A summary of Old British Literature
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Background
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Begins with the invasion of Celtic England by Germanic tribes
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Lasts until the conquest of England by the Norman-French William the Conqueror.
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Anglo-Saxon poetry
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Poetry was listened, not read.
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Anglo-Saxon poetry was oral.
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A bard (or scop) recited or sang the poetry.
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It is believed that it was initially recorded by Christian Monks.
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Scop /shop/
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A bard poet; storyteller. Also serves as a narrator to move the story along and reiterate the morals or values of the time.
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Often performed in the Mead Hall (gathering place). Preserved the culture in song before writing was common.
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Literary devices
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Caesura
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rhythmic pause to create unity. Punctuation reproduces pause effect of the caesura.
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Alliteration
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the repetition of consonant sound in words close together.
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Kenning
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a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.
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A kenning enhances the literal meaning of the words. A kenning gives the listener an idea of how the words connect to an idea or concept that is richer and more emotionally complex.
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The first great work of English national literature.
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The epic story of the hero Beowulf, who fights the demonic monster Grendel (man-eating monster).
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Two parts
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The epic hero is the central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society.
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Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses a caesura, or rhythmic pause, to create unity.
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Background
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1066 - the beginning of a new social and linguistic era
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the 1470s - the printing press introduced in England by William Caxton
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Language of court became French.
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French
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‘High’ functions
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‘high’ culture: government, law, religion, education, literature, science, the arts, ‘high society’ English
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English
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‘Low’ functions
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‘common folk’: home speech, folk/popular songs, tales, everyday commerce
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Literature
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Became more refined.
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Court and peasants both enjoyed new songs from Scotland, Ireland, and England.
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Court enjoyed medieval romances from France.
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Genres
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chivalric romances
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folk ballads
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dramas
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morality plays
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Types of historical material
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Rome
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Classical legends
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France
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Often tales of Charlemagne and his knights
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Britain
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Arthurian stories
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Tales dealing with knightly heroes
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Written by the unknown “Pearl poet."
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Arthurian Romance in Alliterative Verse
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Involves Sir Gawain’s quest to confront the Green Knight, who has disrupted Arthur’s court.
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The Green Knight represents pagan fertility against Gawain’s Christian chastity. A church reaction against “courtly love.”
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Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400)
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Was a civil servant, held several political positions.
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Observer of life and people (satirist).
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Broke tradition by writing in native English.
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The Canterbury Tales
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The Prologue tells the story of 29 pilgrims who, on their way to Canterbury (to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket), participate in a tale-telling contest to pass the time
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Each tale had to have a moral and be entertaining.
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The Tales is a collection of the various pilgrims’ stories.
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Originally planned to be 120 tales, Chaucer only completed 24.
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The Wife of Bath's Tale
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The Wife of Bath
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A worthy woman from beside Bath city
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Attractive, red-faced, gap- toothed, large hipped, and somewhat deaf Loves to laugh and talk.
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Traveled a lot (Pilgrimages to Jerusalem 3 times, Rome, etc.)
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Married 5 times (expert in love; had many “boyfriends” in her youth)
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The Tale
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Tale of a knight who breaks the rules of chivalry and is punished with a challenge that he has a year and a day to complete. WoB’s Tale
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This tale belongs with the Marriage Group tales of The Canterbury Tales as it deals with philosophies of love and marriage.
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Classified as a “medieval romance” due to its setting, characters, and code of chivalry.
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