english medieval literature

Chateau de Chambord

ENGLISH LITERATURE The Medieval PeriodGroup 3

History | Introduction to Medieval Literature | Authors & Their Works

England before the English

• When the Roman legions arrived, they found the land inhabited by “Britons.”

Today, the Britons are known as the Celts

- Stonehenge- no written language



The Britons were absorbed into Roman society

Latin is spoken Romans withdraw as the Empire crumbles, leaving the Britons behind.



Wednesday, day of Woden, father of the godsThursday, day of Thor, god of war

Group of pagan people from Northern Europe begin a series of invasions



Wednesday, day of Woden, father of the godsThursday, day of Thor, god of war

Anglo-Saxons (Angles, Saxons, Jutes)brought Germanic languages.But the Celtics managed to keep their language.


By 600, Anglo-Saxons conquer the Britons- language becomes more Germanic

- (still retains some Latin)

The Anglo-Saxons’ two urgings--war and

wandering become part of the oral tradition

- Beowulf is an example of an Anglo-Saxon hero tale.



“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that

whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

By 700, Christian missionaries arrive to convert the pagans

- Latin (the language of the Church) returns


King Alfredthe Britons become organizedfirst true king of the Britonsperiod of prosperity



England before the EnglishIn 1066, the Normans (French speaking people from Normandy),

led by William the Conqueror attack and defeat the Britains (a blend of the Britons and Anglo-Saxons) at the Battle of Hastings.

The 3rd language is

introduced-- French- French culture and French literature arrives

Welcome to England and the English,an island of people, languages, and divisions...


during the Middle Ages

Languageused in Medieval Literature


Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Europe.

The Church was the only source of education.

Thus, Latin was a common language for Medieval writings.

.

WritingsDuring the Medieval Period


Catholic clerics were the intellectual center of society in the Middle Ages, and it is their literature that was produced in the greatest quantity.

CHARACTERISTICSof Medieval Literature

Heroism- from both Germanic and Christian traditions, sometimes mingled

• Beowulf• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Presentations of idealized behavior- literature as moral lesson

1. loyalty to king2. chivalry

Use of AllegoryAn allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.



Romance• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• A narrative in prose or verse that tells

of the adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric heroes

1. exploits of knights2. often a supernatural element

involved

Christian Message• concern with salvation and the world to come

no interest in social change


THEMESof Medieval Literature

The Ideal of Courtly Love

This relationship was modeled on the feudal

relationship between a knight and his liege lord.

The knight serves his courtly lady with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord.

Fact:In the middle ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love.



The Ideal of Courtly Love

The literary model of courtly love may have been invented to provide young men with a model for appropriate behavior.

It taught them to sublimate their desires and to channel their energy into socially useful behavior (love service rather than wandering around the countryside, stealing or raping women.



The QuestA quest is a hero’s

journey towards a goal. The objects of quests require great

exertion on the part of the hero, and the overcoming of many

obstacles.

The hero's must obtain something, or someone, by the quest and with this object return home.


WRITERS & POETS during the Medieval Period




CædmonEarliest-Known English Poet

Writer of the Cædmon’s Hymn in honour of God the Creator:

Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard metudæs maecti end his modgidanc uerc uuldurfadur sue he uundra gihuaes eci dryctin or astelidæ he aerist scop aelda barnum heben til hrofe haleg scepen. tha middungeard moncynnæs uard eci dryctin æfter tiadæ firum foldu frea allmectigprimo cantauit Cædmon istud carmen.



CædmonEarliest-Known English Poet

Writer of the Cædmon’s Hymn in honour of God the Creator:

Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven's kingdom, The might of the Creator, and his thought, The work of the Father of glory, how each of wonders The Eternal Lord established in the beginning. He first created for the sons of men Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator, Then Middle-earth the keeper of mankind, The Eternal Lord, afterwards made, The earth for men, the Almighty Lord.



Geoffrey Chaucer

The Father of English Literature

(1343 – October 25, 1400)

The Canterbury Tales was the most famous work by Geoffrey Chaucer which places him in the front rank of the narrative poets of the world. The Canterbury Tales contains about 18,000 lines of verse, besides some passages in prose, and was left incomplete but began modern English literature.



Geoffrey Chaucer


Chaucer’s famous poems:Troilus and Criseyde

& The Canterbury Tales



St. Julian of NorwichThe Father of English Literature

Revelations of Divine Love

It is believed to be the first published book in the English

language to be written by a woman.




The first chapter begins with a single sentence introduction: This is a Revelation of Love that Jesus Christ, our endless bliss, made in Sixteen Shewings, or Revelations particular. This is followed by a sentence or two describing each of the sixteen visions in turn.





The second chapter is partly autobiographical. Julian mentions her illness, but in a spiritual manner. She reflects on three 'gifts' from God: meditation on the passion of Christ, meditation on her own suffering and the gift of greater piety.




St. Julian of Norwich


In the third chapter, which concludes the introduction, Julian writes more concretely about the events of her illness and her preparation for death by receiving the last rites. The introduction ends with Julian's recounting of her sudden recovery as she lay on her deathbed gazing at a shining image of the cross.


Pictures & contents are not owned by the Group 3 unless otherwise stated. Credits go to the owners.

© Emmanuel Rivera, in behalf of Group 3 – English Class ERHS

“ Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.”Psalm 107:43 (NIV)

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