Literature and Language12th CenturyCourtly Love

Popular Religion

Revival of the Celtic Hero – King Arthur

Literature - Poetry

French influenced – decline of A-S

Didactic (religious) (13th C.)

Romance

Matter of Britain; matter of Troy; Breton lai

Lyric

Rime of King William, 1087Alliteration from A-S tradition and rhymed couplets from

French tradition

He had castles built and poor men terribly oppressed,

The king was very severe, and he took from his underlings many marks of gold and hundreds of pounds of silver.

Anglo-Saxon ChronicleFeature 1121-1131 1132-1154

Nominative pronoun 28% 36%

Nominative noun 28% 7%

Direct object/ Accusative pronoun

9% 0

Direct object/Accusative noun

17% 0

Direct object/Dative pronoun

10% 23%

Word order SV, SVO, SVC, and SVIO

Gender Natural gender

Durham (before 1109, considered last traditional A-S poem)

Lines divided into two parts with alliteration, beats but

no rhyme.

Is ðeos burch breome      geond Breotenrice,

steppa gestaðolad,      stanas ymbutan

wundrum gewæxen.      Weor ymbeornad,

ea yðum stronge,     and ðer inne wunað

feola fisca kyn          on floda gemonge.

Known throughout Britain, this noble city

Its steep slopes and stone buildings

are thought a wonder; weirs contain

its fast river; fish of all kinds

thrive here in the thrusting waters.

The Owl and the Nightingale, 1189-1216 (debate poem)

Ich was in one sumere dale,

in one suþe diȝele hale,

iherde ich holde grete tale

an hule and one niȝtingale.

I was in a valley in springtime;

in a very secluded corner,

I heard an owl and a nightingale holding a great debate.

The Owl and the Nightingale last of 1794 lines

Mid þisse worde forþ hi ferden,

al bute here & bute uerde,

to Portesham þat heo bicome.

Ah hu heo spedde of heore dome,

ne [c]an ich eu namore telle:

her nis namore of þis spelle.

With these words they set off,

without any kind of army,

till they came to Portesham;

but I can't tell you any more about how they succeeded with their judgement.

That's all, folks!

The Lyric

Express emotions

Seasons

Romantic love

“Mirie it is while sumer ilast” and “Sumer is icumen in” (early 13th C.)

Religious

Sorrows and joys of Christ and Mary

Apply language of love poetry to religious setting

Often set to music

Creators and performers

Trobador (obj.), trobaire(nom.) Occitan from trobar, to compose (a poem)

Trouvère French

Jongleur (French) (joglar) Performer (of music, juggling, etc.)

Minstrel “Originally (to the end of the 16th cent.): a person employed by a patron to provide entertainment by singing, playing music, storytelling, juggling, etc.” [OED]

Chrétien De Troyes (Manuscript 1450), early 13th C.

Chrétien De Troyes (Manuscript 794), early 13th C.

Mss of troubador

songs, 1301-25

D'amors qui m'a tolu a moi, - Chrétien De Troyes

D'Amors qui m'a tolu a moi

2 N'a soi ne me veut retenir,

Me plaing ensi, qu'ades otroi

4 Que de moi face son plesir.

Of Love, who has taken me from myself and who wishes not to retain me, I lament in this way:I grant that from now on she should do with me as she pleases.

D'amors qui m'a tolu a moi, - Chrétien De Troyes

Et si ne me repuis tenir

6 Que ne m'en plaigne, et

di por quoi:

Car ceus qui la traissent voi

8 Souvent a lor joie venir,

Et g'i fail par ma bone foi.

Yet I cannot keep myself

from complaining, and I'll tell you why:

because I often see those who betray her

achieve their end,

and I fail because of my good faith.

Early English music

Rota (round) 13th century

Votive antiphon

Texts honoring Virgin Mary but not part of Church service 14th C.

Carols 14th C.

Connected with religious festivals

Mystery plays

Processions

Circle dances

The Play of Adam(Jeu d’Adam) 1150-60

Adapted from a translation by Richard Axton and John Stevens Longman Anthology of World Literature Volume B The Medieval Era, Pearson/Longman 2009

Cast – Class members

Chorus/Figura (God) –

Adam –

Eve –

Satan (Diabolus) –

Poiteirs, Notre Dame Grande

Content

Order for the Representation of Adam ( Ordo representacionis Ade )

Single manuscript; near contemporary translations

Chant from Septuagesima

Dramatization for a lay audience

A good French farmer or burgher, his headstrong wife, domineering lord or bishop and good-for-nothing courtier

Forerunner of mystery cycles

Beginning of Latin litany “And the Lord God formed . . .

Structure

Props and costumes

Adam and Eve

Abel and Cain

Procession of Prophets