Dante's Griffin and the History of the World (Purgatorio, Cantos Xxix-Xxxiii)

The griffin from Dante's mountain of Purgatory, able to make a tree bear leaves and flowers, has long been seen to represent Christ. Through an examination of medieval griffin-lore and of Dante's own poem, this provocative study shows that this explanation is untenable. Peter Armour explores both intellectual and political concerns, and the imaginative world of early 14th-century Italy--including such themes as theology, philosophy, jurisprudence, folklore and romance, and prophecy and millenarianism--to provide a new interpretation of Dante's griffin as a powerful symbol central to the poet's presentation of the earthly Paradise and to humankind's lost ideal of collective happiness on earth.Armour, Peter is the author of 'Dante's Griffin and the History of the World (Purgatorio, Cantos Xxix-Xxxiii)', published 1989 under ISBN 9780198158165 and ISBN 0198158165.