Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (encompassing the one thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of the Florentine Renaissance in the late 15th century). The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works. Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly sacred to the exuberantly profane, touching all points in-between. Because of the wide range of time and place it is difficult to speak in general terms without oversimplification, and thus the literature is best characterized by its place of origin and/or language, as well as its genre. This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806). ... Events Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 510) Note: This battle may have influenced the legend of King Arthur. ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... In various religions, sacred (from Latin, sacrum, sacrifice) or holy, objects, places or concepts are believed by followers to be intimately connected with the supernatural, or divinity, and are thus greatly revered. ... Profanity is a word choice or usage which many consider to be offensive. ...

Languages

Since Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Western and Central Europe, and since the Church was virtually the only source of education, Latin was a common language for Medieval writings, even in some parts of Europe that were never Romanized. However, in Eastern Europe, the influence of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox Church made Greek and Old Church Slavonic the dominant written languages. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked salmon):  Northern Europe  Western Europe  Eastern Europe  Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself: as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. ... Old Church Slavonic (Old Bulgarian, Old Macedonian, and Old Slavic) is the first literary Slavic language, developed from the Slavic dialect of Thessaloniki (Solun) by the 9th century Byzantine missionaries, Saints Cyril and Methodius. ...

The common people continued to use their respective vernaculars. A few examples, such as the Old English Beowulf, the Middle High German Nibelungenlied, the Medieval Greek Digenis Acritas and the Old French Chanson de Roland, are well known to this day. Although the extant versions of these epics are generally considered the works of individual (but anonymous) poets, there is no doubt that they are based on their peoples' older oral traditions. Celtic traditions have survived in the lais of Marie de France, the Mabinogion and the Arthurian cycles. Look up Vernacular in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... The first page of Beowulf This article is about the epic poem. ... Middle High German (MHG, German Mittelhochdeutsch) is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. ... The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High German. ... Medieval Greek (Μεσαιωνική Ελληνική) is a linguistic term that describes the third period in the history of the Greek language. ... Digenis Acritas (Greek: Διγενής Ακρίτας) is the most famous epic poem that emerged out of the 12th century Byzantine Empire, following the Acritic songs tradition. ... Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300 A.D. It was known at the time as the langue doïl to distinguish it from the langue... The Song of Roland (La Chanson de Roland) is an 11th century Old French epic poem about the Battle of Roncevaux Pass (or Roncesvalles) fought by Roland of the Brittany Marches and his fellow paladins. ... The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. ... Look up anonymous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the European people. ... A Breton lai, also known as a narrative lay or simply a lay, is a form of medieval French and English romance literature. ... Marie de France (Mary of France) was a poet evidently born in France and living in England during the late 12th century. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... A bronze Arthur in plate armour with visor raised and with jousting shield wearing Kastenbrust armour (early 15th century) by Peter Vischer, typical of later anachronistic depictions of Arthur. ...

Anonymity

A notable amount of medieval literature is anonymous. This is not only due to the lack of documents from a period, but also due to an interpretation of the author's role that differs considerably from the romantic interpretation of the term in use today. Medieval authors were often overawed by the classical writers and the Church Fathers and tended to re-tell and embellish stories they had heard or read rather than invent new stories. And even when they did, they often claimed to be handing down something from an auctor instead. From this point of view, the names of the individual authors seemed much less important, and therefore many important works were never attributed to any specific person. Look up anonymous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... Romanticism is an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in 18th century Western Europe. ... Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100 - 1500. ...

Types of writing

Religious

As shown in the chart to the right, theological works were the dominant form of literature typically found in libraries during the Middle Ages. Catholic clerics were the intellectual center of society in the Middle Ages, and it is their literature that was produced in the greatest quantity.

Libraries: A Matter of Content - Distribution of theological vs. secular works over time

Countless hymns survive from this time period (both liturgical and paraliturgical). The liturgy itself was not in fixed form, and numerous competing missals set out individual conceptions of the order of the mass. Religious scholars such as Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, and Pierre Abélard wrote lengthy theological and philosophical treatises, often attempting to reconcile the teachings of the Greek and Roman pagan authors with the doctrines of the Church. Hagiographies, or "lives of the saints", were also frequently written, as an encouragement to the devout and a warning to others. Download high resolution version (962x585, 262 KB)Chart created by Markus Schmidt, Germany, a friend of mine. ... Download high resolution version (962x585, 262 KB)Chart created by Markus Schmidt, Germany, a friend of mine. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... The word leitourgia is derived from the two Greek words, leos and ergon. Leos, meaning the people of God and Ergon meaning the work. ... A Medieval Low Mass by a bishop. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Abaelardus and Heloïse surprised by Master Fulbert, by Romanticist painter Jean Vignaud (1819) Pierre Abélard (in English, Peter Abelard) or Abailard (1079 – April 21, 1142) was a French scholastic philosopher. ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... This article is 58 kilobytes or more in size. ... Hagiography is the study of saints. ...

The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine reached such popularity that, in its time, it was reportedly read more often than the Bible. Francis of Assisi was a prolific poet, and his Franciscan followers frequently wrote poetry themselves as an expression of their piety. Dies Irae and Stabat Mater are two of the most powerful Latin poems on religious subjects. Goliardic poetry (four-line stanzas of satiric verse) was an art form used by some clerics to express dissent. The only widespread religious writing that was not produced by clerics were the mystery plays: growing out of simple tableaux re-enactments of a single Biblical scene, each mystery play became its village's expression of the key events in the Bible. The text of these plays was often controlled by local guilds, and mystery plays would be performed regularly on set feast-days, often lasting all day long and into the night. The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine is a collection of fanciful hagiographies, lives of the saints, that became a late mediæval best seller. ... Jacobus de Voragine (c. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... Saint Francis of Assisi (1182—October 3, 1226) was a Roman Catholic monk and the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... For the Polish death metal band Dies Irae, see Dies Irae (band). ... Mater dolorosa became an iconic type, as in this sixteenth-century Spanish version by Luis de Morales (c. ... The Goliards were a group of clergy who wrote bibulous, satirical Latin poetry in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. ... Mystery plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ... Tableau vivant, Folies Bergères c. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... For the guitar manufacturer, see Guild Guitar Company. ...

During the Middle Ages, the Jewish population of Europe also produced a number of outstanding writers. Maimonides, born in Cordoba, Spain, and Rashi, born in Troyes, France, are two of the best-known and most influential of these Jewish authors. For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Maimonides (March 30, 1135 or 1138–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain and Egypt during the Middle Ages. ... See Córdoba for other places with the same name. ... Rashi (1040-1105) (Artists imagination) Rashi רשי is a Hebrew acronym for רבי שלמה יצחקי (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi), (February 22, 1040 – July 13, 1105), a rabbi in France, famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Tanakh. ... Troyes is a town in northeastern France. ...

Secular

The first page of Beowulf

Secular literature in this period was not produced in equal quantity as religious literature, but much has survived and we possess today a rich corpus. The subject of "courtly love" became important in the 11th century, especially in the Romance languages (in the French, Spanish, Provençal, Galician and Catalan languages, most notably) and Greek, where the traveling singers—troubadours—made a living from their songs. The writings of the troubadours are often associated with unrequited longing, but this is not entirely accurate (see aubade, for instance). In Germany, the Minnesänger continued the tradition of the troubadours. Image File history File links Beowulf. ... Image File history File links Beowulf. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... Court of Love in Provence in the 14th Century (after a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris). ... The Romance languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, comprise all languages that descended from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. ... Provençal (Provençau in Provençal language) is one of several dialects spoken by a minority of people in southern France and other areas of France and Italy. ... Galician (Galician: galego, IPA: ) is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community with the constitutional status of historic nationality, located in northwestern Spain and small bordering zones in neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castilla y León. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra and one of several co-official languages in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia (under the name Valencian). ... A troubadour composing lyrics, Germany c. ... Look up Aubade in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Minnesang was the tradition of lyric and song writing in Germany which flourished in the 12th century and continued into the 14th century. ...

In addition to epic poems in the Germanic tradition (e.g. Beowulf and Nibelungenlied), epic poems in the tradition of the chanson de geste (e.g. The Song of Roland & Digenis Acritas) which deal with the Matter of France and the Acritic songs respectively, courtly romances in the tradition of the roman courtois which deal with the Matter of Britain and the Matter of Rome achieved great and lasting popularity. The roman courtois is distinguished from the chanson de geste not only by its subject matter, but also by its emphasis on love and chivalry rather than acts of war. The first page of Beowulf This article is about the epic poem. ... The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High German. ... The chansons de geste, Old French for songs of heroic deeds, are the epic poetry that appears at the dawn of French literature. ... The Song of Roland (French: ) is the oldest major work of French literature. ... Digenis Acritas (Greek: Διγενής Ακρίτας) is the most famous epic poem that emerged out of the 12th century Byzantine Empire, following the Acritic songs tradition. ... The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle is a body of legendary history that springs from the Old French medieval literature of the chansons de geste. ... The acritic songs, ακριτικά τραγούδια or frontiersmen songs, is the heroic or epic poetry that emerged out of 10th century Byzantium and was inspired by the almost continuous state of warfare with the Arabs in... The courtly romance or roman courteois was a genre of aristocratic entertainment in narrative verse popular in the Middle ages. ... The Arthurian legend or the Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, especially those focused on King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... According to the mediæval poet Jean Bodel, the Matter of Rome was the literary cycle made up of Greek and Roman mythology, together with episodes from the history of classical antiquity, focusing on military heroes like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. ...

Political poetry was written also, especially towards the end of this period, and the goliardic form saw use by secular writers as well as clerics. Travel literature was highly popular in the Middle Ages, as fantastic accounts of far-off lands (frequently embellished or entirely false) entertained a society that, in most cases, limited people to the area in which they were born. (But note the importance of pilgrimages, especially to Santiago de Compostela, in medieval times, also witnessed by the prominence of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.) The Goliards were a group of clergy who wrote bibulous, satirical Latin poetry in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. ... Pilgrim at Mecca In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. ... Location map of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela) is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia. ... Geoffrey Chaucer (c. ... Canterbury Tales Woodcut 1484 The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in prose, the rest in verse). ...

Women's literature

While it is true that women in the medieval period were never accorded full equality with men (in fact, misogynist tracts abound, although many sects, such as the Cathars, afforded women greater status and rights), some women were able to use their skill with the written word to gain renown. Religious writing was the easiest avenue—women who would later be canonized as saints frequently published their reflections, revelations, and prayers. Much of what is known about women in the Middle Ages is known from the works of nuns such as Clare of Assisi, Bridget of Sweden, and Catherine of Siena. Misogyny is an exaggerated pathological aversion towards women. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catharism. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are often depicted as having halos. ... Nun in cloister, 1930; photograph by Doris Ulmann A nun is a woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life. ... Saint Clare of Assisi, born Chiara Offreduccio, (July 16, 1194 – August 11, 1253) was one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi and founded the Order of Poor Ladies to organize the women who chose to take the Franciscan vow of poverty and celibacy. ... Saint Birgitta, also known as St. ... Saint Catherine of Siena (born March 25, 1347 in Siena, Italy, died April 29, 1380 in Rome) was a Dominican Tertiary (lay affiliate) of the Dominican Order. ...

Frequently, however, the religious perspectives of women were held to be unorthodox by those in power, and the mystical visions of such authors as Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen provide insight into a part of the medieval experience less comfortable for the institutions that ruled Europe at the time. Women wrote influential texts in the secular realm as well—reflections on courtly love and society by Marie de France and Christine de Pizan continue to be studied for their glimpses of medieval society. Julian of Norwich (c. ... Hildegard of Bingen (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis; 1098 – September 17, 1179), also known as Blessed Hildegard and Saint Hildegard, was a German magistra and later, abbess. ... Marie de France (Mary of France) was a poet evidently born in France and living in England during the late 12th century. ... Christine de Pizan, showing the interior of an apartment at the end of the 14th or commencement of the 15th century Christine de Pizan (also seen as de Pisan) (1364–1430) was a medieval writer, rhetorician, and critic, who strongly challenged misogyny in the male-dominated realm of the arts. ...

Allegory

Main article: Allegory in the Middle Ages Noah and the baptismal flood of the Old Testament (top panel) is typographically linked (prefigured) by the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament (bottom panel). ...

While medieval literature makes use of many literary devices, allegory is so prominent in this period as to deserve special mention. Much of medieval literature relied on allegory to convey the morals the author had in mind while writing--representations of abstract qualities, events, and institutions are thick in much of the literature of this time. Probably the earliest and most influential allegory is the Psychomachia (Battle of Souls) by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius. Other important examples include the Romance of the Rose, Everyman, Piers Plowman and The Divine Comedy. Novels and short stories do not simply come from nowhere. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than (and in addition to) the literal. ... The Psychomachia (Battle of Souls) by the medieval Latin poet Prudentius is probably the first and most influential medieval allegory, and inspired works as diverse as the Romance of the Rose, Everyman and Piers Plowman. ... Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was an Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis (in Northern Spain) in 348. ... The Roman de la Rose is a late medieval French work of fiction in allegorical dream form. ... In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances. ... Page from a 14th century Psalter, showing drolleries on the right margin and a plowman at the bottom. ... Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, with the spheres of Heaven above, in Michelinos fresco. ...

Notable literature of the period

• Alexiad, Anna Comnena
• Digenis Acritas, anonymous Greek author
• Beowulf, anonymous Anglo-Saxon author
• Cantigas de Santa Maria, Galician authors
• David of Sassoun by an anonymous Armenian author
• Cato (Distichs of Cato), Dionysius Cato
• The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pizan
• Book of the Civilized Man, Daniel of Beccles
• The Book of Good Love, Juan Ruiz
• The Book of Margery Kempe, Margery Kempe
• Brut, Layamon
• Brut, Wace
• Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius
• The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
• Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio
• The Dialogue, Catherine of Siena
• The Diseases of Women, Trotula of Salerno
• La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy), Dante Alighieri
• Dukus Horant, the first extended work in Yiddish.
• Elder Edda, various Icelandic authors
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, anonymous English author
• Heimskringla, Snorri Sturluson
• Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ("The Ecclesiastical History of the English People"), the Venerable Bede
• Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Francesco Colonna?
• The Knight in the Panther Skin, Shota Rustaveli
• The Lais of Marie de France, Marie de France
• The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
• Das fließende Licht der Gottheit, Mechthild of Magdeburg
• Ludus de Antichristo, anonymous German author
• Mabinogion, various Welsh authors
• Metrical Dindshenchas, Irish onomastic poems
• Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory
• Nibelungenlied, anonymous German author
• Njál's saga, anonymous Icelandic author
• Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach
• Piers Plowman, William Langland
• Poem of the Cid, anonymous Spanish author
• Proslogium, Anselm of Canterbury
• Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich
• Roman de la Rose, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun
• Scivias, Hildegard of Bingen
• Sic et Non, Abelard
• The Song of Roland, anonymous French author
• Spiritual Exercises, Gertrude the Great
• Summa Theologiae, Thomas Aquinas
• Táin Bó Cúailnge, anonymous Irish author
• The Tale of Igor's Campaign, anonymous Russian author
• Tirant lo Blanc, Joanot Martorell
• Il milione (The Travels of Marco Polo), Marco Polo
• Tristan, Thomas d'Angleterre
• Tristan, Béroul
• Triumphs, Petrarch
• Waltharius
• Younger Edda, Snorri Sturluson
• Yvain: The Knight of the Lion, Chrétien de Troyes
• Gesta Danorum, Saxo Grammaticus

The Alexiad is a medieval biographical text written around the year 1148 by the Byzantine historian Anna Comnena, daughter of Emperor Alexius I. Within the Alexiad, she describes the political and military history of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of her father (1081-1118), making it one of the... Anna Comnena or better Komnene (Greek: Άννα Κομνηνή, Anna KomnÄ“nÄ“) (December 1, 1083 – 1153). ... Digenis Acritas (Greek: Διγενής Ακρίτας) is the most famous epic poem that emerged out of the 12th century Byzantine Empire, following the Acritic songs tradition. ... Look up anonymous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... // Main article: Ancient Greek literature Ancient Greek literature refers to literature written in Ancient Greek from the oldest surviving written works in the Greek language until the 4th century and the rise of the Byzantine Empire. ... The first page of Beowulf This article is about the epic poem. ... Look up anonymous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... Categories: Historical stubs | Music stubs | Illuminated manuscripts ... Galician literature has been developed both in Galician and Spanish. ... This article is entitled For other uses of David, see David (disambiguation). ... The Distichs of Cato (Latin: Catonis Disticha, most famously known simply as Cato), is a Latin collection of proverbial wisdom and morality by an unknown author named Dionysius Cato from the 3rd or 4th century AD. The Cato was the most popular medieval schoolbook for teaching Latin, prized not only... The Distichs of Cato (Latin: Catonis Disticha, most famously known simply as Cato), is a Latin collection of proverbial wisdom and morality by an unknown author named Dionysius Cato from the 3rd or 4th century AD. The Cato was the most popular medieval schoolbook for teaching Latin, prized not only... In The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), the early feminist Christine de Pizan attacks male misogyny and exalts the role of women in society. ... Christine de Pizan, showing the interior of an apartment at the end of the 14th or commencement of the 15th century Christine de Pizan (also seen as de Pisan) (1364–1430) was a medieval writer, rhetorician, and critic, who strongly challenged misogyny in the male-dominated realm of the arts. ... Book of the Civilized Man by Daniel of Beccles (Latin: Urbanus Magnus Danielis Becclesiensis). ... Book of the Civilized Man by Daniel of Beccles (Latin: Urbanus Magnus Danielis Becclesiensis). ... The Book of Good Love (El Libro de Buen Amor), considered to be one of the masterpieces of Spanish poetry, is a semi-biographical account of romantic adventures by Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, dating from 1330. ... Juan Ruiz (ca. ... Margery Kempe (ca. ... Margery Kempe (ca. ... Brut, about the mythic Brutus of Troy, is a Middle English poem compiled and recast by the priest Layamon. ... Layamon, or Laȝamon (using the archaic letter yogh), was a poet of the early 13th century, whose Brut (c. ... Roman de Brut Roman de Brut or Brut is a verse literary history of England of 14,866 lines written in Anglo-Norman by Wace. ... Wace (c. ... This early printed book has many hand-painted illustrations depicting Lady Philosophy and scenes of daily life in fifteenth-century Ghent (1485) Consolation of Philosophy (Latin: Consolatio Philosophiae) is a philosophical work by Boethius written in about the year 524 AD. It has been described as the single most important... Boethius teaching his students (initial from a 1385 Italian manuscript of the Consolation of Philosophy) Boethius redirects here. ... Canterbury Tales Woodcut 1484 The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in prose, the rest in verse). ... Geoffrey Chaucer (c. ... The Decameron is a collection of novellas that was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1353. ... Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (June 16, 1313 – December 21, 1375) was an Italian author and poet, a friend and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist in his own right and author of a number of notable works including On Famous Women, the Decameron and his poetry in the vernacular. ... Saint Catherine of Siena (born March 25, 1347 in Siena, Italy, died April 29, 1380 in Rome) was a Dominican Tertiary (lay affiliate) of the Dominican Order. ... Trotula of Salerno (ca. ... Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, with the spheres of Heaven above, in Michelinos fresco. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Dukus Horant is a 14th-century narrative poem in Judeo-German (Proto-Yiddish). ... The Poetic Edda or Elder Edda is a term applied to two things. ... Green Knight redirects here. ... The English are an ethnic group and nation primarily associated with England and the English language. ... Heimskringla is the Old Norse name of a collection of sagas recorded in Iceland around 1225 by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1242). ... Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... Folio 3v from Codex Beda Petersburgiensis (746) The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by the Venerable Bede on the history of the Church in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict between Roman... Bede (IPA: ) (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin) Beda (IPA: )), (ca. ... It has been suggested that Poliphilo be merged into this article or section. ... Francesco Colonna (1433 (?) - 1527), was an Italian Dominican priest and monk who was credited by an acrostic in the text with the authorship of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. ... The Knight in the Panthers Skin (Vepkhis Tkaosani in Georgian) is a well-known epic poem written in the 12th century (though the earliest surviving copy dates to the 16th century) by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, who was a Prince, the Treasurer (Mechurchletukhutsesi) of Queen of Georgia Tamar. ... Shota Rustaveli, an artistic notion of the poet by Sergo Kobuladze (1937). ... The Lais of Marie de France are a series of twelve short narrative poems in Anglo-Norman, generally focused on glorifying the concepts of courtly love through the adventures of their main characters. ... Marie de France (Mary of France) was a poet evidently born in France and living in England during the late 12th century. ... Abaelardus and Heloïse in a manuscript of Roman de la Rose (14. ... Mechthild of Magdeburg (1210 – ca. ... The Ludus de Antichristo is a liturgical drama from the 1100s whose original author is unknown. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... This article is about the country. ... The Metrical Dindshenchas, or Lore of Places, is probably the major surviving monument of Irish bardic verse. ... The Last Sleep of Arthur by Edward Burne-Jones Le Morte dArthur (spelt Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions, Middle French for la mort dArthur, the death of Arthur) is Sir Thomas Malorys compilation of some French and English Arthurian... Sir Thomas Malory (c. ... The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High German. ... Njáls saga (also known as The Story of Burnt Njál) is an epic of Icelandic literature from the 13th century that describes the progress of a 50-year blood feud. ... Parzival is one of the two great epic poems in Middle High German. ... Portrait of Wolfram from the Codex Manesse. ... Page from a 14th century Psalter, showing drolleries on the right margin and a plowman at the bottom. ... Langlands Dreamer: from an illuminated initial in a Piers Plowman manuscript held at Corpus Christi College, Oxford William Langland is the conjectured author of the 14th-century English dream-vision Piers Plowman. ... A page from the original codex, starting from line 1922 El Cantar de Mio Cid is the oldest preserved Spanish cantar de gesta. ... Prosolgion (1077-1078) is an exercise in faith seeking understanding by Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109), a widely influential medieval philosopher and theologian, held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... The Revelations of Divine Love (which also bears the title A Revelation of Love — in Sixteen Shewings above the first chapter) is a book of Christian mystical devotions written by Julian of Norwich. ... Julian of Norwich (c. ... Mirth and Gladness lead a Dance in this miniature from a manuscript of the Roman de la Rose in the Bodleian Library (MS Douce 364, folio 8r). ... Guillaume de Lorris (born 12XX) was a French epic poet, and was the author of the first section of the Romance of the Rose. ... Jean de Meun or Jean de Meung (c. ... Hildegard of Bingen (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis; 1098 – September 17, 1179), also known as Blessed Hildegard and Saint Hildegard, was a German magistra and later, abbess. ... Sic et non was written by Pierre Abélard around 1120. ... Pierre Abélard (in English, Peter Abelard) or Abailard (1079 - April 21, 1142) was a French scholastic philosopher. ... The Song of Roland (French: ) is the oldest major work of French literature. ... Gertrude the Great (January 6, 1256–November 17, 1301) was a German Benedictine and mystic writer. ... Gertrude the Great (January 6, 1256–November 17, 1301) was a German Benedictine and mystic writer. ... Summa theologiae, Pars secunda, prima pars. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Táin Bó Cúailnge (the driving-off of cows of Cooley, more usually rendered The Cattle Raid of Cooley or The Táin) is the central tale in the Ulster Cycle, one of the four great cycles that make up the surviving corpus of Irish mythology. ... The Tale of Igors Campaign (Old East Slavic: Слово о плъку Игоревѣ, Slovo o pălku IgorevÄ›; Modern Russian: Слово о полку Игореве, Slovo o polku Igoreve) is an anonymous masterpiece of East Slavic literature written in Old East Slavic language and tentatively dated by the end of 12th century. ... A page from the beginning of the 1491 edition. ... Joanot Martorell (1413–1468) was the Valencian author of the novel Tirant lo Blanch, which is written in Valencian (Catalan). ... A page of The Travels of Marco Polo The Travels of Marco Polo is the usual English title of Marco Polos travel book, Il Milione. ... Marco Polo (September 15, 1254 – January 8, 1324) was a Venetian trader and explorer who gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book Il Milione (The Million or The Travels of Marco Polo). ... Tristan and Iseult as depicted by Herbert Draper (1864 -1920). ... Thomas of Britain is an Anglo-Norman poet of the 12th century. ... Tristan and Iseult as depicted by Herbert Draper (1864 -1920). ... Béroul is a juggler and storyteller of trade (trouvere) Norman of XIIe century. ... From the c. ... Waltharius, a Latin poem founded on German popular tradition, relates the exploits of the west Gothic hero Walter of Aquitaine. ... This colourful front page of the Prose Edda in an 18th century Icelandic manuscript shows Odin, Heimdallr, Sleipnir and other figures from Norse mythology. ... Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... Chrétien de Troyes wrote in Champagne, France, during the last half of the twelfth century. ... Bishop Asgar, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857—1945) Gesta Danorum (Deeds of the Danes) is a work of Danish history, by 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus (Saxo the Grammarian). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark. ... Saxo, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857 – 1945) Saxo Grammaticus (estimated. ...

See also

by region/language

• • Anglo-Norman literature
  • Arabic literature
  • Armenian literature
  • Breton literature
  • Byzantine literature
  • Catalan literature
  • Dutch literature
  • English literature
    • Anglo-Saxon literature
    • Middle English literature
    • Early English Jewish literature
    • British literature
  • Medieval French literature
  • Georgian literature
  • Gnomic literature
  • Medieval German literature
  • Hebrew literature
  • Hispano-Arabic literature
  • Icelandic saga
  • Iranian literature
  • Irish literature
  • Italian literature
  • Judeo-Arabic literature
  • Latin literature
  • Old Norse literature
  • Pahlavi literature
  • Picard literature
  • Portuguese literature
  • Provençal literature
  • Romanian literature
  • Scottish literature
  • Medieval Slavic literature (see also Serbian literature, Croatian literature, Bulgarian literature)
  • Spanish literature
  • Medieval Welsh literature

Anglo-Norman literature is literature composed in the Anglo-Norman language developed during the period 1066-1204 when the Duchy of Normandy and England were united in the Anglo-Norman realm. ... Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by speakers of the Arabic language. ... The existing Armenian literature begins around 400 AD. History The Armenians once had a temple literature of their own, which was destroyed in the 4th and 5th centuries by the Christian clergy, so thoroughly that barely twenty lines of it survive in the history of Moses of Khoren (Chorene). ... Breton literature is the Breton language literary tradition of Brittany. ... Byzantine literature refers to literature written in the Greek language during the Middle Ages, although certain works written in Latin, like the Corpus Juris Civilis may also be included. ... Catalan-language writers Gabriel Alomar Vicent Andrés Estellés Pere Calders Salvador Espriu i Castelló Joan Fuster Manuel de Pedrolo i Molina J.V. Foix Maria de la Pau Janer Joan Maragall i Gorina Miquel Martí i Pol Jesús Moncada Jesús Montcada i Estruga Quim Monzó Teresa... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian, V.S... The initial page of the Peterborough Chronicle, likely scribed around 1150, is one of the major sources of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. ... Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the... English Jewish Literature: (This page is part of the History of the Jews in England) Contents // Categories: Stub | Jewish English history | English literature ... British literature is literature from the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. ... Medieval French literature is, for the purpose of this article, literature written in Oïl languages (including Old French and early Middle French) during the period from the eleventh century to the end of the fifteenth century. ... Georgian literature may refer to: Augustan literature, the style of literature of English literature from 1700 up to approximately 1760 (or, for some, 1789) (during the reigns of Queen Anne, George I, and George II), or to British literature of the Georgian era, which ran from 1714-1830. ... Gnomic Literature, including Maxims I and Maxims II, is a genre of Medieval Literature in England. ... German literature begins in the Carolingian period, first in Latin and then in Old High German. ... Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena; above all, it is the culture of secular communities of Jewish people, but it can also include the cultural contributions of individuals who identify as secular Jews, or even those of religious Jews working in cultural areas not generally considered to be connected... The Icelandic Sagas are prose histories describing mostly events that took place in Iceland during the Age of Settlement. ... Persian literature (in Persian: ‎ ) spans two and a half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. ... For a comparatively small country, Ireland has made a disproportionate contribution to world literature in all its branches. ... Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly by citizens of Italy. ... Latin literature, the body of written works in the Latin language, remains an enduring legacy of the culture of ancient Rome. ... Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in a number of Nordic languages, embraced by the term Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... This is a survey of Portuguese literature. ... Provençal literature is much more easily defined than the Provençal language in which it is expressed. ... Romanian literature is literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language. ... Scottish literature is literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers. ... Serbian literature is literature written in Serbian language and/or in Serbia. ... // (ca. ... Bulgarian literature is literature written by Bulgarians or residents of Bulgaria, or written in the Bulgarian language; usually the latter is the defining feature. ... Spanish literature may refer to: literature composed in the Spanish language literature of Spain in any of the languages of Spain It may include Spanish poetry, prose and novels. ... Medieval Welsh literature is the medieval literature written in the Welsh language from before 1100 to the 16th century. ...

by genre

• • Medieval rhetoric
  • Medieval poetry
  • Medieval drama
  • Medieval anthologies
  • Medieval epic
  • Medieval historiography
  • Medieval allegory
  • Medieval fables
  • Medieval farces and fabliau
  • Fabliau
  • Medieval travel literature
  • Arthurian literature
  • Alexander romances
  • Chronicle
  • Encyclopedia
  • Codex
  • Beast epic
  • Chanson de geste
  • Eddic poetry
  • Skaldic poetry
  • Alliterative verse
  • Hagiography
  • Dialectic
  • Family saga
  • Courtesy book
  • Commonplace book
  • Modelbooks
  • Lectionary
  • Litany
  • Liturgy
  • Questiones and summa (Scholasticism)
  • Apocalyptic literature
  • Riddles
  • Miracle plays
  • Morality plays
  • Mystery plays
  • Passion plays

Medieval poetry was often preserved by mere happenstance. ... Medieval theatre refers to the theatre of Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance. ... Christs baptism in the bottom panel. ... The fabliau (plural fabliaux) is a comic, usually anonymous tale written by jongleurs in northeast France circa the 13th Century. ... Travel literature is literature which records the people, events, sights and feelings of an author who is touring a foreign place for the sake and pleasure of travel. ... King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship in both war and peace. ... Generally a chronicle (Latin chronica, from Greek Χρόνος) is historical account of facts and events in chronological order. ... Brockhaus Konversations-Lexikon, 1902 An encylopedia, encyclopaedia or (traditionally) encyclopædia,[1] is a comprehensive written compendium that contains information on all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge. ... First page of the Codex Argenteus A codex (Latin for block of wood, book; plural codices) is a handwritten book, in general, one produced from Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages. ... The chansons de geste, Old French for songs of heroic deeds, are the epic poetry that appears at the dawn of French literature. ... The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. ... Skaldic poetry (Icelandic: dróttkvæði, court poetry) is Old Norse poetry composed by known skalds, as opposed to the anonymous Eddaic poetry. ... The Old English epic poem Beowulf is written in alliterative verse. ... Hagiography is the study of saints. ... In classical philosophy, dialectic (Greek: διαλεκτική) is an exchange of propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses) resulting in a synthesis of the opposing assertions, or at least a qualitative transformation in the direction of the dialogue. ... The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time. ... During the Renaissance (especially in England), commonplaces (or commonplace books) were for some people a popular way to compile knowledge, usually done by writing information into books. ... A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings for Christian worship. ... A litany, in Christian worship, is a form of prayer used in church services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. ... The word leitourgia is derived from the two Greek words, leos and ergon. Leos, meaning the people of God and Ergon meaning the work. ... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus, which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. ... Apocalyptic literature was a new genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians. ... A riddle is a puzzle, consisting of text with a question to answer. ... Mystery plays or miracle plays are one of the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ... Morality plays (15th-16th c. ... Mystery plays are one of the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ... A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the suffering and death of Jesus. ... A stone tablet containing part of the Epic of Gilgamesh The history of literature is the historical development of writings in prose or poetry which attempt to provide entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader/hearer/observer, as well as the development of the literary techniques used in the communication... According to the mediæval poet Jean Bodel, the Matter of Rome was the literary cycle made up of Greek and Roman mythology, together with episodes from the history of classical antiquity, focusing on military heroes like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. ... The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle is a body of legendary history that springs from the Old French medieval literature of the chansons de geste. ... The Arthurian legend or the Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, especially those focused on King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by speakers of the Arabic language. ... See also: Pre 13th century in literature, other events of the 13th century, 14th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: 13th century in literature, other events of the 14th century, 15th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... By region Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance Renaissance literature is European literature over an extended period, usually considered to be initiated by Petrarch at the beginning of the Italian Renaissance, and sometimes taken to continue to the English Renaissance, including Shakespeare and into the seventeenth... See also: 14th century in literature, other events of the 15th century, 16th century in literature, list of years in literature. ...

by period

• Early Medieval literature (6th to 9th centuries)
• 10th century in literature
• 11th century in literature
• 12th century in literature
• 13th century in literature
• 14th century in literature

See also: Ancient literature, 10th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: Early Medieval literature, 11th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: 10th century in literature, 12th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: Pre 13th century in literature, 13th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: Pre 13th century in literature, other events of the 13th century, 14th century in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: 13th century in literature, other events of the 14th century, 15th century in literature, list of years in literature. ...

See also

• Medieval art

Byzantine monumental Church mosaics are a crowning glory of Medieval Art. ...

External links

• The Online Medieval and Classical Library
• Synopsis of the greatest Medieval works and authors
• The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies
• The Internet Medieval Sourcebook Project. See also Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
• Shadowed Realm - Medieval Content and Discussion
• Medieval English Narrator - listen to recorded excerpts of Medieval English literature with text alongside for translation help. (Dr. Anthony Colaianne, Chris Baugh)

The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies and is part of the Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies (ORB). ...