Animals on the Edge: From Exotic Beasts to Nonhuman Transcendence

Was there a horse sense in the medieval period? Why did word-licking dogs inhabit manuscript borders? The seven intriguing articles in this publication explore animals on the edge and the boundaries between humans and animals. These articles provide insights into the discussions in animal studies and medieval studies about the multiple roles of medieval fauna, challenging our understanding of how animals were understood in the Middle Ages. The authors of the articles demonstrate how humans have always constructed animals but also have been constructed by animals. The examples are drawn from manuscripts, fables, textual and visual accounts, as well as material culture. This publication raises interesting aspects about the profound and ambiguous relationship between animals and humans, edges and boundaries, hybridity and anthropomorphism, ideas and identities.

Katja Falt received her PhD in art history at the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) in 2012. Her dissertation "Wall Paintings, Workshops and Visual Production in the Medieval Diocese of Turku from 1430 to 1540" examined wall paintings attributed to church builders in about thirty medieval stone churches. Her research interests include medieval wall paintings, representations of gender, corporeality and the passion of Christ in medieval art. Currently, Dr. Falt works at Tampere University as a senior specialist.