Some brief notes on the Middle Ages:The notion of medieval or dark ages is a misnomer of sorts.The period was not “dark” in the sense that there was no cultural, artistic, or historical production. Rather, most of the production is lost to us.
Roughly three periods:
Early or “dark” (@300-1000)
Early period: Most of the literature, culture, art of this period is missing. We dohave remnants which point to a vital period of thought (think Augustine, Beowulf, Song of Roland). The literature is mostly from an oral tradition and works of this period that were written down have been, by and large, lost or destroyed. High (@1000-1200)
During this period, oral stories begin to be recorded quite often. There is a shift to the vernacular (standard native language of a country or locality). Think in terms of the shift from Latin to the vernacular in texts both sacred and secular. Also, this period is when French incorporate the Arthurian and Celtic legends into the Arthurian cycles(Chretien de Troyes).
Late (@1200-1500)
Voluminous production of texts; think Chaucer, Boccaccio, and Dante.
Beowulf:
@10th Century Anglo Saxon (Old English)
The story probably was not popular during its own time and was not influential in subsequent literature (in fact, it was probably influenced by Homer’s work). Only one manuscript survives in the British Library.
The stories are probably from oral English or Scandinavian origins.
Things to note:
Tension between Christian and pagan beliefs/sensibilities
Two halves (young traveling Beowulf, and older King Beowulf)
Three main battles (two in first half, one in second half)
Links to Old Testament stories
Notion of Fate
Unknown author, probably a priest or monk
Themes:
Pride
The temporal vs the eternal
Youth and inexperience vs age and wisdom;
Cycles
Terms to Know:
Heroic Code
Comitatus
Thane
Ring-giver
