Comprehensive Study Notes on Medieval Literature, Church History, and the Reformation
Religious Decline and the Origins of the Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation did not represent the absolute death knell to the Middle Ages.
Martin Luther did not intend to destroy the Catholic Church when he allegedly nailed his 95 thesis on the church door at Wittenberg on 10/13/1517; his goal was to introduce reforms to a church suffering from serious moral and ethical decline.
Heretical movements and criticisms preceding Luther:
Severe criticism of the Church existed in the 14th and 15th centuries from clerics such as the British John Wheatcliffe and the Czech John Hughes, alongside scores of others.
The Albigensians or Cathars in Southern France and elsewhere were crushed in two crusades in 12/09/1213.
The Waldensians in Eastern France, Southern Germany, and Western Switzerland were excommunicated in 1184, though they were later readmitted into the church under strict regulations after radically criticizing Catholic theology and church practice.
Anti-clericalism and Papal Crises:
Anti-clericalism was rampant throughout the late Middle Ages.
In thirteen o nine, the French pope Clement the fifth established himself in Avedonon, marking the beginning of the so-called Babylonian captivity.
The subsequent six popes remained in Avedonon due to political unrest in Italy and pressure from French kings.
The Avagon era ended in 1377 when Pope Gregory the sixth returned the holy seat to Rome.
Simony—the late medieval church practice of selling offices to the highest bidder—was furiously criticized but largely continued without effect.
The strict rule of clerical celibacy, enforced since the early Middle Ages (eleventh century above all, as part of the Gregorian reform), was broken and disregarded by the late Middle Ages.
Satire and bitter attacks against carious priests and other clerics saturated late medieval and early Renaissance literature.
Papal Schism (1387 to 1415): Multiple popes competed simultaneously, each claiming to be the only representative of Saint Peter here on Earth. The German emperor Sigismund dethroned all three competing popes and nominated Pope Martin the fifth as the true successor, ending the highly destructive schism.
Indulgences: The practice of selling indulgence letters all over Europe for the redemption of one's sins and those of deceased family members suffered excessive abuse throughout the 15th century, strongly contributing to the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation.
Long-term Impact of the Reformation:
Although the Protestant Reformation appeared revolutionary due to its sudden and forceful development, it resulted from a general decline of the Catholic Church throughout the entire late Middle Ages.
It ushered in a new era where initially two, and soon later other, competing Christian churches emerged, all vied for recognition, power, and influence.
This rivalry ultimately led to disastrous religious wars throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Heroic Epics and Early Medieval Literary History
Divisions of Medieval European History:
The literary history, history of arts, and philosophy in medieval Europe are divided into three major periods: the early Middle Ages, the high Middle Ages, and the late Middle Ages.
Heroic Epics and Vernacular Poetry:
Before courtly culture emerged in Western and Central Europe, Old English, Old High German, Old French, and Old Spanish poets produced predominantly heroic epics.
Prominent heroic works include Beowulf, the Hildebrandslied, the Walther Ruleed, El Pomilla de Miocede, the Chasen de Rolande, followed by Old Norse and Icelandic sagas and epics collected in the Ida.
Common structural elements: the heroic ideal, the fantastical approach to life, the existential experiences of the protagonist, and almost always the complete absence of religious concerns.
Key Heroic Epics and Plot Narratives:
Beowulf Beowulf:
Beowulf confronts the monster Grendel and kills it.
Grendel's mother attacks Beowulf in retaliation, but he manages to overcome and kill her as well.
In his old age, Beowulf fights against a dragon and slays it, but succumbs to death in the struggle.
Hildibrand's lead:
The old but war-experienced father, Hildibrand, is challenged by his son, Habubrand.
Habubrand refuses to believe Hildibrand is his father, assuming he is a Hun because of his appearance.
The ensuing battle dooms them to their heroic destiny; the conclusion is missing due to lost text, but tragedy strikes regardless of whether the father kills the son, the son kills the father, or both die.
Role lens lead:
Focuses on the protagonist struggling primarily against Muslims (in medieval sources) and traitors within the Christian camp.
Najal saga:
The hero faces many opponents within his own community and eventually succumbs to their evil mindset.
The hero struggles for a long time to avoid bloody conflicts and resorts to legal means.
Enemies eventually overpower him, burning him, his wife, and other mighty family members to death.
He dies a heroic death and is glorified by the survivors.
Broader Themes of Heroic Poetry:
Heroic poetry does not simply glorify the gory details of existential struggle.
Most poems offer powerful messages detailing the consequences of failed human communication, the breakdown of a community, the loss of justice, ethical principles, and individual honor.
Mysticism, Religious Genres, and Courtly Culture of the High Middle Ages
Mystical Literature:
The High and Late Middle Ages witnessed the emergence of highly unusual and powerful mystical literature in which religious visionaries related their spiritual experiences with the godhead in both Latin and the vernacular.
Women Mystics (comprising regular members of convents/abbeys and religious individuals living outside the church):
Hildegard of Bengen
Elizabeth of Chanua
Marie de Oigenise
Heidwit of Brambend
Chitilde of Magdeburg
Saint Gertrude the Great
Saint Claire Sisi
Angela of Forlingo
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Saint Catherine of Siena
Margrethe Porte
Julian of Norwich
Marjorie Kempe
Male Mystics and Intellectuals:
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Hugh and Richard of Saint Victor
Meester Eckhart
Henrich Sousse / Henry Suso
Johannes Toiler
Male mystics enjoyed the highest respect and influence, often working as intellectuals/theologians (not all bringing mystical visions) and deeply influencing women mystics.
Saint Francis of Assisi: Founder of the Franciscans who wrote few texts (mostly rules of his order) but spurred a massive flood of Franciscan spiritual literature.
Giacopon dei Todi: Significant mystical author and Italian poet.
Muslim and Jewish mystics also contributed significantly in the wider sense of the word.
Religious Literature Popularity & Genres:
Religious literature enjoyed tremendous popularity in Latin and various vernaculars.
Legends Aurea (Golden Legend): Consisted of 180 short lives of the saints.
Latin authors produced beast epics, bestiaries, hymns, biographies, hagiographies, pasctoralia, debate poems, travel literature, dramas, exapella, proverbs, epigrams, and satires.
Emergence of Courtly Culture and Love:
In the wake of the Crusades and cultural contact with the Arabic world (which was highly refined and sophisticated in living conditions, scholarship, architecture, and philosophy), European knighthood was familiarized with a much more advanced culture and quickly copied its features.
The idea of courtly love originated in Provence.
Dissemination of courtly poetry: Provençal Troubadours inspired the Troveurs in Northern France and the Minas Singers in Germany.
Courtly Romances, Classical Epics, and Late Medieval Authors
Development of Courtly Romances:
Italian and Sicilian poets of the Dolce de Nuevo developed poetry from ca eleven sixty five onward.
French poet Trittine de Tors: Drawing from Joffrey of Monmouth's Histories of the Kings of Britain and Robert Wace's Roman de Brut, introduced the idea of King Arthur through his various courtly romances.
Swabian poet Hartmann von Orr: Translated the first two romances into Middle High German, alongside love poetry, the religious tale Gregorius, and the love tale Poor Henry.
Bavarian poet Wolfrim von Eschenbach: Adapted Trittine's Perkeval as Parzival, and composed the crusade epic Wilhelm, drawn songs, and the fragmentary piece Titurill.
Gottfried von Strasberg: Composed one of the most famous versions of the Tristan romance in circa 12/10, followed by many other courtly romances and verse narratives written by German, French, Italian, Spanish, and English poets.
Marie de France (in England): Apart from fables and a visionary text, produced famous amatory narratives known as her lace.
Andreas Coelanes (French court chaplain): Composed his influential treatise on love, De Amour, based on classical sources by Ovid at about the same time Trittine composed his earliest texts.
Anonymous poet: Created the highly influential Romans Porton Pius de Buys, which was subsequently translated into many European languages (e.g., by Conrad von Worsberg).
Song Collections: Cambridge songs and Carmina Burana (famous collections of religious and erotic love poems).
Literary Myths and Epics of Antiquity:
Poets explored the literary myth of King Alexander.
Monumental epics were written about the ancient conflict between the Sarkians and Emperor Charlemagne and his paladins, especially Ronald (whose cycles of epic poetry were dedicated to Count William of Orange and his desperate struggle against the Circumians).
The ancient topic of the Trojan Aeneas's foundation of Rome was introduced by both an anonymous French author and the German poet Henrich von Wiltecke.
Prominent Authors of the Late Middle Ages:
Joffrey Chukur (England)
Bocci Cio Empetrarch (Italy)
Christine de Pizan (France)
Juan Reyes (Spain)
Johannes von Temple (Bohemia / Germany)
Thuring von Ringgolitungen (Switzerland)
Sebastian Brandt (author of Ship of Fools)