Broken Order
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Broken Order Shapeshifting as Social Metaphor in Early Medieval England and Ireland Gwendolyne Knight Academic dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Stockholm University to be publicly defended on Friday 18 January 2019 at 10.00 in hörsal 7, hus D, Universitetsvägen 10 D. Abstract Shapeshifting narratives appear in cultures all over the world, throughout human history. At each point, these narratives give expression to culturally contingent anxieties and preoccupations. This study examines shapeshifting narratives in early medieval England and Ireland in order to uncover what preoccupations informed the meaning of 'shapeshifting', and also what social functions these shapeshifting narratives could serve. It begins with a lexical analysis of the verbs and nouns most associated with shapeshifting narratives; then, it examines shapeshifting narratives on the one hand, and comparisons between humans and animals on the other; finally, the study turns to the sociocultural role of shapeshifting narratives. It demonstrates that, although shapeshifting manifests differently in English and Irish contexts, the importance of performance, in particular the proper performance of in-group behaviour, is a consistent theme between them. Often, shapeshifting narratives visually confirm or demonstrate changes that have already taken place. Although the transformation of a human into something else would appear to break the natural order, such a wondrous disruption ultimately reveals divine power, and reinforces the divine order. Keywords: Anglo-Saxon England, Early Christian Ireland, Shapeshifting, Historical Anthropology, Early Medieval European History. Stockholm 2019 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-162270 ISBN 978-91-7797-482-6 ISBN 978-91-7797-483-3 Department of History Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm BROKEN ORDER Gwendolyne Knight Broken Order Shapeshifting as Social Metaphor in Early Medieval England and Ireland Gwendolyne Knight ©Gwendolyne Knight, Stockholm University 2019 ISBN print 978-91-7797-482-6 ISBN PDF 978-91-7797-483-3 Cover image: "Werewolves of Ossory", ca. 1196-1223; Public domain, from "Topographia Hiberniae", London, British Library, MS Royal 13 B VIII, ff 1r-34v at 18r. Printed in Sweden by Universitetsservice US-AB, Stockholm 2018 For Marsha Contents Acknowledgements..................................................................................... 1 Abbreviations .............................................................................................. 3 Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................... 6 Background .................................................................................................................. 6 Research Aims and Questions ................................................................................... 11 Previous Research ..................................................................................................... 13 Discourses of the Body ......................................................................................... 13 Shapeshifting and Werewolf Studies ..................................................................... 16 Theology and History of Religion ........................................................................... 23 Theory and Methodology ............................................................................................ 24 ‘Eine Geschichtswissenschaft in anthropologischer Zielrichtung’ .......................... 26 Comparison between Early Medieval England and Ireland ................................... 32 Source Material and Source Criticism ......................................................................... 33 Works of Wonder and Philosophy ......................................................................... 36 Hagiography and Related Religious Narrative ....................................................... 38 Epic Narrative and Poetry...................................................................................... 41 Implications ........................................................................................................... 43 Disposition and Presentation ...................................................................................... 45 Chapter 2: Transformations of Spirit and Body ...........................................47 Verbs of Transformation ............................................................................................. 50 Nouns Transforming ................................................................................................... 72 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 82 Differentiation of Concepts and Semantic Overlaps .............................................. 82 Turning, Conversion, and Metaphor ...................................................................... 82 Shape, Form, and Natura ...................................................................................... 83 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 84 Chapter 3: Humans and Animals, Humans as Animals ...............................87 Animals in Early Medieval England and Ireland ..................................................... 89 Humans into Animals .................................................................................................. 96 Serial Shapeshifting ............................................................................................ 106 Where Wolves? ................................................................................................... 107 Souls of the Dead as Birds .................................................................................. 112 Animals into Humans ................................................................................................ 115 Secular Transformation ....................................................................................... 115 Transformations in Religious Narratives .............................................................. 116 Animals into Animals ................................................................................................ 117 Shapeshifting in verbis.............................................................................................. 118 Implied Metamorphosis ....................................................................................... 118 Behavioural Transformations............................................................................... 120 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 124 Loss and Gain of Human Status .......................................................................... 124 Wild vs. Domestic Animals in Transformation ...................................................... 126 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 126 Chapter 4: Marginality of Metamorphosis .................................................128 Disability and Body Theory .................................................................................. 129 Monster Theory ................................................................................................... 131 Social Identity Theory .......................................................................................... 133 Change of Social Status ........................................................................................... 135 Performance of Human Status.................................................................................. 138 Educating Religious Behaviour ................................................................................. 141 Physical and Abstract Transformation ...................................................................... 143 It’s an Illusion! Perception and Society ..................................................................... 144 Normalized Boundary Transgressions ...................................................................... 146 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 147 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 151 Chapter 5: Breaking Order to Reveal Order .............................................152 Shapeshifting Narratives as Conversion Narratives .................................................. 157 Human Transformations and the Performance of Human Status .............................. 158 Transformation and Concepts of Change ................................................................. 160 Cultural Significances: Why Write about Shapeshifting?........................................... 162 Methodological Evaluation ........................................................................................ 163 Concluding Remarks ................................................................................................ 163 Appendix 1: List of Transformations .........................................................167 Table 1: Transformations of Humans ........................................................................ 167 Table 2: Transformations by Humans ......................................................................