Book chapter
Understatement and Incongruity: Humour in the Literature of Anglo-Saxon England
Humour in the Arts, pp.59-77
Routledge
2019
DOI: 10.4324/9780429455827-4
Abstract
This chapter provides a brief survey of humour and its mechanisms in literature surviving from England up to the late eleventh century. This is usually viewed as an unpromising period for anything other than the sombre in view of the overwhelming preponderance of pious or martial material in a society dominated by Christian tradition and heroic sentiment. Nevertheless, this essay demonstrates that appropriate incongruity is a productive mechanism for pinpointing humour even in this material, and that understatement, irony, and a touch of sarcasm are the prevailing humorous devices of the time. This is investigated in relation to the epic poem, Beowulf; the poetic saint’s life, Andreas; the Old English riddles; and the obscure pious poem, The Seasons of Fasting, amongst others.
This chapter provides a brief survey of humour and its mechanisms in literature surviving from England up to the late eleventh century. This is usually viewed as an unpromising period for anything other than the sombre in view of the overwhelming preponderance of pious or martial material in a society dominated by Christian tradition and heroic sentiment. Typical of Anglo-Saxon humour is understatement, irony, and a touch of sarcasm, whilst overstatement, satire, and parody also occur. Overstatement can certainly create the incongruity that keys into a humorous effect. Revelling in ironies can be another trigger of incongruity and signal of humour. Perhaps more characteristic of Anglo-Saxon England is a strand of humour that brings together exaggeration, irony, and incongruity with a kind of trickiness. This is a combination that might be characterised as the humour of the absurd. One example is provided by the monster riddles.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Understatement and Incongruity: Humour in the Literature of Anglo-Saxon England
- Creators
- Jonathan Wilcox
- Contributors
- Vivienne Westbrook (Editor)Shun-liang Chao (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Publication Details
- Humour in the Arts, pp.59-77
- Publisher
- Routledge
- DOI
- 10.4324/9780429455827-4
- Alternative title
- Understatement and Incongruity
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2019
- Academic Unit
- English
- Record Identifier
- 9984363681202771
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