The Grotesque Body In Early Christian Discourse: Scatological Humor

As István Czachesz stated in The grotesque Body in Early Christian Discourse: Hell, Scatology and Metamorphosis, Scatological humour is “…the simplest and perhaps the most ancient dramatic device to make readers, onlookers and listeners laugh…” ¹. Bearing this assertion in mind, as a part of this analysis, we shall discuss the significance of Scatological humour as a means of underpinning the integral themes of: le pet dou vilain, le farce de menuyer and la chanson d’audigier. In addition, we shall contrast and compare these three farces with regard to their application of this literary device. This is in order that, as contemporary readers, we can grasp the motivation behind the usage of Scatological humour during this period, whilst ascertaining its function in medieval literature.
Peter J Smith describes Scatological Humour as “… a humour that derives from a sense of physical imperfection or decay.”². A more succinct definition of this style of humour is Mouton de Gruyter’s novel the Primer of Humor (which was edited by Victor Raskin) where he states Scatology is “literature that discusses excrement and its production”³. These definitions deliver a distinct framework of what is purported by the term Scatological Humour; as a consequence, we can now commence on our exploration of this representation of humour and how it is expressed in these three medieval