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Die literarische Imagologie dunkelhäutiger Frauen in Strickers Königin von Mohrenland (zw. 1210-1230)

2015; Transcript Verlag; Volume: 6; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.14361/zig-2015-0103

2198-0330

Dina Aboul Fotouh Salama,

Historical, Literary, and Cultural Studies

The aim of this study is to analyze the image of dark women in the bîspel Die Königin von Mohrenland written by Der Stricker, one of the most popular medieval poets. The paper explores and detects the means by which the Moorish queen and her folk are represented and instrumentalized in the short epic entitled bîspel. The depiction of the Moor as the ›dark other‹, ›dark evil‹ etc. or an ›alter ego‹ illustrates premodern approaches to the construction of a stereotype of dark people based on racist, ethnic and religious differences. Such stereotypical depiction contributes to the establishment of the dark other as an enemy. The research questions are discussed from an intercultural perspective which encompasses a discussion of gender, identity and colour (white / dark) and at the same time taking into consideration the historical background of confrontations between the orient and the occident in medieval history.