Knightly literature of the Middle Ages: list and review

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Knightly literature is a major area of creativity, which was developed in the Middle Ages. Its hero was a feudal warrior performing feats. The most famous works of this trend: created in France by Gottfried of Strasbourg "The Song of Roland", in Germany - "Tristan and Isolde" (poetic novel), as well as the "Song of the Nibelungs", in Spain - "Rodrigo" and "Song of my Sid " and others.

The theme "Knight's Literature" (grade 6) is covered in the school without fail. Students go through the history of its occurrence, the main genres, get acquainted with the main works. However, the topic "Knightly literature of the Middle Ages" (grade 6) is disclosed concisely, selectively, some important points are missed. In this article, we would like to reveal it in more detail so that the reader has morecomplete picture of her.

Knightly Poetry

Knightly literature includes not only novels, but also poetry that sang of loy alty to some lady of the heart. For her sake, the knights subjected themselves to various trials at the risk of their lives. The poets-singers who glorified this love in songs were called minnesingers in Germany, troubadours in the south of France, and trouvers in the north of this country. The most famous authors are Bertrand de Born, Arno Daniel, Jaufre Rudel. In English literature of the 13th century, the most important monument is the ballads dedicated to Robin Hood.

Knightly literature in Italy is represented mainly by lyric poetry. He founded a new style that glorified the love of a lady, Guido Gvinicelli, a Bolognese poet. Its largest representatives are Guido Cavalcanti and Brunetto Latini, Florentines.

The image of a knight and a beautiful lady

The word "knight" means "horseman" in German. Remaining a warrior, he had to at the same time have excellent manners, worship the lady of the heart, and be cultured. It was from the cult of the latter that courtly poetry arose. Its representatives sang nobility and beauty, and noble ladies treated favorably this type of art, which extolled them. Sublime was chivalric literature. The pictures presented in this article confirm this.

Courtly love, of course, was to some extent conditional, as it was completely subject to court etiquette. The sung lady, as a rule, was the wife of the overlord. And the knights, in love with her, remained only respectful courtiers. Therefore, courtly songs that flattered women's pride, at the same time surrounded the feudal court with a radiance of exclusivity.

Courtly poetry

Courtly love was a secret, the poet did not dare to call his lady by name. This feeling looked like trembling adoration.

There are a lot of poetic texts created at that time, and the authorship of most of them is lost. But among the numerous colorless poets, memorable, vivid figures also arose. The most famous troubadours were Gieraut de Borneil, Bernart de Ventadorne, Markabrune, Jaufre Rudel, Peyroll.

Types of courtly poetry

There were many types of courtly poetry in Provence, but the most common were: alba, canson, pastorela, ballad, lament, tenson, sirventes.

Kansona (translated as "song") narrated a love theme.

Alba (which means "morning star") was dedicated to shared, earthly love. It said that after a secret meeting, lovers part at dawn, about its approach, they are notified by a servant or a friend on guard.

Pastorela is a song about the meeting of a shepherdess and a knight.

In weeping, the poet yearns, mourning his own fate, or mourns the death of a loved one.

Tenson - a kind of literary dispute, in which either two take partpoet, or the Beautiful Lady and the poet, the poet and Love.

Sirventes is a song that addresses social issues, the most important of which is: who is more worthy of love - an infamous baron or a suave commoner?

Such is the chivalric courtly literature in brief.

The troubadours we have already mentioned are the first courtly poets of Europe. After them were the German "singers of love" - minnesingers. But the sensual element in their poetry played a lesser role than in the romance, rather a moralizing tinge prevailed.

The chivalric genre

In the 12th century, chivalric literature was marked by the emergence of chivalric romance - a new genre. Its creation presupposes, in addition to creative perception of the surrounding world and inspiration, extensive knowledge. Knightly and urban literature are closely related. Most often, its authors were scientists who tried by their creativity to reconcile the ideals of the equality of all before God with the mores and customs of the era that existed in reality. The ideals of courtesy acted as a protest against the latter. This morality, which was reflected in the literature of chivalry in the Middle Ages, was utopian, but it is she who is shown in the novel.

French romance of chivalry

It marks the heyday of the Breton cycle. The most famous of the novels of this cycle are: "Brutus", "Erec and Enida", "Klizhes", "Tristan and Isolde", "Evain", "BeautifulStranger", "Parzival", "Romance of the Grail", "Perilous Churchyard", "Perlesvaus", "The Death of Arthur" and others.

In France, medieval chivalric literature was widely represented. Moreover, it is the birthplace of the first chivalric romances. They were a kind of fusion of late antique retellings of Ovid, Virgil, Homer, epic Celtic legends, as well as stories about unknown countries of the crusaders and courtly songs.

Chrétien de Troyes was one of the creators of this genre. His most famous creation is "Ivein, or the Knight with a Lion". The world that de Troyes created is the embodiment of chivalry, because the heroes who live in it strive for exploits, for adventure. In this novel, Chrétien showed that a feat in itself is meaningless, that any adventures must be purposeful, filled with meaning: it can be the protection of a certain slandered lady, delivering a girl from a fire, saving his friend's relatives. Yvain's self-denial and nobility are emphasized by his friendship with the king of beasts - the lion.

In the "Tale of the Grail" this author used even more complex techniques that reveal the character of a person. The feat of "difficulties" of the hero dooms to asceticism. However, this is by no means a Christian asceticism for the salvation of one's soul, which is deeply selfish due to internal motives, but a great purposefulness and composure. Percival, the hero of the work, leaves his girlfriend not due to a religious mystical impulse, but as a result of a whole complex of feelings in whichsadness for an abandoned mother with a desire to help the Fisher King, the hero's uncle.

Knightly Romance in Germany

Another famous medieval novel, "Tristan and Isolde", has a completely different tone. It was based on Irish legends describing the unhappy love of beautiful young hearts. There is no chivalrous adventure in the novel, the conflict between generally accepted norms and the motives of lovers comes to the fore. The passion of Queen Isolde and the young man Tristan pushes them to trample on their marital and vassal debt. The book acquires a tragic tone: the characters become victims of fate, fate.

In Germany, the romance of chivalry was presented mainly in the transcription of French works: Heinrich von Feldeke ("Aeneid"), Gottfried of Strasbourg, Hartmann von Aue ("Ivein" and "Erec"), Wolfram von Eschenbach ("Partial"). They differed from the latter in deepening religious and moral issues.

A chivalric romance in Spain

In Spain, the romance of chivalry was not developed until the 16th century. Only one is known in the 14th century under the name "Knight of Sifar". In the next, 15th century, "Curial and Guelph" and "Tyrant the White" appear, written by Joanot Marturel. In the 16th century, Montalvo created "Amadis of Gali", the anonymous novel "Palmerin de Olivia" also appeared, and others, more than 50 in total.

A chivalrous romance in Italy

Knightly literature of the Middle Ages of this countrycharacterized mainly by borrowed plots. The original contribution of Italy is the poem "The Entry into Spain", written by an unnamed author in the 14th century, as well as "The Capture of Pamplona", its continuation, created by Niccolò of Verona. The Italian epic develops in the work of Andrea da Barberino.