Medieval Language and Literature Part 2 exam-relevant concepts (NO AI)

Evets of the 8th century

• AEthelthryth dies

• Bede writes Life of St. Cuthbert & Eccestical etc.

• Lindisfarne Gospels

The Exeter Book

• A sixth of OE Verse

• richest source of poetry before Norman Conquest

• riddles from first-person

Themes of Exeter Book

• from object to subject, insight into non-human world

• metamorphoses and dichotomies

• no verse indication

• christian but also dubious

• marginalized perspectives

• letters, writing, parchment, “silent speech”, suffering servant, scripterium

Runes

• each letter was assigned a rune

• they could be part of the Exeter Book riddles

Alliterative Verse

• OE poetry rythym

• only stressed syllables alliterate

• consonants and long vowels

hierachy of word classes

nouns

verbs

adverbs

pronouns

function words

what are half-lines?

2 halves of a line joined by an alliteration

what are a-verse and b-verse like?

a-verse: both stressed syllables alliterate

b-verse: first stressed syllable alliterates

hypermetrical verse

extra foot added

Edward Siever five types of alliterate verse

A (2+2) S x / S x (falling + falling)

B (2+2) x S / x S (rising + rising)

C (2+2) x S / S x (rising + falling)

D (1+3) S / S s x or
S / S x s (falling)

E (3+1) S s x / S or
S x s / S (falling)

What is Estate?

• social group differentaited by certain rights

• membership by birth, change impossible

What is Social Level?

• group with similar social features (same profession, education, mentality)

• change possible

Social class

• group with similar standing and economical socail order (income)

• change possible

What is the first estate?

clergy (those who pray)

• higher clergy ( like bishops)

• lower clergy (e.g., monks)

• no taxes (but collection of taxes), free of worldly jurisdiction

• duties and obligations: prayer, celibacy, worthy lifestyle

What is the second estate?

nobility (those who fight)

– members of the royal family (except the King)
– landowners in the feudal society
– no taxes
– duties and obligations: protection of the poor and weak, administration, jurisdiction, warfare;
tournaments, hunting
– ideals: loyalty, moderation, courtly love

What is the third estate?

peasants and bourgeoisie (‘those who work’)

– members of the guilds (merchants, craftsmen), free peasants, villains (working a noble’s land)
– trade and commerce, honest labour
– duties and obligations: working the land, production of goods

What are the marinal groups

– unfree peasants (the vast majority of the population; subjected to a feudal lord; poor living
conditions)
– ‘amoral’ professions such as undertakers, hangmen, prostitutes, jugglers, millers, maids
– sedentary groups and minorities such as Jews; also lepers
– non-sedentary groups such as travellers and traders, musicians, mercenaries, beggars, robbers

Events of the 9th Century

• around 750 or later Beowulf is written

• Viking raids

Events of teh 10th Century

• Anglo-Saxon Chronicles

• riddles in Exeter book

Events of the 11th Century

• Aelfric colloquy and life of saints

• 1066 William the Conquerer/Norman Conquest

• End of OE times (Middle Ages)

Who was Bede?

• Bede the Venerable

• Northumbrian Monk

• wrote christian texts and shaped medieval identity

• Books about people and Christianity

Eadfrith of Lindisfarne

• Bishop in late 7th Cent

• Supporter of cult of St Cuthbert

St. Cuthbert

Context: Christinaity uncertain, easter dating controversy

• Bishop of Lindisfarne around ?

• when he died his body was miraculously perserved

• after Vikings attacked they had to move his remains a lot till Durham

Life of St. Cuthbert

• Lots of preaching

matyr

story of death called passions

confessor

no death but extraordinary life -- stories called “Saint's lives”

virgin

• female confessor

• chosen chastity

• no literal virgin often

What is hagiography?

Texts/stories about Saints

• text or from memory about miracles, morale, church

• themes; sanctity, piety, cultural values

What makes a saint? Or a good saint story?

• death

• miracle

• virtuous life

• public story

• witnesses

• church as burial place

How is truth makde in hagiography?

• fact vs fiction irrelevant

• trustable people

• correct presentation as only factor that matters

• offer realistic social context

• circulation & verifying stories

AEthelthryth

• virgin

• Bede was involved

• falls ill

• believes illment as rightful punishment

• after burying her her remains seem untouched

• witnesses

genres of hagiography

• Latin-Longform (eg. Life of St Cuthbert)

• Heroic Verse (eg ecclestical whatever)

• Shorter Text ( eg. Bede's Matyrology and Ealfric's Lives of Saints)

imitatio

imitating segments of previous successful stories

Diocletiatic Persecution

execution fo christians refusing to rescind belife in christianity; matyrs, extent of it exaggerated through

Beowulf 750

A epic long poem about the heroic Beowulf who travels to Hrotgar’s kingdom in Denmark and his three fights against Grendel, whose arm he rips off. Then Grendel's mother, whom he fights. After that, he rules the kingdom of the Geats for 50 years and slays a dragon but has a mortal wound.

• set in Scandinavia

• germanic legens and bible

• speeches, descriptions, history and legens

facts about Beowulf as a text

• 43 fitts

• longest poem of the time

• OE alliterate verse

• artificial, poetic language

• any language that wants to translat eit must be traditional and literarical

The Geats

• North Germanic tribe

• now in south sweden

• Gēatas in OE

Heroic elements of Beowulf

• Comitatus and warrior code

• warrior king

• generous

• meadhall (gathering hall)

• strength and battle

• honour

• leader

christian elements in Beowulf

• fate vs destiny

• references to God

• sacrifice self

• syncretism (pagan and christian elements mixed)

• christian virtues

• taking Grendel's sinfulness

Sutton Hoo SHip Burial

• ship burial found in 1939

• gold belt buckle, coins, shield

• insight to early Anglo-Saxon England

• trying to tie it to Beowulf and the battles at the time