# Woman-Worship and Domnei in Domnei

> Theme guide for Domnei by James Branch Cabell.

The central theme of the book, domnei is a chivalric code of idealized, religious devotion to a lady, elevating her to a near-divine status and transforming love into a spiritual quest that transcends mere desire.

## Where it surfaces

- [Epigraph I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/epigraph-i): The epigraph directly invokes 'domnei,' the troubadour ideal of chivalric love and devotion to a noble lady, suggesting love's transcendence over death.
- [Epigraph II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/epigraph-ii): The epigraph directly defines 'domnei' as the chivalric code of devotion and service to a lady, central to the theme of woman-worship.
- [A Preface](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/a-preface): The central theme of the preface, exploring domnei as a sublimated passion that elevates women to a spiritual ideal.
- [The Argument](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/the-argument): The poem explicitly celebrates the worship of Melicent as the ultimate object of desire, for whom men forsake honor, kingdoms, and war.
- [Domnei](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/domnei): The chapter's title and content directly engage with the concept of domnei, portraying the worship and idealization of women as a central comedic and philosophical theme.
- [XXV: How Women Talked Together](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/xxv-how-women-talked-together): The conversation explores how women are idolized for their beauty yet suffer from the fickleness of male desire.
- [XXVIII: How Perion Saw Melicent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/xxviii-how-perion-saw-melicent): Perion's song and risk of death to honor Melicent exemplify the ideal of devoted service to a beloved lady.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/iii): The entire chapter is an exposition of domnei as a code of philosophy, a malady, and a religion, central to the Melicent-episode.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/chapters/iv): The chapter centers on a dialogue about domnei, where Beelzebub condemns it as irrational folly that makes men oblivious to vice, while King Amaury defends it as the master-word of the universe.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/themes/woman_worship_and_domnei
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/domnei_se/themes