MEDIEVAL WAVE IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE: NAOMI MITCHISON’S TO THE CHAPEL PERILOUS

Funda Hay

Makale detayları

MEDIEVAL WAVE IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE: NAOMI MITCHISON’S TO THE CHAPEL PERILOUS

Yazarlar:

Funda Hay

Yayıncı:

Ankara University

Ana Başlıklar:

İngiliz ve İrlanda Dili | Edebiyatı ve Kültürü

Dergi:

Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.65 Issue 1, pp.188-189

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001351572

pISSN:

2459-0150

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 In recent years nostalgia for medieval period has appeared in the form of the fantasy genre which generally includes magical and supernatural elements as in the works of the Middle Ages. The revival of the medieval romances and poems in popular culture in the 20th century was named neomedievalism by the critic Umberto Eco. Neomedieval works retell the notable medieval stories or develop a new plot in the light of medieval narratives, and at times they consist of chivalry andor medieval setting like castles. All these features coincide with the essential characteristics of fantasy. In contemporary literature, it is obvious that both the movement neomedievalism and the fantasy genre offer a chance to authors to criticise the deficiencies and wrongdoing of their own periods. The Scottish author Naomi Mitchison, keeping the spirit of medievalism alive in her works, in To the Chapel Perilous 1955 rewrites a well-known Arthurian legend, the quest for the Holy Grail, from her own point of view adding some anachronistic details such as newspaper industry and reporters who are following all the steps of the knights in search of the Grail. The intertwinement of modern elements with a medieval legend is Mitchisons way of criticism of contemporary journalism, and by emphasising the dominant Medieval Church institute in her work, she points out the existence of authoritative figures in every period. The connection between the Middle Ages and contemporary period dissociates Mitchisons novel, which is regarded as a parody, from the other neomedieval works which often protect the chivalric spirit by glorifying the medieval values. Within this frame, this paper will discuss the neomedieval elements in the fantastic novel To the Chapel Perilous as means to criticism of Mitchisons own period and explore the place of the medievalism in contemporary literature.

 In recent years nostalgia for medieval period has appeared in the form of the fantasy genre which generally includes magical and supernatural elements as in the works of the Middle Ages. The revival of the medieval romances and poems in popular culture in the 20th century was named neomedievalism by the critic Umberto Eco. Neomedieval works retell the notable medieval stories or develop a new plot in the light of medieval narratives, and at times they consist of chivalry andor medieval setting like castles. All these features coincide with the essential characteristics of fantasy. In contemporary literature, it is obvious that both the movement neomedievalism and the fantasy genre offer a chance to authors to criticise the deficiencies and wrongdoing of their own periods. The Scottish author Naomi Mitchison, keeping the spirit of medievalism alive in her works, in To the Chapel Perilous 1955 rewrites a well-known Arthurian legend, the quest for the Holy Grail, from her own point of view adding some anachronistic details such as newspaper industry and reporters who are following all the steps of the knights in search of the Grail. The intertwinement of modern elements with a medieval legend is Mitchisons way of criticism of contemporary journalism, and by emphasising the dominant Medieval Church institute in her work, she points out the existence of authoritative figures in every period. The connection between the Middle Ages and contemporary period dissociates Mitchisons novel, which is regarded as a parody, from the other neomedieval works which often protect the chivalric spirit by glorifying the medieval values. Within this frame, this paper will discuss the neomedieval elements in the fantastic novel To the Chapel Perilous as means to criticism of Mitchisons own period and explore the place of the medievalism in contemporary literature.

 In recent years nostalgia for medieval period has appeared in the form of the fantasy genre which generally includes magical and supernatural elements as in the works of the Middle Ages. The revival of the medieval romances and poems in popular culture in the 20th century was named neomedievalism by the critic Umberto Eco. Neomedieval works retell the notable medieval stories or develop a new plot in the light of medieval narratives, and at times they consist of chivalry andor medieval setting like castles. All these features coincide with the essential characteristics of fantasy. In contemporary literature, it is obvious that both the movement neomedievalism and the fantasy genre offer a chance to authors to criticise the deficiencies and wrongdoing of their own periods. The Scottish author Naomi Mitchison, keeping the spirit of medievalism alive in her works, in To the Chapel Perilous 1955 rewrites a well-known Arthurian legend, the quest for the Holy Grail, from her own point of view adding some anachronistic details such as newspaper industry and reporters who are following all the steps of the knights in search of the Grail. The intertwinement of modern elements with a medieval legend is Mitchisons way of criticism of contemporary journalism, and by emphasising the dominant Medieval Church institute in her work, she points out the existence of authoritative figures in every period. The connection between the Middle Ages and contemporary period dissociates Mitchisons novel, which is regarded as a parody, from the other neomedieval works which often protect the chivalric spirit by glorifying the medieval values. Within this frame, this paper will discuss the neomedieval elements in the fantastic novel To the Chapel Perilous as means to criticism of Mitchisons own period and explore the place of the medievalism in contemporary literature.

 Son yıllarda Orta Çağ dönemine duyulan nostalji, genellikle Orta Çağ eserlerinde olduğu gibi büyülü ve doğaüstü unsurları içeren fantezi türünde de görülmektedir. 20. yüzyılda Orta Çağ romanslarının ve şiirlerinin popüler kültürde yeniden canlanması, eleştirmen Umberto Eco tarafından Yeni Orta Çağcılık olarak adlandırılmıştır. Yeni Orta Çağ eserleri, önemli Orta Çağ hikayelerini yeniden anlatmakta veya Orta Çağ anlatıları ışığında yeni olay örgüleri sunmaktadır. Bu edebi ürünler zaman zaman geleneksel Orta Çağ eserlerinde olduğu gibi şövalyelik veveya şatolar gibi Orta Çağ mekanlarından oluşmaktadır. Tüm bu özellikler fantezinin temel özellikleriyle de örtüşmektedir. Çağdaş edebiyatta hem Yeni Orta Çağcılık akımının hem de fantezi türünün yazarlara kendi dönemlerinin eksikliklerini ve yanlışlarını eleştirme şansı sunduğu açıktır. İskoç yazar Naomi Mitchison da eserlerinde Orta Çağ ruhunu canlı tutarak To the Chapel Perilous 1955 adlı romanında Arthur efsanesini kendi bakış açısıyla yeniden yazarken gazete endüstrisi ve Kutsal Kâse arayışındaki şövalyelerin adım adım takip eden muhabirler gibi bazı anakronistik ayrıntılar eklemektedir. Modern unsurların bir Orta Çağ efsanesiyle iç içe geçmesi, Mitchisonın çağdaş gazeteciliğe yönelik eleştiri biçimidir. Eserinde baskın Orta Çağ Kilisesi kurumunu vurgulayarak her dönemde otorite figürlerinin varlığına da dikkat çekmektedir. Orta Çağ ile çağdaş dönem arasındaki bağlantı, parodi olarak değerlendirilen Mitchisonın romanını, Orta Çağ değerlerini yücelterek şövalyelik ruhunu koruyan diğer Yeni Orta Çağ eserlerinden ayırmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, bu makale Mitchisonın kendi dönemine yönelik bir eleştiri aracı olarak To the Chapel Perilous adlı fantastik romandaki Yeni Orta Çağ unsurlarını tartışarak çağdaş edebiyatta Orta Çağcılığın nasıl bir yere sahip olduğunu incelemektedir.

Makale detayları

MEDIEVAL WAVE IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE: NAOMI MITCHISON’S TO THE CHAPEL PERILOUS

Yazarlar:

Funda Hay

Yayıncı:

Ankara University

Ana Başlıklar:

İngiliz ve İrlanda Dili | Edebiyatı ve Kültürü

Dergi:

Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.65 Issue 1, pp.188-189

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001351572

pISSN:

2459-0150

Naomi Mitchison

To the Chapel Perilous

Neomedievalism

Arthurian novel

the Fantasy genreNaomi Mitchison

To the Chapel Perilous

Yeni Orta Çağcılık

Arthur romanı

Fantastik tür

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Funda Hay

Yayıncı: Ankara University

Ana Başlıklar: İngiliz ve İrlanda Dili | Edebiyatı ve Kültürü

Dergi: Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.65 Issue 1, pp.188-189

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 6/2025

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001351572

pISSN: 2459-0150

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Funda Hay

Yayıncı:

Ankara University

Ana Başlıklar:

İngiliz ve İrlanda Dili | Edebiyatı ve Kültürü

Dergi:

Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.65 Issue 1, pp.188-189

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001351572

pISSN:

2459-0150