The medieval literature refers to the whole of literary works produced in Occident during the Moyen-âge (on ten centuries which extends from the fall of the Roman Empire - fine of the 5th century - at the beginning of the Renaissance florentine - fine of the 15th century).

This literature is as many composed religious works than secular, and constitutes field of a rich and complex study. It reveals the existence of many forms which contain in germ all the literary kinds modern. Because of its large variety and its extent in time and space, it is difficult to approach it in general terms without important simplifications, and it is preferable to make its study by country/language and kind.

Presentation

The literature of the Middle Ages is initially that of the feudal elite and reflects its ideals: piety, fidelity and bravery. The feudal system structure then the company and is reflected in the literature: the scenes of wars are numerous there, the omnipresent Christian faith. Nevertheless, starting from the end of the 12th century, the middle-class obtain, thanks to the rise of manufacture, the economic and legal privileges which compete with the seigneuriaux capacities. One sees appearing then new forms, more satirical as in the Romance of Renart , or more lyric as in the poetry of 14th and 15th centuries, heiress of the courteous Poésie.

The majority of the authors of this time are unknown for us; this anonymity is not simply caused by the lack of documents available for the period, but also by a design of the role of the author who completely differs from the romantic design current. The medieval authors very often refer to the ancient and the Pères of the Church, and tend more to give in form or to embellish the stories already read or heard that to invent news of them. Even when they do it, it frequently allot their work to a famous or imaginary third. One is unaware of thus the names of the authors of many important works, in particular for the Early middle ages. The name of the authors starts to interest the public only as from the 12th century.

In their majority, the preserved texts are far away from the original version of work, because they represent either the transcription of the texts déclamés or sung, or the copy of the already transcribed texts. During the diffusion oral of a work, “fidelity” with the author, generally anonymous, remains very random. In addition, the Copiste S of the Monastère S allow modifications where good seems to them. Once created, the texts thus remain open: each new storyteller or copyist becomes joint author by modifying them according to his own tastes or the last styles.

The medieval literature has a poor reputation with 16th and 17th centuries. During the Rebirth for example, it is treated of “dark”, “obscurantist”, “barbarian”. At the 19th century, the Romantic ones redécouvrent it, and appreciate it with its right value. Today it continues to be read and reinterpreted. The Mythe S which it created cause always inspiration, such as for example that of Tristan and Iseut, founder of the design of the Western Amour.

Languages

Erudite languages

The Latin , language of the Catholic church which dominates the Western Europe and central and represents practically the only source of education, is a language spread for the medieval writings, even in the areas which had never been romanisées. However, in Eastern Europe, the influence of the Byzantine Empire and the orthodoxe Église make Greek and Slavon the dominant languages.

Popular languages

The common peoples continue to use their vernacular languages respective, in evolution. Those are found in a growing number of works, for example the Song of Roland (Former French), the Beowulf (Vieil English), the Song of Nibelungen (Moyen high-German) or the Digénis Akritas (Greek medieval). Although these epopee S is generally regarded as the work of only one author (often unknown, to see below), they are based on accounts resulting from older oral traditions, as could the being for example the Greek epopees antiquated of the Trojan Cycle. Thus, the Celtic traditions survive in the lay S of Marie de France, the Mabinogion and the Cycle arthurien.

If the vernacular languages are especially used by the common peoples, one can already note among the nobility of the Latin writings as well as in these regional languages. It is the case in particular writings of Marguerite d' Oingt at the 13th century.

Typology of works

Religious works

Theological work represents the majority of the works which one can find in the libraries during the Middle Ages. In fact, the intellectual life is organized by the Christian religion, the literature of religious inspiration is thus most abundant. Innumerable Hymne S of this period reached us (as well liturgical as paraliturgic). The liturgy itself does not have a fixed form, and we have many Missel S who testify to particular designs of the order the Messe for example.

Large Masters thinkers such as Thomas d' Aquin, Pierre Abélard and Anselme of Canterbury write long theological treaties and philosophical, where they often endeavor to reconcile the heritage of the pagan authors ancient and the doctrines of the Church. One preserves also this time many Hagiographie S, or “life of the saints”, who allow to propagate the Christian faith and are very appraisals of the public: the gilded Légende of Jacques de Voragine reaches in its time such a popularity that, by comparison, it is read than the Bible.

François d' Assise is a prolific poet, and its successors franciscains often write themselves of the poems, like a testimony of faith. The Dies iræ and the Stabat MATER are two of the most outstanding texts Latin religious. The goliardic poetry (satirical quatrains of worms) is used by certain clerks to express their disputes.

The only widespread religious writings which are not produced by clerks are the mysteries: this religious theater, composed of a succession of biblical tables , is the fact of troops of amateurs. The text of these parts is often controlled by local Guilde S, and mysteries are regularly represented Sundays and feastdays, which can last a whole day until late in the night.

During the Middle Ages, the Jewish populations of Europe also provide a great number of remarkable authors. Among most known and most influential, one can quote Maïmonide, originating in Cordoue, and Rachi, originating in Troyes.

Secular works

If it were not produced in the same quantities as the religious literature, the secular literature of this period nevertheless survived well and we have today a rich person corpus of texts.

The subject of the Courtly love becomes important as of the 11th century, particularly in the Romance Langues (French, Spanish, Italian, Provençal, Galaïco-Portuguese and Catalan primarily) and in Greek, where the bards wandering, the Troubadour S, earn their living thanks to their songs. If the works produced by the troubadours are generally rather long, there exist nevertheless certain shorter forms (see dawn serenade for example). In Germany, the Minnesänger take again the tradition of the troubadours.

In addition to the epopees of the Germanic tradition (like the Beowulf and the Nibelungenlied ), the chansons de geste ( the Song of Roland or the Digénis Akritas , which belongs to the traditions of the Matière of France and the acritic Chansons respectively) and the lovesongs short in the tradition of the Courtly romance which treat Matière of Brittany and Matière of Rome reach a great popularity at the time. The courtly romance dissociates chanson de geste not only by the covered subjects, but also by the stress laid on the love and the knighthood at the detriment of the acts of warlike bravery.

There exists also a political poetry, particularly towards the end of this period, and forms it goliardic is used as well by the secular authors as by the clerks.

The literature of voyage is very appraisal during all Middle Ages: the fantastic remote ground accounts (often embellished or entirely invented) divert a company where people, for the majority, pass all their life in the zone where they were born. The accounts of Jean de Mandeville for example, translated into many languages, had much influence during all the end of the Moyen-âge.

It is however necessary to note the importance of the Pèlerinage S at the time, particularly that of Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle, as testifies some the Tales to Canterbury of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Female literature

Although the place of the women to the Middle Ages is always subordinated to that of the men (the Misogynie being dominating, even if certain currents, like the Catharisme, grant to the women a more important statute and rights), some can exploit their literary talent and be made a name. The religious writings represent for it the simplest way - certain women who publish their reflections, revelations and prayers were then canonized.

Our knowledge of the women to the Middle Ages partly comes from the writings of Nonne S such as Claire from Sitted, Brigitte of Sweden and Catherine of His. However, it is frequent that the religious prospects for the women are considered to be nonorthodoxe by the clergy, and the mystical visions authors such as Juliane of Norway and Hildegarde von Bingen confront the institutions with an uncomfortable experiment.

Certain women write also secular works - the writings of Marie de France and Christine de Pisan continue to be studied for the outline which they give of the medieval company.

Allegory

See also: medieval Allegory

Among the many literary processes that the medieval literature implements, it is necessary to grant a special mention to the allegory which had an eminent place for this period.

Most of the medieval literature rested on the allegory to transmit the morals which the author had at the head when he wrote -- representations of abstract qualities, events, and institutions form a big part of the literature of this period.

The first allegory, that which had the most influence, is the Psychomachia (Combat of the Hearts) by Prudence. It took as a starting point the doctrines of the Four directions of the Writing. One finds also other examples like the Romance of the Rose , Piers Plowman, the Roman of Fauvel, and the Divine comedy.

Principal kinds and forms

• acritic Song;

• Chanson de geste;
• Hagiographie ;
• middle-class Literature: French tale in verse, Sotie, joke and poetry;
• courteous Literature: Romance and poetry;
• Morality;
• Poetry: lay, Virelai, Pastourelle, Ballade and Rondo;
• Theater: Monolog, liturgical Drama, miracle, mystery;
• Saga ;
• Scholastic;
• Sermon and merry Sermon.

See too

Related articles

• Literature by country:

• French medieval Literature
• German medieval Literature
• English medieval Literature
• Italian medieval Literature
• Literature by kind:
• medieval Poetry
• Romance medieval
• medieval Theater