Jak obři snědli baziliška: Jídlo a jeho význam v Morgantovi Luigiho Pulciho

Abstract

A world in which giants can eat a basilisk and the gastronomic element serves as the driving force of the plot offers the possibility of telling a story with extraordinary hyperbole. The study analyzes the use of the gastronomic element, so-called kitchen humor (Curtius) including gastronomic metaphors (Bakhtin) in the epic Morgante, written by Luigi Pulci at the end of the 15th century. The incipit of Folengo’s Baldus is also analyzed, where many common elements are observed. The gastronomic element, which Pulci exploited in Morgante with extraordinary frequency and a wide range of uses and meanings, turns out to be the cornerstone of chivalric laughing world that Pulci helped to create.

Keywords

• kitchen humor
• gastronomic metaphor
• morgante
• luigi pulci
• lorenzo de’ medici’s court