Medieval Gardens: Body, Space, and the Allure of the Locus amoenus

Year 2019, , 272 - 281, 30.12.2019

Züleyha Çetiner-öktem

https://doi.org/10.32600/huefd.467149

Abstract

In the literary tradition, the locus amoenus meaning pleasant place, is generally deployed and envisioned as a garden
that is idyllic, peaceful, and safe. This place is commonly considered to be a space momentarily frozen in time creating
the illusion of eternal bliss. The landscape, however, may not be as innocent as it seems as it bears underlying instances
of an insidious nature. Although, for instance, the Garden of Eden is apparently an archetypal garden that is deemed
to be pleasant, under the seemingly safe and peaceful surface is also a space wherein gendered bodies are tempted to
fall from grace. On the other hand, spaces imbued with mystifyingly sinister aspects do not completely transform into
a locus horridus (“fearful place”) their functions go beyond being a simple locus amoenus. This becomes even more
evident when we reflect on the placement and/or displacement of bodies within these spaces. By exploring the gardens
in canonical medieval narratives, such as Dante’s Divine Comedy, Boccaccio’s Decameron, and Chaucer’s Parliament
of Fowls and the Merchant’s Tale, this article analyses the various functions of the locus amoenus with a specific focus
on how certain bodies are perceived within these spaces through the lens of spatial theories.

Keywords

medieval literature, Chaucer, garden, body, space

Ortaçağ Bahçeleri: Beden, Uzam ve Locus amoenus’un Cazibesi

Abstract

Edebi gelenekte, hoş yer anlamına gelen locus amoenus, pastoral, huzurlu ve güvenli bir bahçe olarak konuşlandırılıp
hayal edilir. Bu mekân genellikle zamanda kısa bir süreliğine donmuş bir uzamı ifade ederek ebedi saadetin
yanılsamasını yaratır. Tabiat, halbuki, sinsi ve gizil doğası gereği göründüğü kadar masum olmayabilir. Mesela, her
ne kadar Aden Bahçesi görünüşte bir arketipsel bahçe olarak hoş bir yeri temsil etse de yüzeyde görünen güvenli ve
huzurlu olmanın kisvesi altında cinsiyetleştirilmiş bedenlerin ayartılarak tanrının lütfundan düşmelerine neden olan
bir uzamı da temsil eder. Öte yandan, esrarengiz ve sinsi yönlerle aşılanmışsa da bu uzamlar tamamen bir locus
horridus’a (korkunç yer) dönüşmez ama işlevleri de basit bir locus amoenus olmaktan öteye geçer. Bu uzamlarda
bedenlerin konuşlandırılmaları ve/veya yerdeğişimleri incelendiğindeyse bu daha da belirgin bir hal alır. Dante’nin
İlahi Komedya’sı, Boccaccio’nun Dekameron’u ve Chaucer’ın Kuşlar Meclisi ile Tüccar’ın Hikayesi gibi
kanonik ortaçağ metinlerini göz önünde bulundurarak, bu makale locus amoenus’un farklı işlevlerini,
özellikle bazı bedenlerin bu uzamlarda nasıl algılandığına bakarak, uzamsal teoriler ışığında irdelemeyi
amaçlamaktadır. 

Keywords

ortaçağ edebiyatı, Chaucer, bahçe, beden, uzam

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