Umberto Eco - In the name of the rose

[Marguerite02]

What is that thing called, that religious parable thing where things are turned upside-down, so that the the plough-horse leads the man, the ducks shoot the hunter etc?

it is a dream that the young monk has in IN THE NAME OF THE ROSE.

Many thanks!

[Octavius]

Not quite sure what you are looking for. Do you mean allegory?

[Marguerite02]

it is similar to an allegory, but there is a specific name for the type of story where things are turned on their head. The monk has a really strange dream which he recounts, and then afterwards he says he realises what the dream was it was a.....

[Quizmonster]

'Chimera' - in its sense of 'fantasy dream' - is a possibility. (I do not know which word Eco actually used.) Click here and look at meaning 2.

[heathfield]

Role reversal?

[bardotagogo]

mundus inversus

[bardotagogo]

PS Here is an example of the World Turned Upside Down:
http://www.pubworldmemorabilia.com/product.php /1504/0/

[Octavius]

I guess we would need to find the page in the book to find the word? Perhaps some further clue? In respect of oneiromancy and medieval dreams, they were often interpreted as:

Somnium
Visio
Oraculum
Insomnium
Phantasma
(all from the Dream of Scipio)

Perhaps if you find out you could let us know.