The Case of Dangier
Altschul's article names Dangier as a multifaceted personification in this poem. Referencing manuscript Roman de la Rose Bodleian Library Douce 195 and the poem of Jean de Meun and William de Lorris, Altschul discusses Dangier's character.
Altschul provides the following from Roman de la Rose to share how Dangier was described and illustrated for readers.
Dangier's textual description as a 'base churl', 'large and black, with bristly hair,' with 'eyes... as red as fire, his nose flat, his face hideous'... 'covered in grass and leaves'Altschul furthermore affirms the points of scholars Meredith McMunn and Jacqueline de Weever to discuss Dangier's coded character. Jacqueline de Weever explores this further and shares that Dangier is clearly constructed as a Saracen. What's a Saracen? Read HERE. Want some art and analysis about people of color and Saracens? Check out Medieval POC Post !
Altschul continues with de Weever's conclusion and explores the idea of Dangier as a representation of Saracens, not through his costume, but his physical features.
In connection to the background of Saracens, race, and visual representation within Douce 195 Altschul writes the following,...blackness, bristly or shaggy hair, red or burning eyes, and overall hideousness.... medieval audiences would need little more than Guillaujme de Lorris's short description to decode Dangier as a Saracen.
One can say that in Douce 195 dark skin may signify exotic foreign characters in time, place, or religion... Let me highlight, as did de Weever, that there is no factual Saracen skin color.
We can really see that in the lack of consistency of Dangier's skin color, a potential part of his identity, is altered 80 pages later in the same manuscript! In the last folio, Dangier is depicted twice. Once in the upper left corner, arms raised holding a sword, and in the center of the image wearing similar clothing. Yes, that pale man in the battle scene is the same darker man in the gallery at the top right corner of this page.