| Commentary: |
Notes from Snow 1977: "A sweeping study of no small interest to Alfonsine scholars, which covers many of the CSM and demonstrates how much in the mainstream of medieval narrative they were. These poems are listed in the detailed summary on pp. 667-95 but not all, unhappily, appear in the index (I found at least thirteen references to Alfonso unindexed at least three of which include studies of cantigas: pp. 268, 290, and 428). M.'s commentary is useful, especially as her focus is comparative, thus making it one of the best broad studies of CSM analogues to date. Cantigas included deal with: mutilations, 174, 127, and 146(it.) (pp. 231-2); suicide, 26(it.) (p. 258); variations of the tale of the errant nun, 59(it.), 58, 55(it.), 94, and 285(it.)(pp. 260-9); the contesting powers of heaven and hell, 3, 155, 281, 216(it.)(pp. 283-91); the penitent man, 63(it.) (pp. 301-2); profanations, 34, 215, 12, 128, 208, and 104 (pp. 303-15); the lower passions, 5 and 355(it.) (pp. 418-25); cupidity, 175, 239, and 147(it.) (pp. 428-9, 455); and infant deaths, 4, 6, and 17 (pp. 547-50). The CSM in italics (it.) are those which appear, in full, in the Appendix.rnOne note of caution. References to miracles and shrines given on pp. 159-61 and in the corresponding notes on pp. 184-5 are faulty. For note 51, CSM 127 and 148 should be replaced by 302 and 311. In note 54, CSM 227, 234, and 243 are omitted. In note 56, CSM 227 and 293 are wrongly placed while the more appropriate 228 and 283 are omitted. In note 57, CSM 118 is left out. In note 58 (on Tudía) CSM 344 ought to be included.rnThe bibliography, given the scope of the work, is very ample." |
