Die mystische Metapher
AMSTERDAMER BEITRÄGE ZUR ÄLTEREN GERMANISTIK May 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1163/18756719-12340374 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Linguistics |
| Key points | Argues that Mechthild von Magdeburg's metaphors form an autonomous 'world' that mediates between world and transcendence, drawing the recipient into an exitus–reditus movement toward God, and that they cannot be reduced to a self-reflexive linguistic moment despite their pre-modern ontological grounding. |
Abstract
Mystical experience of the Unutterable and its linguistic expression remains contested in German medieval studies. This article examines Mechthild von Magdeburg’s metaphors as mediating world and transcendence, situating the question within the issue of the historicity of metaphor. It argues that, although Mechthild’s ‘mystical metaphor’ remains bound to a pre-modern ontology, it cannot be reduced to a self-reflexive linguistic moment. Rather, her metaphors form an autonomous ‘world’ designed to draw the recipient into an exitus–reditus movement towards God.