MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

(476 AD- 1500 CE)

History

Medieval Period
-also known as the Middle Ages or Dark Ages
-medi-, “middle”, and ev-, “age”
-the word Medieval has its origins in the Latin term “medium aevum” (middle age), first came in the
19th century Renaissance.
-Middle Ages means “between the roman empire and the Renaissance”
-called Dark Ages because the great civilization of Rome and Greece had been conquered.
-year 476 AD – 1492 CE

* The Norman Conquest of 1066 CE established French as the language of literature and transformed
the English language from Old English (in use (c. 500-1100 CE) to Middle English (c. 1100-1500 CE).
The stories written during both these eras were originally medieval folklore, tales transmitted orally,
and since most of the population was illiterate, books continued to be read out loud to an audience.
The aural aspect of literature affected the way it was composed.

* Literacy rates rose during 15th century, and with the development of the printing press, more books
became available.

* Medieval English literature started with Beowulf (7th-10th century CE) which was no doubt a story
known much earlier and transmitted naturally. Other countries also contain same pattern of
development of literature.

* Poetry would remain the preferred medium for artistic expression throughout most of the Middle
Ages.

* Medieval writers were anonymous scribes setting down stories they had heard. Originality in writing
in the Middle Ages (as in the ancient world) was not high on the list of cultural values and elderly
writers did not bother to sign their works. The actual names of the most famous writers are still
unknown.

* Drama in the Middle Ages was essentially a teaching tool of the church.
Plays like morality, mystery, and liturgical are all instructed an illiterate audience in an acceptable
thought and behavior. Passion plays are the reenacting of the suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection
of Jesus Christ were popular Easter entertainments but morality plays were presented year-round. The
best known of these is Everyman (c. 1495), which tells the story of a man facing death who cannot
find anyone to accompany him to heaven except his good deeds. This allegory grew out of an
earlier Latin type of literature known as the ars moriende (art of dying) which instructed people on
how to live a good life and be assured of heaven.

Literature
Medieval Literature
-any work written in Latin or the vernacular between 476 AD-1500 CE that includes philosophy,
religious treatises, legal texts, as well as works of imagination.
-MEDIEVAL VERNACULAR LITERATURE EVOLVED FROM THE FOLKTALE, PROBABLY WITH THE STORYTELLER
ACTING OUT DIFFERENT PARTS, BEFORE AN AUDIENCE.

Major Themes of Medieval Literature

*Religion
*War
*Trails of daily life

Characteristics of Medieval Literature

Orality
-the way of transmitting stories was oral
-the office of reading and writing was very scarce

Language
-from the rupture of the empire and with the fusion with local dialect, romance languages arose from
Latin.
-Castilian, Catalan, Galizian (Portuguese), Asturian (Leonese), Navarro (Aragonese), and Mazorabic
Languages

Religiosity
-religious literature prevailed at this time
-God as the center of everything

Teaching
-transmit Christian values and serve as a role model, showing both the lives of saints, their – denial,
sacrifices, fidelity and commitment

Verse
-works was written in verse and was designed to be sung

Anonymity
-the author considered that his work was not his own, but of the people

Imitation
-in the absence of physical copies of a work, another author was given the task of learning evidence

Epic
-one of the content of the Medieval stories was the adventures of expeditionaries who traveled the
world

Tales and Fables

-

Works by Female Authors

-most of the female works made by nuns, some of them made later saints

Traditional Lyric
-the composition arranged to be sung:
wedding, harvest, pilgrimage, predominantly love

French Influence
*Before the emergence of English, Latin was considered as the language of religion and French as
the language of conquerors.

*The Norman Conquest was an event that marked the change of world. After the conquest there
was bilingualism. However French slowly lost its influence and English dominated the country. French
was finally rejected in 1415 AD by King Henry-V

*Layamon wrote the first national epic in English (in early 13th century).

*The concept of ‘courtly love’ came in English from a group of poets known as troubadours who live
in the south-east of France.

*Love was used in terms of religion and thus was passionate and unfulfilled. This love gave rise to the
variety of lyric poetry that prevailed for centuries.

* Le Roman de la Rose (the Romance of the Rose) was the most influential imported text of Early
Middle English Period.

Notable Authors
Notable authors
-Medieval literature was written by a variety of authors and poets. Many if which are:

GEOFFREY CHAUCER
-english poet & author
-Greatest english poet of Middle ages
-”Father of English Literature“
-First writer buried in Poet’s corner of Westminster Abbey
-Born: 1343, London, UK
Died: Oct. 25, 1400, UK

The Canterbury Tales

-by Chaucer and Percy MacKaye
-collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written Middle English by Geoffrey between 1387
& 1400
-combination of verse and prose
-tells the story of some 30 pilgrims walking from Soutwark to Canterbury on a pilgrimage.

Other works:
• The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
• Troilus & Criseyde
• The Book of the Duchess

MARGERY KEMPE
-Famous as the author of the first autobiography in English
-English Christian mystic known for writing through The Book of Margery Kempe
-Born: 1373- england, UK
Died: 1438- Northfolk, UK

The Book of Margery Kempe

-considered as the first autobiography in the English language
-in this book, it tells the story of a woman who lived a strong Christian life despite the negativity of
others
-99 chapters about her life as a housewife & religious crusader

Other work:
* How to be a Medieval Woman

CHRETIEN DE TROYES
-French poet known for his writing in Arthurian subjects
-

Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart

-12-century
-one of the first stories of the Arthurian Legend to feature Lancelot as a prominent character
-Matter of Britain
-body of medieval literature and legendary kings &heroes associated with it,
particularly King Arthur.
-a riveting tale of knightly valor and courtly love
-Lancelot plays a major part in the Arthurian canon
-Lancelot had an affair with Guinevere
-Lancelot rescues Guinevere, as hostage, from Meleagant

Other works
• Cliges
• Erec and Enide
 • Perceval, The Story of the Grail
• Philomela
• Yvain, The Knight of Lion

Quiz:
1. Medieval is also known as?
-Middle Age or Dark Age

2. The word Medieval origins in what Latin term?

-medium aevum

3. What does Middle Ages means?

-“between the roman empire and the Renaissance”

4. Why does Medieval called as Dark Ages?

- great civilization of Rome and Greece had been conquered

5. What is Medieval Literature?

- any work written in Latin or the vernacular

6. Give the 3 major themes in medieval literature

-Religion, War, Trails of daily life

7. Give at least 5 characteristics of medieval Literature.

-Orality, Language, anonymity, epics, tales and Fables, Works of Female Authors, Traditional Lyrics,
Imitation, Verse, Religiosity, Teaching

8. What do you call the group of poets who introduce the concept ‘courtly love’?
-troubadors

9. Love was used in terms of _______ and thus was passionate and unfulfilled.
-religion

10. Who is known as the” Father of English Literature“?

-Geoffrey Chaucer

11. It is the collection of 24 stories, combination of verse and prose.

-The Canterbury Tales

12. She is known as the author of the first autobiography in English?

- Margery Kempe

13. What do you call the first autobiography in the English language?
-The Book of Margery Kempe

14. He is a French poet known for his writing in Arthurian subjects

-Chretien de Troyes
15. It is one of the first stories of the Arthurian Legend that is about knightly valor and courtly love.
-Lancelot, the Knight of Cart

Group 4