![]() ![]() In 1928, Harry McClintock recorded a modern version of the Land of Cockaigne, based (he claimed) on the tales he heard as a young hobo traveller. As the poem observes, “Though paradisal joys are sweet, / There’s nothing there but fruit to eat.” The 14th-century poem “The Land of Cockayne” tells of an abbey where “pies and pastries form the walls,” among other delights, describing how roasted geese “fly to the abbey (believe it or not) / And cry out ‘Geese, all hot, all hot!'” and larks “land in your mouth, well-cooked and tame.” More than merely an escape from the brutalities of peasant life, Cockaigne was a kind of parodic paradise, devoted to the cares of the flesh instead of the soul. ![]() Cockaigne was a medieval peasant utopia, a magical realm of ostentatious gluttony, continual drunkenness, sexual abandon, and complete idleness. ![]() Charles’ longing description of the Forest of Arden has its roots in classical myth, but his desire to “fleet the time carelessly” might also be connected to another mythic tradition: the Land of Cockaigne. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |