In:Humour in the Beginning: Religion, humour and laughter in formative stages of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism
Edited by Roald Dijkstra and Paul van der Velde
[Topics in Humor Research 10] 2022
► pp. 127–142
Biblical fun
Humour in the Cena Cypriani
Published online: 27 October 2022
https://doi.org/10.1075/thr.10.11hun
https://doi.org/10.1075/thr.10.11hun
Abstract
In this chapter I discuss the Cena Cypriani, a 4th century curiosum in early Christian
literature, describing a special wedding attended by a great number of biblical characters. First I run through
the text as a whole and discuss the few known facts about the background of the text. Next I concentrate on the
four final sections, which show some surprising features. These in turn bring me to concluding observations on the
type of fun aimed at in this text. I argue that the Cena Cypriani consistently aims at playful
irreverence and seems intended for a learned Christian readership. Some final remarks about the later reception of
the text conclude the paper.
Keywords: Cena Cypriani, Biblical characters, riddles, irreverence, early Christian Latin
Article outline
- A biblical wedding
- Lists of names
- Author, date, place
- In cauda venenum
- Follow up
- Appendix: From Umberto Eco, The name of the Rose
Notes Bibliography
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