Hölderlin and the Libro de Alexandre explore a shared phenomenon regarding humanity’s relationship with nature. In medieval Europe, nature played a significant role in people’s beliefs. Europeans saw nature as an extension of God and Christ, often worshiping nature as a divine intermediary between humans and the divine.
Nature in the Libro de Alexandre
In the literature of the Libro de Alexandre, nature is depicted as kind and benevolent, while humanity represents malice. Subjugated by God, nature occasionally punishes humans for their arrogance—not out of malice but to correct their ways.
Nature in Hölderlin’s Die Natur
Hölderlin’s work Die Natur highlights human suffering as the result of separation from nature. Redemption and rebirth, according to Hölderlin, require communion with nature, restoring the broken bond between humanity and the natural world.
Medieval and Renaissance Views on Nature
The 13th-century Libro de Alexandre emerged during a time when nature was central to human belief systems. However, during the Renaissance and with the growing influence of Christianity, nature’s role diminished in European literature. Hölderlin, despite facing strong opposition from the Christian believers of his era, reintroduced nature as a vital element in his works.
Nature as a Universal Entity
Both Hölderlin and the Libro de Alexandre portray nature not just as flora, earth, and water but as the entire tangible and intangible universe in which humanity exists. This holistic view connects their perspectives across time and cultural contexts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both works reflect on the same phenomenon: the human experience of separation from nature. This separation, and humanity’s attempts to dominate it, leads to suffering, as both Hölderlin and the Libro de Alexandre suggest.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources:
- Friedrich Hölderlin: Sämtliche Werke. 6 Bände, Band 1, Stuttgart 1946, S. 197-200. Read more
- Libro de Alexandre. Fundación Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. Read more
Additional Reading
- Libro de Alexandre (Clásicos)
- Libro de Alexandre (Letras Hispánicas)
- Hölderlin