Digithum (May 2006)
Jaufré Rudel's 'love from afar' and distant love via chat; a metaphorical approach
Abstract
Love for an unknown person in a distant location has featured spectacularly throughout the history of literature. One of the emblematic authors who dealt with falling in love in such a blind fashion was the troubadour Jaufré Rudel, to the extent that he may be considered to be a literary paradigm. When analysing his work and its repercussions, it is impossible to escape a comparison with the type of amorous relationships that can be established via chat, the common denominator of which is that the interlocutor is unknown. In addition to the mystery, related to a high component of idealisation, we believe that there are other comparative links from a metaphorical perspective, such as distance, the identity of the participants and the specific nature of the code used. In this article, we will set out some ideas with a view to stimulating further analyses in that respect.
