The Rose of Muḥammad, the Fragrance of Christ: Liminal Poetics in Medieval Anatolia
In: Medieval EncountersSearch for other papers by Michael Pifer in
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Abstract
Although scent has played a diminished role in modern Western societies, it communicated a wide array of meanings to Muslims, Christians, and Jews in medieval Anatolia. This study examines the ubiquitous presence of fragrance in Persian and Armenian poetry, particularly in the works of JalÄl al-DÄ«n RÅ«mÄ« (d. 1273), his son Sulá¹Än Walad (d. 1312), and Kostandin ErznkatsÊ¿i (fl. late thirteenthâearly fourteenth cen.), a Christian Armenian poet of Erzincan. For these and other poets, olfaction served as a rich heuristic for sensing the divine essence in many contexts: in everyday customs, such as washing with rose water or the preparation of sherbet; in devotional practices, such as burning incense or receiving communion; and finally in the instruction of poetry itself.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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The Rose of Muḥammad, the Fragrance of Christ: Liminal Poetics in Medieval Anatolia
In: Medieval EncountersSearch for other papers by Michael Pifer in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Although scent has played a diminished role in modern Western societies, it communicated a wide array of meanings to Muslims, Christians, and Jews in medieval Anatolia. This study examines the ubiquitous presence of fragrance in Persian and Armenian poetry, particularly in the works of JalÄl al-DÄ«n RÅ«mÄ« (d. 1273), his son Sulá¹Än Walad (d. 1312), and Kostandin ErznkatsÊ¿i (fl. late thirteenthâearly fourteenth cen.), a Christian Armenian poet of Erzincan. For these and other poets, olfaction served as a rich heuristic for sensing the divine essence in many contexts: in everyday customs, such as washing with rose water or the preparation of sherbet; in devotional practices, such as burning incense or receiving communion; and finally in the instruction of poetry itself.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 655 | 201 | 31 |
| Full Text Views | 68 | 18 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 141 | 39 | 4 |
