Unsettling Certainties: Joachim du Bellay on Demonic Possession and the Spectacle of Exorcism
Abstract
In 1558, Joachim du Bellay published Les Regrets, a book of sonnets animated by and modelled on the intense range of emotions he experienced during a sojourn in Rome (1553- 1557). Aspects of deceit and the immense corruption he saw in the opulent world of the Vatican produce a movement of passionate satire within the work, especially sonnets 87 to 100 on the women of Rome. In sonnet 97, Du Bellay recounts the unsettling horror he experienced upon viewing a group of girls ‘seemingly’ possessed by demonic spirits; the sound of their screeches and the sight of their convulsing bodies renders the poet speechless. Yet, in the final tercet of the sonnet, the poet’s tone shifts from extreme terror to a restrained smile as he witnesses the monk fondle the girls’ breasts and genitals. The poet becomes certain of the deception within the spectacle of exorcism. This paper situates Du Bellay’s work within the history of Protestant and Catholic ideas after the reformation. The poet’s horror and fascination provide insight into scepticism concerning Catholic rituals.
About the presenter
Jenny Davis Barnett is a casual lecturer in French in the School of Languages & Cultures. Jenny's research interests include French Studies and Intellectual History.
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