Medieval literature
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- | {{Template}}'''Medieval literature''' is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in [[Europe]] and beyond during the [[Middle Ages]] (encompassing the one thousand years from the [[fall of the Roman Empire|fall of the Western Roman Empire]] ca. AD [[500]] to the beginning of the Florentine [[Renaissance]] in the late 15th century). The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as [[secular]] works. Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly [[sacred]] to the exuberantly [[profane]], touching all points in-between. Because of the wide range of time and place it is difficult to speak in general terms without oversimplification, and thus the literature is best characterized by its place of origin and/or language, as well as its genre. | + | {{Template}} |
+ | :''See [[medieval vernacular literature]]'' | ||
+ | '''Medieval literature''' is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in [[Europe]] and beyond during the [[Middle Ages]] (encompassing the one thousand years from the [[fall of the Roman Empire|fall of the Western Roman Empire]] ca. AD [[500]] to the beginning of the Florentine [[Renaissance]] in the late 15th century). The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as [[secular]] works. Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly [[sacred]] to the exuberantly [[profane]], touching all points in-between. Because of the wide range of time and place it is difficult to speak in general terms without oversimplification, and thus the literature is best characterized by its place of origin and/or language, as well as its genre. | ||
== Chivalric romance == | == Chivalric romance == | ||
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Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (encompassing the one thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of the Florentine Renaissance in the late 15th century). The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works. Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly sacred to the exuberantly profane, touching all points in-between. Because of the wide range of time and place it is difficult to speak in general terms without oversimplification, and thus the literature is best characterized by its place of origin and/or language, as well as its genre.
Chivalric romance
Chivalric romance: In the later medieval and early Renaissance period, there was an important European trend towards fantastic fiction. Works such as Le Morte d'Arthur (1485) and Amadis of Gaul (eC14) spawned a large number of imitators. By 1600, the poor quality of many of the romances had led to them being seen as harmful distractions. Don Quixote is the story of an elderly man driven insane by reading too many romances of chivalry.
The fantastique
The fantastique was virtually defined in the Middle Ages. This was a time when the supernatural was perceived as something to be avoided, but not unbelievable. The old Celtic, Frankish and Germanic myths were translated from religion (implying belief and worship) into popular folklore (implying belief but not worship). At first, the Catholic Church allowed the telling of the stories as stories. As time went by, the people's practice of worship came to be more closely associated with Christian tradition and less with pagan tradition. In many cases, one prominent example being the Arthurian Romances, this practice is reflected in the telling of the stories, which were also purposefully altered to incorporate Christian tradition as time went by.
The root of modern thought about and artistic depiction of many things which are today often termed 'supernatural' (such as angels, demons, fairies, witches, et cetera) has its beginnings in the period often called the Middle Ages. Concepts and characters such as Melusine, Harlequin, Oberon, Morgan Le Fay, et cetera, were first given their definitive shapes at this time.
Significant contributions of the times include:
- The Chansons de geste [Songs of Deed] such as La Chanson de Roland [The Song Of Roland] (c. 1100), Le Roman de Tristan et Iseult [The Novel Of Tristan & Ysolde] (c. 1170), Lancelot, ou Le Chevalier à la Charette [Lancelot, or The Knight With A Cart] (c. 1177) and Perceval, ou le Conte du Graal [Perceval, or The Tale Of The Grail] (c. 1182), both by Chrétien de Troyes.
- Between 1215 and 1235, Robert de Boron, a successor of Chrétien de Troyes, published Histoire du Saint-Graal [The Story Of The Holy Grail], Histoire de Merlin [The Story Of Merlin], Le Livre de Lancelot du Lac [The Book Of Lancelot Of The Lake], La Quête du Saint-Graal [The Quest For The Holy Grail] and La Mort du Roi Arthu [The Death Of King Arthur]. These books formed the basis for all subsequent Arthurian legends, and established the now well known origins of the Holy Grail as the vessel in which Joseph of Arimathea collected the blood of Jesus Christ.
- The Fabliaux, satirical fables which relied on the tradition established by Aesop of using anthropomorphic animals such as Le Roman de Renart, generally attributed to poet Pierre de Saint-Cloud (c. 1175). (By the 14th century, Le Roman de Renart included over 30 books.)
- Medieval poetry which often employed the supernatural as a mean of literary artifice, such as Le Roman de la Rose [The Romance Of The Rose] by Guillaume de Lorris (c. 1230), the ballads of Marie de France (c. 1170), Le Jeu de la Feuillée [The Game Of The Leaves] (c. 1275) by Adam de la Halle, and the anonymous Le Livre de la Fontaine Périlleuse [The Book Of The Perilous Fountain] (c. 1425).
- The religious dramas called Mysteries and Miracles which often took several days to perform, and included spectacular stage effects, such as Le Jeu d'Adam [Play Of Adam]; La Résurrection du Sauveur [Our Savior's Resurrection]; Le Jeu de Saint Nicolas [Play Of Saint Nicolas] by Jean Bodel d'Arras and the monumental Le Mystère de la Passion [Mystery Of The Passion, or Passion Play] by Arnoul Gréban, organist and choirmaster of Notre Dame de Paris.
Notable literature of the period
- Alexiad, Anna Comnena
- Digenis Acritas, anonymous Greek author
- Beowulf, anonymous Anglo-Saxon author
- Cantigas de Santa Maria, Galician authors
- David of Sassoun by an anonymous Armenian author
- Cato (Distichs of Cato), Dionysius Cato
- The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pizan
- Book of the Civilized Man, Daniel of Beccles
- The Book of Good Love, Juan Ruiz
- The Book of Margery Kempe, Margery Kempe
- Brut, Layamon
- Brut, Wace
- Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius
- The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
- Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio
- The Dialogue, Catherine of Siena
- The Diseases of Women, Trotula of Salerno
- La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy), Dante Alighieri
- Dukus Horant, the first extended work in Yiddish.
- Elder Edda, various Icelandic authors
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, anonymous English author
- Heimskringla, Snorri Sturluson
- Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ("The Ecclesiastical History of the English People"), the Venerable Bede
- Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Francesco Colonna?
- The Knight in the Panther Skin, Shota Rustaveli
- The Lais of Marie de France, Marie de France
- The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
- Das fließende Licht der Gottheit, Mechthild of Magdeburg
- Ludus de Antichristo, anonymous German author
- Mabinogion, various Welsh authors
- Metrical Dindshenchas, Irish onomastic poems
- Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory
- Nibelungenlied, anonymous German author
- Njál's saga, anonymous Icelandic author
- Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach
- Piers Plowman, William Langland
- Poem of the Cid, anonymous Spanish author
- Proslogium, Anselm of Canterbury
- Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich
- Roman de la Rose, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun
- Scivias, Hildegard of Bingen
- Sic et Non, Abelard
- The Song of Roland, anonymous French author
- Spiritual Exercises, Gertrude the Great
- Summa Theologiae, Thomas Aquinas
- Táin Bó Cúailnge, anonymous Irish author
- The Tale of Igor's Campaign, anonymous Russian author
- Tirant lo Blanc, Joanot Martorell
- Il milione (The Travels of Marco Polo), Marco Polo
- Tristan, Thomas d'Angleterre
- Tristan, Béroul
- Triumphs, Petrarch
- Waltharius
- Younger Edda, Snorri Sturluson
- Yvain: The Knight of the Lion, Chrétien de Troyes
- Gesta Danorum, Saxo Grammaticus