Giant Hero in Medieval Literature

Tina Marie Boyer, Ph.D. (2010), is Assistant Professor of German Medieval Literature and Second Language Acquisition at Wake Forest University. She has published articles on monstrous entities in medieval literature, medievalism, and pop-culture.

• ContentsAcknowledgements viiList of Figures viiiIntroduction 11 The Giant in the Medieval Mind 26St. Augustine and the Monstrous Races 29Biblical Giants 33Theological Conceptions 36Secular and Courtly Conceptions 392 The Monster from the Outside 51Sigenot 53The Giantesses of the Eckenlied 66Grauer Rock (Orendel) 753 Misplaced Loyalties and Evil Minions 101Daniel von dem blühenden Tal 102Virginal 116Laurin and Walberan 1254 A Fighter for Court and Hero 131König Rother 132Boeve de Haumtome 148Nibelungenlied 1565 Of Monstrous Courts and Heroes 161Herzog Ernst 1626 The Questing Giant 187Fierabras 188Eckenlied 200Conclusion 221Questions of Monstrous Identity in Romances and Epics 222Our Medieval Inheritance 227vi ContentsFigures 233Bibliography 245Index 260