Il velo di Tisbe nel Medioevo, tra interpretazioni e suggestioni

Abstract

This study focuses on a specific element in the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe: the bloodstained, torn veil that triggers the tragic misunderstanding, leading to the protagonists’ double suicide. Despite its central narrative role, this thematic object has remained largely unexplored among the numerous studies on the medieval tradition of the myth. The paper first analyses the narrative function of the veil, highlighting symbolic implications such as the motif of the double, false death, and the antinomy between love and death. It then examines various medieval adaptations of the myth, particularly their attempts to reinterpret Thisbe’s veil as a symbol of lust and sin. However, as many scholars have noted, the myth was often read through Christian and Christological lenses. This perspective allows for a comparison with two biblical passages – from the Gospel of Mark and Song of Songs – which offer intriguing and unexpected insights into the imagery of a torn veil, a unique object that does not appear elsewhere in the Bible.