Η ΚΑΤΑΣΚΕΥΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΤΕΡΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΣΤΗΝ «ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ TOΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΛΟΥΔΟΒΙΚΟΥ»

Abstract

This article is a study of narrative representations of otherness in a thirteenth century chronicle, the «Histoire de Saint Louis», by Jean de Joinville. The examination of three episodes concerning Jews, Bedouins and Mongols, as well as Louis' attitude towards conversion, leads to the following conclusions: i) «others» are incribed in the text through a process of translation, use of stereotypes and elementary cultural categories, such as death, sexuality and food and ii) the representative tropes are antagonistic or complementary, depending on whether alterity is considered negotiable; representations may correspond to the heterogeneous status of different cultural groups vis à vis medieval Christianity.