A Savage Mirror: Power, Identity, and Knowledge in Early Modern FranceA Savage Mirror is about the New World, royal ritual, and the sensibilities that defined a new class of elites. It takes as its starting point the royal entry of Henri II into Rouen in 1550. By all accounts, this ritual was among the most spectacular ever staged. It included an “exact” replica of a Brazilian village, with fifty “savages” kidnapped from the New World. The book aims to understand what the French made of these Brazilian cannibals, and the significance of putting them in a festival honoring the king. The resulting analysis provides an investigation of France’s changing social structure, its religious beliefs, its humanist culture, and its complicated commercial and symbolic relations with the New World. The book will appeal not only to scholars of early modern history, but to those interested in cross-cultural contact, cultural studies, civic ritual, museography, and history of literature, science, religion, art, and anthropology. |
Contents
Mirrors Kings and Cannibals | 1 |
The Kings Entry | 15 |
Pleading Their Case in a Silent | 21 |
Copyright | |
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A Savage Mirror: Power, Identity, and Knowledge in Early Modern France Michael Wintroub Limited preview - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
According acts ancient appearance associated authority barbarian Brazil Brazilians Cambridge century ceremonial chant Chapter chariot Charles Christian cited civilized closely collection Conards court cultural display early modern elite eloquence emperor eschatology especially Essays example festival figure France François French Geneva Henri Henri's entry Hercules History human humanist Ibid ideals identity important interests Italy Jean king king's land language learning living London Louis Marot means merchants mirror narrative nature nobility Norman Normandy organized Palinod Paris Pierre poetry poets political Portuguese practices present procession Puy's regard relics Renaissance represented rhetoric ritual role Roman Rouen royal Saint savage seen sense ship siècle similar simply sixteenth century social status Studies symbolic trade tradition trans Translated triumph triumphal University victory Virgin World York