British Literature I
Intro to the Middle Ages Notes
The Middle Ages generally refers to the period between the classical world of the Greeks and Romans and the beginning of the Renaissance period.
In England, this covers the period from the pullout of the Roman Empire in the 5th century (map 1) with the resulting influx of Germanic invaders (Angles, Saxon, Jutes, and Frisians collectively referred to as Anglo-Saxons) from northern Europe (map 2) through the Norman-French conquest in 1066 (map 3), the 100 Years War (begun by Edward III) that culminated in the time of Henry V (map 4). This time frame continued through the War of the Roses (essentially an English Civil War between two lines of succession for control of the monarchy) until 1485 and the relative peace of the Tudor monarchy (beginning with Henry VII). This is also the time referred to as the beginning of the English Renaissance, though the movement began much earlier in the rest of Europe, the focus was on war and stability in England until this time, and the arts lagged behind.
This period is known for a general feeling of endings especially just before the millennium. In actuality, the period is filled with change and growth. There are a series of parallel patterns of change and growth that each had an effect on the literature of England.
Government and Religion:
- Britons (Roman-influenced Celtic tribes) were very Romanized and practiced Roman Christianity
- Anglo-Saxons began as pagans
o Beliefs reflected northern European and Scandinavian mythology
§ Hero-gods and ancestor-gods
o Christianization began in the late 6th century (500s AD)
§ Took root fairly quickly and effectively
§ English clerics were back on the continent influencing Church ideas by the mid-700s (8th century)
- Danish and Viking invasions threatened the Anglo-Saxon kingdom throughout the 8th and early 9th centuries
- King Alfred (the Great) successfully preserved Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England in the mid-9th century and began a program of expanding the Arts and learning in general
- In 1066, Norman-French invaders conquered England from the Anglo-Saxon and Danish/Viking monarchy
o Brought feudal social customs and expectations
o Brought French and Norman traditions and influences
o Reintroduced pre-Anglo-Saxon traditions by importing Celtic influences from Brittany
- Next 300 years or so saw an ebb and flow in English political situation, especially on the continent some strong kings and some weak kings
o Strong French influence in almost all aspects of official life
- In the late 14th century, Edward III tried to reestablish English influence in France and the continent
o The resulting French-English conflicts prompted a strong need and desire for an English identity separate from French influence
o This trend is also reflected in the literature Chaucer is a primary example of this
Books:
- Under the Anglo-Saxons, there was virtually no production of books until the reintroduction of Christianity
- Early book production was essentially religious in nature some non-religious texts survive that had strong moralistic elements
- Books made by hand printed on animal skins and bound in ornate leather very expensive written in Latin
o Owning a book was an image of wealth and power
o The ability to read was largely only among the highest nobles and highest churchmen others were read to
o After Alfred more books were written in English, but the majority were still written only in Latin
- Printing was introduced to England in the mid 15th century by William Caxton
o Audience was still largely highest levels of royalty
o As printing made books more available, reading became more common
o Slowly the audience moved down the social ladder to include wealthy nobles, then wealthy landowners, and then wealthy merchants
- Plagues during the mid 14th century in Europe and England had broken down feudalism and resulted in the rise of a merchant class that was separate from the noble class and feudal society
Literature:
- Anglo-Saxon
o Very Germanic in style and tradition
§ Mostly poetry derived from the oral tradition
§ Heroic themes and ideals
· These were shaded by Christian influences
§ Often elegiac in nature (poems commemorating the dead)
§ Highly rhetorical
· Synecdoche (a part stands for the whole)
· Metonymy (a characteristic represents the thing)
· Kenning (2-word compound metaphor)
· Litotes (ironic understatement)
- Norman
o Four languages were prominent in society French, Latin, English, and elements of Breton-Celtic
o Feudal system created a lord-focused view of the world
o Included strong Church influence as an institution, not just the religious influences
o Chivalry developed as a means of supporting the Church and keeping knights busy and under a measure of control
§ One element of chivalry was love as a theme new to literature
o Growth of vernacular (common language) used as the language of literature instead of Latin
§ Known as the romance
§ King Arthur myth came to be used as a common element to tie together many chivalric tales
o Strong influences from European writers
- 14th century Middle English
o Growing audience demanded wider points of view and topics in the literature
o Early hints of the Italian Renaissance influenced Middle English ideas
o English topics included folklore, history, religion
§ Early grumblings against the excesses of the Church
§ This is what prompted Luther and the Reformation in the mid 15th century
o Beginnings of subtle influences of women as authors and not just topics
- 15th century Middle English
o unrest and civil war in England
o literature often took the form of propaganda
o continued growth of middle class
§ guilds of merchants
§ money not all in the hands of the nobles
o continued growth in literacy and nationalism