May in January's Tree: Genealogical Configuration in the Merchant's Tale

The episode of copulation between May and Damyan in a fruit tree at the end of the Merchant's Tale has by no means been neglected by critics, though they have often been reduced to coyness in writing of it. For instance, they soften the brazenness of sex in a tree with periphrases, writing obli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Chaucer review Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 106 - 117
Main Author Blamires, Alcuin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published University Park Penn State University Press 01.01.2010
Pennsylvania State University Press
Subjects
Literary criticism
Medieval literature
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Summary:The episode of copulation between May and Damyan in a fruit tree at the end of the Merchant's Tale has by no means been neglected by critics, though they have often been reduced to coyness in writing of it. For instance, they soften the brazenness of sex in a tree with periphrases, writing obliquely of "arboreal activity" and "arboreal exploits." Other beguiling euphemisms in print include "treetop tryst" and "coitus al fresco." Indeed, something about the episode encourages conspicuous academic witticism--as in the self-conscious doubles entendres in the titles of a brace of articles in the early 1970s. Here, Blamires examines the genealogical configuration in the Merchant's Tale.
ISSN:0009-2002
1528-4204
1528-4204
DOI:10.1353/cr.0.0055