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Medieval Literature and Culture. The Middle Ages (to ca. 1485) 1. 概論General Introduction and 2. 時代背景Historical Background The Middle Ages (to ca. 1485), or medireview period, designates the time span from the collapse of the Roman empire to the Renaissance. For English literature the medireview period extends for more than eight hundred years, from Caedmon’s Hymn at the end of the seventh century to Everyman at the beginning of the sixteenth.

The date 1485, with the accession of Henry VII and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty, is an arbitrary but convenient one to mark the “end” of the Middle Ages. Two periods—the Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) and the Middle English—are sharply distinguished from each other as a result of the Norman Conquest of the island in 1066 and will be discussed separately in this unit. Medireview English Drama: Mystery, Miracle and Morality plays. Medieval Period. Medieval Literature (c. 350 – c. 1475) The Medieval period runs from the end of Late Antiquity in the fourth century to the English Renaissance of the late fifteenth century. The early portion of the Medieval period in England is dominated by Anglo-Saxons, whose language is incomprehensible to today's speakers of English. That early portion is known as the Old English period.

(It is covered in a separate section of this website.) Alongside Anglo-Norman, Old English developed into Middle English. The Invasion put French-speaking people at the highest levels of society. Literary selections from various centuries will give you a very rough idea of the wide variety of literature circulating in Medieval England. 12th Century In the twelfth century, perhaps the most accomplished vernacular writer was an English woman named Marie de France.

The works of Aristotle and other Greeks became widely available in the twelfth century. 13th Century 14th Century 15th Century. Medieval Literature. Facts and interesting information about Medieval Life,specifically, Medieval Literature Medieval Literature - The Dark Ages and the BardsEnglish Medieval literature had, so far as we know, no existence until Christian times of the Dark Ages when Latin was the language of English literature. English Medieval literature was not written. It is was passed by word of mouth from one generation to another by English, Welsh and Irish bards. The origins of the stories about King Arthur and the Arthurian Legend are found in many Welsh legends and Celtic Myths which were told by the Bards who therefore contributed to Medieval literature. Medieval Literature - The Romantic Arthurian LegendTales told by the Bards were transferred into book form and the romantic stories of the Arthurian legend and the ideals of courtly love became part of Medieval literature.

Medieval Literature - The LanguageThe French language came over to England with William the Conqueror. Medieval English Literature. In a Nutshell What do these things have in common? A king wielding a magical sword named ExcaliburA rude red-haired guy telling a highly-embellished fart jokeTruly righteous jousting tournaments with armored knights A woman who sees visions of Jesus and warns people to repent their sins If you guessed "Things I Saw On My Last Trip to Las Vegas," you lose.

These kings, jesters, knights, and maidens fair (and ugly) are all lifted straight from medieval literature. And you thought you might be in for a real snooze fest with this one. The phrase "Medieval English literature" refers to works that were produced in England from about the fall of Rome (the late 400s CE) to the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. For those of you who are keeping score—and we hope you are—that's about one thousand years of literature.

There is some method to the madness of these literary epochs, though. Consider, for a moment, how a lot of early medieval literature circulated orally. What's that? Medieval Period - Castles, Weapons, Torture Devices, and History. Medieval History, Castles. MedievalPlus.com The Middle Ages is a period in European history which, along with its adjective ‘Medieval’, was first referred to by italian scholars and academics of the late fifteenth century. They were basically stating that the society in which they now lived was significantly more civilized and advanced in many ways, than that which had existed during the previous thousand years.

This may have been true within certain elite sections of Italian society which had begun to emulate the art and philosophy of ancient Greece, but generally in Italy and Europe overall no all-pervading change had occurred. Historians since that time have, however, used the terms 'middle ages' and medieval as a convenient way to refer to that general period in European history. It has been regarded as extending approximately from the end of the fifth century AD, when the control of the Roman Empire had ended, until the end of the fifteenth century AD, when the modern world was considered to have begun. Courtly Love in the Middle Ages: Definition, Characteristics & Rules. Explore this lesson on courtly love, an essential concept to understanding relationships between men and women in medieval literature. Learn the definition of courtly love, its connection with chivalry, the rules of courtly love, and discover examples of works that feature courtly love from the middle ages.

Explore our library of over 10,000 lessons Click "next lesson" whenever you finish a lesson and quiz. Got It You now have full access to our lessons and courses. You're 25% of the way through this course! Way to go! Congratulations on earning a badge for watching 10 videos but you've only scratched the surface. You've just earned a badge for watching 50 different lessons. You have earned a badge for watching 20 minutes of lessons. You have earned a badge for watching 50 minutes of lessons. You have earned a badge for watching 100 minutes of lessons. You have earned a badge for watching 250 minutes of lessons. You have earned a badge for watching 500 minutes of lessons. St. Thomas Aquinas - Theologian, Philosopher, Priest, Saint - Biography.com. Italian Dominican theologian St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism and the father of the Thomistic school of theology.

Synopsis Philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas was born circa 1225 in Roccasecca, Italy. Combining the theological principles of faith with the philosophical principles of reason, he ranked among the most influential thinkers of medieval Scholasticism. Early Life The son of Landulph, count of Aquino, St. Before St. Following the tradition of the period, St. St. Education St. Circa 1239, St. From 1245 to 1252, St. Advertisement — Continue reading below Theology and Philosophy After completing his education, St. At the forefront of medieval thought was a struggle to reconcile the relationship between theology (faith) and philosophy (reason).

St. St. Combining traditional principles of theology with modern philosophic thought, St. Major Works A prolific writer, St. While teaching at Cologne in the early 1250s, St. St. Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344 to John Chaucer and Agnes Copton. John Chaucer was an affluent wine merchant and deputy to the king’s butler. Through his father’s connections, Geoffrey held several positions early in his life, serving as a noblewoman’s page, a courtier, a diplomat, a civil servant, and a collector of scrap metal.

His early life and education were not strictly documented although it can be surmised from his works that he could read French, Latin, and Italian. In 1359, Chaucer joined the English army’s invasion of France during the Hundred Years’ War and was taken prisoner; King Edward III of England paid his ransom in 1360. In 1366, Chaucer married Philipa de Roet, who was a lady-in-waiting to Edward III’s wife. Chaucer’s early work is heavily influenced by love poetry of the French tradition, including the Romaunt of the Rose (c. 1370) and Saint Cecilia (c. 1373), later used as the “Second Nun’s Tale” in the Canterbury Tales.