Oral Exam - Medieval Poetry

When were the lais of Marie de France written?

in the 1170s (the end of the 12th century) in England

Which form did the lais take?

The lais were written in (Anglo-Norman) octosyllabic couplets.

In which language were the lais written?

Anglo-Norman (a dialect of Old French)

Which court did Marie de France likely belong to?

Henry II (1154-1189), dedicated her prologue of the lais to a “noble king”

What is a Breton lay?

A Breton lay is a form of medieval French or English romance literature, typically short (600-1000 lines), featuring rhymed tales of love and chivalry, Breton lays represent themselves as sung performances of stories from ancient Brittany and sympathetically depict noblewomen or noblemen who overcome the venalities of aristocratic social practise in the pursuit of true love or a lost identity/heritage —> she refers to the Breton language and Breton storytellers: professional minstrels from the French province of Brittany or the Celtic parts of Great Britain

Why was Anglo-Norman the language of culture in England in the 11th and 12th century?

As a result of the Norman Invasion in 1066, the political, cultural and personal interchange between the continent and England increased enormously. William the Conqueror displaced the indigenous English nobility and established a French-speaking monarchy and ruling class, endowing his own nobles and installing Norman bishops and archbishops in England.

What is a chanson de geste?

A long, medieval epic (narrative) poem about epic heroes such as Roland or Charlemagne.

What values and which system were marriages based on in the twelfth century?

Largely arranged for political and economic expediency, ensuring the continuity of aristocratic lineages under a system of primogeniture. Adultery was condemned by the Church.

Which religion was prevalent in twelfth-century England?

The English Church was governed by the Roman Catholic Church in the twelfth century.

Why did the official language change from French to English from the late fourteenth century on?

The Hundred Years War with France (loss of English territories in France), the growth of the merchant class and a new sense of nationhood caused a flourishing of Middle English literature and the adoption of the vernacular language in law, government, and schools.

Why did Chaucer and the Gawain-poet write in Middle English?

Their works coincided with England’s Hundred Years War with France as well as a flourishing of Middle English literature attributed to the rise in nationalism and the growing interest in English as an official language inspired by the war.

What is a falbliau?

A comic/satiric and often anonymously (minstrels or clerics) written short narrative verse between 1150 and 1400 that included sexual and scatological obscenity and often criticised or mocked the Church and nobility. It reflected the social disorder of the time which included political instability, religious disputes, crusade wars, and the decline of the feudal system in their mocking of the flaws of medieval society.

What is a romance and how is it structured?

Romances stereotypically recount the chivalric adventures of a worthy knight in the process of proving his prowess by deeds at arms and of love, often in a supernatural setting. A verse or prose narrative features a tripartite structure of (implied) integration, dis-integration, and re-integration. A social unit (family, court, etc.) is disrupted and the hero(ine) is expelled to be tested in a wild place, if they pass the test, they are allowed to return and often marry their beloved. Emphasis on courtly manners and courtly love which distinguishes them from the epic poetry of the chanson de geste.

How do the Matter of Rome, the Matter of France, and the Matter of Britain differ from each other?

The Matter of Rome focusses on the exploits of Alexander the Great and also features events from the Trojan War. The Matter of France follows the adventures and battles of Charlemagne and his paladin Roland. The Matter of Britain is centred around King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table.

How were romances circulated?

Romances were first circulated orally (performed by bards and other storytellers), but later written down in manuscripts as commissions for aristocratic patrons which highlights the involvement of monastic scriptoria in the production and transmission of romances.

What were some sources of medieval romances?

Romances were influenced by the Green fable tradition of Aesop and the profusion of writing about love in twelfth- and thirteenth-century France and England was inspired by Ovid’s Ars amatoria (pursuit, seduction and maintenance of love) and his Remedia Amoris (cure for and end of love) whoich resulted in many vernacular imitations.

What is chivalry?

Chivalry concerns the ethos and ideals of medieval knights and their behaviour. This includes the worship of prowess and pride of one’s skills in warfare, but also Christian values like mercy and piety, and courtly love that relies on devotion, fidelity, and service to the lady rather than passion, embodying the ideals of a social elite consisting of warrior aristocrats that privilege generosiry, loyalty, courtesy, and fellowship.

How was social criticism integrated into medieval romance?

Romance can use chivalric conventions to erode aristocratic exclusivity and enact a national social mobility that speaks powerfully to the continually shifting social networks of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century England. The tensions within the romances interrogate the social worlds they depict, they offered a discrusive space to explore gender, identity, and relationships by mixing reality and fantastic elements. Some romances depict female characters that challenge social conventions and disrupt traditional codes (transgressive agency). In general, courtly romance opened up a discursive space in which boundaries could be temporarily confused, subverted, or resisted (in the space of a fiction) even as they were maintained in reality.