La poésie palinodique à Rouen (1486-1550)

Abstract

A competition for poetry in praise of the immaculate conception of the virgin, the de palinods, was held annualy in rouen from 1486 until the revolution. It is studied from its origins until 1550 with the intention of showing its poetic and ideological originality. The first objects of analysis are the history of the cult to the conception of the virgin and the theological evolution which, from the 11th century to the renaissance, provided the context for this emphasis on the immaculate conception. The literary documents which bear witness to militant conceptionism are then taken into consideration, before exploring the iconographical material which shows the peculiar imagination of the cult of mary. The second part provides an historical and literary panorama of what is known of the period and the milieu, exploring the activities which occurred during the day of the competition, the bourgeois and poetic circles upon which the competition thrived, as well as nearby puys and other poetic products of rouen. The puy was an important stage in the cursus honorum of the city and exercised a profound influence upon its thought and aesthetics. Lastly, the analysis of several manuscripts reveal the issues raised by such poetry and the different forms of distribution of the poetry of the de palinods. The third part shows how these works combine a constant religious reference and a search for poetic imagery and moral meaning. All of these domains offer meaning, from nature to human activities, whether noble or humble : by recourse to theological reflection, humanity participates in its own redemption and its work becomes an offering to the creator, worthy of the poetic act. An appendix assembles descriptions of the manuscripts studied, biographical notes and numerous previously unpublished texts.