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Regurgitation, Restitution, Resurrection, and Relics

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Medieval Considerations of Incest, Marriage, and Penance

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Abstract

Starting with the reference in La Manekine to the “sanctuaire” in the belly of a fish which preserved the protagonistʼs amputated hand until it could be miraculously grafted onto her arm, this chapter examines the theory and practices behind relics, along with other literary examples of relics, as well as the general motif of fishy containers. Additionally, the sturgeon that regurgitates the hand evokes Christian dogma about bodily integrity at the time of resurrection, as well as serving as a reminder of the role of restitution in the sacrament of penance. Compared to the treatment of relics in such works as the Chanson de Roland, the Pèlerinage de Charlemagne, and La Vie de Sainte Elysabel, Philippe de Rémi employs an empty, hand-shaped reliquary to demonstrate Godʼs favor upon the heroine.

All citations and translations of La Manekine are taken from Philippe de Rémi, Le Roman de la Manekine, ed. and trans. by Barbara Sargent-Baur (Amsterdam & Atlanta: Rodopi, 1999).

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  1. The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Linda Marie Rouillard

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  1. Linda Marie Rouillard
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Correspondence to Linda Marie Rouillard .

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Rouillard, L.M. (2020). Regurgitation, Restitution, Resurrection, and Relics. In: Medieval Considerations of Incest, Marriage, and Penance. The New Middle Ages. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35602-6_6

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