Lessico e rappresentazioni dell'ubriachezza nella cultura germanica antica

The essay considers episodes related to drunkenness in the context of ancient Germanic literature and culture. The earliest statements date back to Latin authors of the classic period, who recount how the barbarians were used to excessive drinking, an action that would reflect their deficiency of civilisation. In the Christian era, Latin commentators then linked the lack of decency in drinking to moral baseness. When sources in old Germanic languages, especially Anglo-Saxon ones, appear, the representation of drinking takes on very different connotations. The focus is on the aristocratic-warrior class, whose common life is recounted. The behaviour is strictly regulated and connected to the social practice of banqueting; in many cases drinking measures the drinker’s ability to move in a complex context such as that established during such occasions. The literary analysis is enriched with an investigation of the lexicon connected to the semantic field of drunkenness and, more generally, of drinking. On the basis of the etymological reconstructions and word comparisons extended to all old Germanic languages, it can be stated that the texts present varied words that clearly delineate the ethical behaviour of the drinker. Comparisons are made on Old English, Old Saxon, Old High German and Old Norse texts. The essay ends with a look at the words used in the context of Middle High German chivalric literature.