The Literary Atlas of Bread and Partners: From Beowulf to C.S. Lewis
The Literary Atlas of Bread and Partners: From Beowulf to C.S. Lewis

Summary/Abstract: This article attempts to cover a small, but significant part of the cultural history of bread, which focuses on the representation of bread and its so-called cultural partners in English literature: leavened bread and wine, bread and beer, bread and water, bread and salt, bread and milk, bread and butter. The history of bread is closely interconnected with cultural identity and over the years, not only the production of bread has changed, but bread itself has changed. This change has been captured in literary texts which illustrate how particular contexts and norms have determined the making of modern bread. The article explores how the literary works included here reflect cultural norms, practices and values that are associated with bread production and consumption at a certain historical time and in a specific social geography in order to determine how they have shaped the perception and behaviour of particular social groups.

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