Pastourelles : narrateur, bergère et troupeau

Abstract

The Medieval Pastourelle is mostly telling about the encounter between a male narrator and a stereotypical shepherdess. The latter is shortly described through an erotic point of view. Even so the animals presence at her side is often implied, we may wonder to what extent her work as herd leader influences the representation of a pastoral femininity. Authors take place in a literary tradition they like to transform so as to please their public and surprise the audience. Shifting our study from the lamb to the pig or the goat, we identify variations in the depiction of the shepherdess and her behaviour. Thus, we will turn the spotlight on the relations between traditionally features attached to animal and the shepherdess portrayal.

Keywords

• lexicon
• animality
• pastoral literature
• medieval literature