Medieval Translations and Cultural Discourse

"Throughout the middle ages, many Francophone texts - chansons de geste, medieval romance, works by Chrétien de Troyes and Marie de France - were widely translated in north-western Europe, in the process reflecting the new cultures in which they appeared. Dr Rikhardsdottir argues that such translations, demonstrating cultural movement and encounters, provide a rich opportunity to study changes in linguistic and cultural identity. By close comparison of a number of these texts, examining the various modifications made, and drawing on critical discourses ranging from post-colonial criticism to translation theory, the author explores the complexities of cutltural dialogue and dissent. This approach both recognises and foregrounds the complex matrix of influence, resistance and transformations within the laguages and cultural traditions of medieval Europe, revealing the undercurrents of cultural conflict in medieval textuality"--Back cover.