German Studies Lecture Series: "Heroes — Monsters — Things: Persian and German Encounters in Medieval and Early Modern Literature" by Esther von Stosch (Stanford University)

Please join the German Studies Lecture Series talk entitled, "Heroes — Monsters — Things: Persian and German Encounters in Medieval and Early Modern Literature" by Esther von Stosch (Stanford University). 

Abstract: The rich literary cultures of Persian and German speaking realms present already a significant level of connectivity and intersection in the Middle Ages. In premodern contexts, cultural exchange is fostered through the shared Greek heritage and intermediate Arabic and Hebrew sources that give way to unique but also highly interwoven constructions of narrative worlds. I will explore the entanglement of premodern storytelling by highlighting the display of monstrosity and materiality in a comparative reading of Persian and German epics on Alexander the Great. In the midst of a story of conquest, these texts feature natural agents, monstrous beings, and magical artifacts that subvert any clear-cut constructions of identity, culture and space, opening up new perspectives on the construction of characters and the boundaries of their – as well as our – worlds.
RSVP for talk by Esther Von Stosch
The German Studies Lecture Series is hosted by the Department of German Studies, Stanford University.