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Lecturer dr. Daniela Brown

Course on Medieval and Renaissance Literature

Unit 3 A. Old English (Anglo-Saxon Tradition (5th to 1066): Chronicles! "istorical #rose $. The Anglo-%or&an Literature (Middle English (''th to '3th centuries

A. Old English (Anglo-Saxon Tradition (5th to 1066): "istorical #rose! Chronicles( $ede and Al)red the *reat
"istorical +rose is written by a historian who selects events which, fro his !oint of view are ob"ective, and which are dis!layed in a eanin#ful conte$t that is then inter!reted by the author A chronicle is written by a chronicler who records events he considers i !ortant which are !ut in a ti eline

"istorical #rose( $ede

,enera-le $ede (in Latin( $eda ,enera-ilis (%th to &th c.): 'n#lo()a$on on* called +,he -ather of .n#lish /istory0 the 1st 'n#lo()a$on historian Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History of the English People) ( the 1st history of the .n#lish !eo!le ( historical !rose written in Latin in %11, 5 boo*s ( it contains events fro fro 2ulius 3aesar4s invasion in 55 B3, then )t 'u#ustine co in# to .n#land in 556, the s!readin# of 3hristianity in .n#land u! to Bede4s day (it is dedicated to 6in# 3eolwulf of 7orthu bria ( his intention was to show the unity of the .n#lish ('n#lo()a$ons) in s!ite of the fact in his ti e there were several se!arate *in#do s, and the unity of the 3hurch (between the 3hristian Britons and the 3hristian 'n#lo()a$ons) ( his inter!retation of history of history is very !ersonal and he a*e use of any iracles to e$!lain so e events

Chronicles( Al)red the *reat

Al)red the *reat! .ing o) /essex (01'-022 (( the fou#ht a#ainst the 8i*in#s, the Danes, and defeated the -- i !roved the le#al syste (he co !iled a law code or domboc/ Doom Book to which he attached The Ten Commandments ) and ilitary syste (a networ* of fortresses called burhs and a s all fleet), underwent a onetary refor , dealt with urban !lannin# 'lfred: Doom ery e enly! Do not doom one doom to the rich" another to the poor! #or

doom one doom to your friend" another to your foe!$

(( by co binin# so e of the biblical laws with secular laws, he conferred the le#al syste -- he was a an of culture:
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a divine note

,he Doo

Boo*, Le#al 3ode of 'lfred the 9reat

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he was a instrel he was a translator: he translated fro Latin: 1. 9re#ory the 9reat: Pastoral Care% 'lfred was writin# in the !reface: :learnin# had declined so thorou#hly in .n#land that there were very few en who could understand their divine services in .n#lish, or even translate a sin#le letter fro Latin into .n#lish;0 <. Boethius<4 Consolation of Philosophy (6th c.). ,he boo*1, in the for of a dialo#ue between Boethius hi self and =hiloso!hy, e bodied by a beautiful and wise wo an, is about acce!tin# !ain and hardshi! in a di#nified, detached way. )he says that ha!!iness does not ean tan#ible riches, the hi#hest #ood is in 9od. Boethius often co !ares history with a wheel (,he Boethian >heel) he initiated a !ro#ra e of translatin# fa ous Latin te$ts of the ti e into ?ld .n#lish: 1. =aulus ?rosius @th c. (&e en Books of History Against the Pagans%' An his boo*, ?rosius tries to de onstrate that the world rather i !roved (because of 3hristianity) than it declined <. 8enerable Bede4s The Ecclesiastical History of the English People he encoura#ed clerical scholars create court schools, the ore so as education had dra atically declined because of 8i*in# invasion 'lfred: :,herefore he see s to

e a very foolish an, and truly wretched, who will not increase his understandin# while he is in the world, and ever wish and lon# to reach that endless life where all shall be ade clear.:@ >isdo eans !ower.

$. The Anglo-%or&an Literature (Middle English (''th to '3th centuries

*eneral characteristics
1. Bntil the 1@th c., -rench (7or an s!o*en in .n#land) was the lan#ua#e of the 7or an nobility 5, also used for le#al cases, Latin was used by the 3hurch and Ciddle .n#lish by co on !eo!le <. >ith the co in# of the 7or ans, .n#land also i !orted: the feudal syste the strate#y of buildin# castles the odel of the *ni#ht -rench literature: a.D chansons de geste( b%/ romances( c%/ courtly lo e which later "u$ta!osed onto .n#lish ones a.D chansons de geste) +'ny of the ?ld -rench e!ic !oe s for in# the core of the 3harle a#ne le#ends (+the atter of -rance0). Core than &0 chansons have survived in anuscri!ts datin# fro the 1<th to the 15th century, but they deal chiefly with events of the &th and 5th centuries durin# the rei#ns of 3harle a#ne and his successors. An #eneral, the !oe s contain a core of historical truth overlaid with le#endary accretions. ,he e !eror 3harle a#ne is !ortrayed as the cha !ion of 3hristendo . /e is surrounded by his court of ,welve 7oble =eers, a on# who are Eoland and ?liver.06 b%/ romances: 11th c. lyrical te$ts whose the e is a hi#hly s!ecialised love characterised by /u ility, 3ourtesy, Adulter3 and the Eeli#ion of Love. ?nly the courteous can love, but it is love that a*es the
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Eo an !hiloso!her of noble e$traction, who wrote Consolation of Philosophy in !rison before bein# e$ecuted Boethius4 Consolation of Philosophy was also translated into later .n#lish by 9eoffrey 3haucer and Fueen .liGabeth A @ fro 'lfred4s Blostman ('ntholo#y) 5 in the 15th c. with *in# /enry A8, .n#lish beca e the lan#ua#e s!o*en at court for the 1st ti e 6 3live )ta!les Lewis4 s Allegory of *o e) A &tudy in +edie al Tradition (1516)

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courteous. .n#lish e$a !les: 1<th c. 9eoffrey of Con outh4s 'rthurian le#ends: Lancelot and 9uinevere, &ir Ga,ain and the Green -night (1@th c.) c%/ courtly lo e) ,he earlier ones are heroic in s!irit and the e. ,hey focus on #reat battles or feuds and on the le#al and oral niceties of feudal alle#iances. Literary for , usually characteriGed by its treat ent of chivalry, that ca e into bein# in -rance in the id(1<th century. At co bines heroic deeds with love !ursuits. (fro Britannica <001). .$a !le: *e .oman de la .ose (11th c.) >hat the three of the have in co on is the fact they !ro ote the &odel o) the .night

Ro&ances and the Model o) the 4night

9eoffrey of Con outh

Medieval 5ra&a( Ever3&an

$i-liogra+h3( =illat, Conica. Bn!ublished ,au#ht 3ourse on Cedieval and Eenaissance Literature. Bniversity of Bucharest, De!art ent of .n#lish Lan#ua#e and Literature, 15&1. Bolton, >. -. .d. The +iddle Ages% 8ol1. London: =en#uin Boo*s, 1551 =illat, Conica. .edemption Through Art) &tudies in +edie al English *iterature% 7ew Hor*: Bniversalia, <001 3live )ta!les Lewis4 s Allegory of *o e) A &tudy in +edie al Tradition (1516) Britannica <001