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Article: The idea of cultural continuity in G. Chaucer's house of Fame.
- Article from:
- Studia Anglica Posnaniensia: international review of English Studies
- Article date:
- January 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Adam Mickiewicz University. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In Chaucer's description of the hail of Fame, we notice a series of figures representing famous ancient authors, most of them writing in Latin. They are shown as titanic, Atlas-like figures standing on columns, and bearing on their shoulders the great weight of the subject matter which they deal with in their work. For example the "Ebrayke Josephus", that is Josephus Flavius, the author of the History of the Jewish War, is shown standing on a pillar made of lead and iron and he bears on his shoulders "the fame of the Jewrye", i.e. the fame of the Jewish people. This burden, however, is so heavy that he needs seven other, unidentified figures to help him cope with it. The ...