged a stance of distanced contemplation for around one hundred and fifty years - in research as well as in teaching. Especially as a lecturer, one is confronted with the delicate question of whether to banish the 'old classics' from the canon of what can be taught or instead to choose an actualising approach in the hope of motivating students to read pre-modern texts by pointing out their politically explosive themes. All three possibilities outlined here are ultimately unsatisfactory; ways must be found beyond mere censorship, pure historicisation and ideologically biased actualisation. The project explores the representation of the Other in Luigi Pulci's "Morgante" (1461-1483) and its reception in the present between historicisation, actualisation and censorship. It comprises a dissertation project, an interdisciplinary and an international conference, from which two research volumes are to emerge, as well as two essay projects by the applicant.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants