La salamandra como motivo animal en la literatura francesa del siglo XVI

Abstract

The animal is present in the imaginary as a sense generator motif for the human being in the literary domain. The salamander, since its origins in classical literature, is related to fire and able to resist it or to extinguish it. Having a double morphology -empirical and fictitious- salamander�s literary discourse was kept as a strategy in order to show ideological diversity, because of the importance of an igneous element for western culture. Therefore, this image evolved from moral restricted meaning in the Middle Ages to be fulfilled in the Renaissance and the 16th century. King Francis I of France used this animal as his personal emblem and salamander�s discourse of fire was thus revived. So, on the one hand poetry influenced by Neo-platonism used this motif to show an unburning passion. On the other hand, it will be even reminded with an implicit "salamander aesthetics"