Birds of Prey and the Sport of Falconry in Italian Literature Through the Fourteenth Century: from Serving Love to Served for Dinner
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Birds of Prey and the Sport of Falconry in Italian Literature through the Fourteenth Century: from Serving Love to Served for Dinner by Teresa Flora Lucia Gualtieri A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Italian) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 2005 UMI Number: 3200047 Copyright 2005 by Gualtieri, Teresa Flora Lucia All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3200047 Copyright 2006 by ProQuest lnformation and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest lnformation and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 481 06-1 346 O Copyright by Teresa Flora Lucia Gualtieri 2005 All Rights Reserved A dissertation entitled Birds of Prey and the Sport of Falconry in Italian Literature through the Fourteenth Century: from Sewing Love to Sewed for Dinner submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Teresa Flora Lucia Gualtieri Date of Final Oral Examination: December 8,2005 ~odh8 Year Degree to be awarded: December 2005 May August .............................................................................................. Approval Signatures of Dissertation Committee ai&I& )Om-- ~GM* .- / u 1 9% I (I,& l~<:~;,r \ ,bkU& ',& J L Signature, Dean of Graduate School Birds of Prey and the Sport of Falconry in Italian Literature through the Fourteenth Century: from Serving Love to Served for Dinner Teresa Flora Lucia Gualtieri Under the supervision of Professor Christopher Kleinhenz University of Wisconsin-Madison This dissertation looks at the reasons for which and the ways in which images of falcons, hawks, and the sport of falconry are used in medieval Italian literature. It seeks to show that the use of these images changes in Italy over the course of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The courtly love symbolism that the falcon and its kind evoke in French, Provengal, and English literatures becomes problematic in Italy because of the evolution of its poetry away from the courtly love ideal, and because of socio-cultural changes involving the rise of the merchant class in Italy and the fall of the old aristocratic way of life that was idealized in earlier love poetry. In the first chapter a background is established that defines the role of falconry in medieval society through investigations of encyclopedic works, bestiaries, and falconry treatises. The cultural associations from that role are reflected in vernacular literature that is earlier to or concurrent with that in Italian; a glance is given to a few Old French, English, and ~ro;engal works. In the second chapter, poetry of the Duecento and Trecento is discussed. It is shown that falcons and their kind retain their fin ' amors connotations in Siculo-Tuscan poetry, but disappear from that of the Dolce stil novo because of a changed approach to love. The birds return somewhat in the cantari of the Trecento, but mostly in madrigals, where they illustrate erotic earthly love encounters. In the third chapter, Dante's Divine Comedy comes under scrutiny for his ability to take a courtly image of love and transform it into both a symbol of transcendental love, and of his own training as a pilgrim. The fourth chapter looks at prose works, particularly novelle. Here falcons evoke nostalgia for the old courtly ways, and cause class conflict arising from confusion of roles in a changing society. It concludes with a look at Boccaccio's story of Federigo degli Alberighi, who makes the mistake of trying to live the chivalric ideal in a money-based society, and is forced to eat the last remnant of his courtly past, his falcon. U~NG~DUATE SCHOOL DEC 1 5 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DEDICATION Page ii INTRODUCTION Page 1 CHAPTER 1: Falconry as symbols before (and outside of) Italian literature. Page 6 CHAPTER 2: Falconry in Duecento and Trecento poetry. Page 50 CHAPTER 3: Falconry and cranes in Dante. Page 87 CHAPTER 4: Falconry in Duecento and Trecento prose. Page 107 CONCLUSION Page 125 BIBLIOGRAPHY Page 128 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DEDICATION This dissertation, that has been so much work to write, and that has taken me so long to finish, would never have been possible without the advice, encouragement, and above all, patience, of a great many people. First I would like to thank my advisor, Professor Christopher Kleinhenz, the most patient person I have ever met, for all the help and encouragement he has given me throughout the many years of research and writing involved in this project, and that which he has likewise shown regarding the conference papers I have written in the meantime, most of which are completely unrelated to this work. I would also like to thank my committee, Professors Thomas Cravens, James McKeown, William Courtenay, Grazia Menechella, and Patrick Rumble, for seeing this project through with me, for their many helpful comments, and for a most enjoyable defense. I am very happy to finally be able to thank my husband, Andy Clark, for his love, support, patience, and many encouraging words, whether he was at home or under water. Many of my friends provided support that was essential to finishing this dissertation. Primary among these are Jason and Julie Erdmann, who have always cheerfully opened their house to me whenever I needed to visit Madison-your help and friendship are priceless. I also offer innumerable thanks to Jen and Mike Eberlein, who kept me fed and upbeat in Florida, and Jenny Turner, my one-woman grad student support network, who always encouraged me beyond the bounds of reason. Here's hoping she finishes her dissertation, too. I would also like to thank Eric, Amy, Jeff, Chris, Kelly, Ben, Dale and Cathy, and Gerry, as well as my husband's parents, Jan and Andy Clark, for their many years of support and constructive nagging. This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Giuseppe and Giacinta Gualtieri. Without my father, I would never have been inspired to start it, and without my mother, I would never, ever have finished it. I can never thank them enough. INTRODUCTION Since ancient times the falcon and the hawk have been admired as fierce predators. Likewise, since antiquity, people have domesticated them as hunters, and continue to do so to this day. These birds of prey have a close relationship with humans that is unique among other animals except dogs; they are pets, companions in recreation, and procurers of food. They are also expensive to maintain in that they require a great deal of care and training. For this reason and others, falconry as a sport comes into its own in the Middle Ages as recreation for the upper class.' Moreover, the birds that are the playthings of the rich become synonymous with their owners. By the time of the emergence of vernacular literatures, the sport of falconry and the birds involved carry a symbolic significance that reflects their use by the aristocracy. A knight or lady with a hawk represents nobility, leisure and, further, courtly love. There is a ranking of birds that mimics that of the feudal system, with birds of prey at the top representing nobles and kings, and birds such as chickens and geese on the bottom, the peasants. Thus a lone falcon or hawk carries with it all the connotations of knighthood and courtesy, and can be anthropomorphized into a knight or a lady. Hawks and falcons are seen often with such associations in English, French, and Provenqal medieval vernacular literature. It seems worthwhile to investigate their appearances in Italian literature, to see if the same rules apply. This is a topic that has remained largely unexplored. The only major work to have been done on falconry in ' See Robin Oggins, "Falconry and Medieval Social Status," Medievalia 12 (1989): 43-55: "In modern sociological terms, [.. .] falconry was an almost perfect example of conspicuous consumption: it was expensive, time-consuming, and useless (as its purpose was not for acquiring food), and in all three respects it served to set its practitioners apart as a class." medieval Italian literature is the recently published contribution of Daniela Boccassini, a book entitled I1 volo della mente. Falconeria e sojia nel mondo mediterraneo: Islam, Federico 11, ante.^ Her main interest is in the development of falcons as intellectual signs and the view of the sport of falconry as a quest for spiritual love or wisdom. In contrast, this present work concerns primarily how the relationship, both real and symbolic, between falcons and nobility influences their use in the secular world of love poetry and tales of society. This dissertation looks at the reasons for which and the ways in which images of falcons, hawks, and the sport of falconry are used in medieval Italian literature. It seeks to show that the use of these images changes in Italy over the course of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The courtly love symbolism that the falcon and its kind evoke in French, Provengal, and English literatures becomes problematic in Italy because of the evolution of its poetry away from the courtly love ideal, and because of socio-cultural changes involving the rise of the merchant class in Italy and the fall of the old aristocratic way of life that was idealized in earlier love poetry.