Food, Eating, and Digestion in La vie seinte audree of Marie de France

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25094/rtp.2025n44a1153

Keywords:

Marie de France, Medieval hagiography, Eels, Feasting and fasting, Medieval French poetry

Abstract

This study provides an analysis of feasting, fasting, and digestion in La vie seinte Audree, a medieval French poem attributed to Marie de France. The text’s sparse allusions to food commend a practice of “moderated moderation,” which combines daily consumption, feasting, and fasting as integral components of holy eating. Through a particular focus on the tropes of hospitality, eels, and excretion, the poem similarly positions the human digestive system as a site of spiritual sanctification.

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Original in English.

Author Biography

Jacob Abell, Baylor University

Jacob Abell is Assistant Professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at Baylor University (Waco, Texas, USA).

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Capa da Texto Poético 44

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Published

2025-01-26

How to Cite

Abell, J. (2025). Food, Eating, and Digestion in La vie seinte audree of Marie de France. Texto Poético, 21(44), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.25094/rtp.2025n44a1153

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 44 (2025): The omnivorous poem

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Dossier

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