Magical Animal Transformations: Medieval Commentary on Toxic Masculinity
Mentor 1
Jacqueline Stuhmiller
Location
Union 280
Start Date
5-4-2019 12:00 PM
Description
There is a pervasive theme across medieval literature in which women manifest their power through animal transformations, moments that often coincide with women mastering themselves and men through speech and wisdom. Well-known examples include the Mabinogi’s Rhiannon and the Irish mythology’s Macha, both of whom are strongly associated with and even turn into horses in critically layered symbolism. Horses are physically powerful and impressive, yet non-predatory, indicating that these women exercise non-violent forms of power. Furthermore, horses are often the tools of men. Thus, these women’s transformations symbolize a reversal in which the tools of men master men, proposing a non-violent form of power that overturns hierarchies. In stark contrast, animal transformations in men frequently coincide with their violent mastery of women. Examples include the fourth branch of the Mabinogi’s Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, both of whom sexually assault a woman. These men transform into creatures of the hunt in an oblique reference to the love-hunt trope, an inherently violent metaphor of erotic pursuit in which men chase and forcefully overtake their female prey. Hence, men’s animal transformations are both revelations and punishments of their predatory behavior. This paper contends that magical animal transformations in medieval literature not only delineate two competing models of power, but also stress the danger of a toxic masculinity based in the performance of violent mastery, foreshadowing contemporary gender struggles.
Magical Animal Transformations: Medieval Commentary on Toxic Masculinity
Union 280
There is a pervasive theme across medieval literature in which women manifest their power through animal transformations, moments that often coincide with women mastering themselves and men through speech and wisdom. Well-known examples include the Mabinogi’s Rhiannon and the Irish mythology’s Macha, both of whom are strongly associated with and even turn into horses in critically layered symbolism. Horses are physically powerful and impressive, yet non-predatory, indicating that these women exercise non-violent forms of power. Furthermore, horses are often the tools of men. Thus, these women’s transformations symbolize a reversal in which the tools of men master men, proposing a non-violent form of power that overturns hierarchies. In stark contrast, animal transformations in men frequently coincide with their violent mastery of women. Examples include the fourth branch of the Mabinogi’s Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, both of whom sexually assault a woman. These men transform into creatures of the hunt in an oblique reference to the love-hunt trope, an inherently violent metaphor of erotic pursuit in which men chase and forcefully overtake their female prey. Hence, men’s animal transformations are both revelations and punishments of their predatory behavior. This paper contends that magical animal transformations in medieval literature not only delineate two competing models of power, but also stress the danger of a toxic masculinity based in the performance of violent mastery, foreshadowing contemporary gender struggles.
