Medieval English Literature
Medieval English Literature (ca 700-1485)
Those Who Pray, Work, and Fight
|It is well known that in this world |and defend our land against an invading army. |
|there are three orders, set in unity: |Now the farmer works to provide our food, |
|these are laboratores, oratores, bellatores. |And the worldly warrior must fight against our foes, |
|Laboratores are those who labor for our living; |and the servant of God must always pray for us |
|Oratores are those who plead for our peace with God; |and fight spiritually against invisible foes. . . . |
|Bellatores are those who battle to protect our towns | |
Adalbero, bishop of Laon, Poem for King Robert, c.1025; edited by C. Carozzi, Poème au roi Robert.
The Medieval Age: “the middle age” or “mediaeum aevum” between two classical periods: 1: ancient Greece and Rome 2: Renaissance , roughly 500-1500.
Middle Ages: starts with Caedmon’s Hymn (end of 7th century) and extends to Everyman (beginning of the 16th century), The age of print → William Caxton’s History Of Troy (1473 or 74). Middle ages ends with accession of Henry VII to the throne in 1485. • The term was applied to the Middle Ages by the humanists who regarded the Middle Ages as dark ages, void of classical knowledge and sophistication. Barbaric in this sense. • Middle Ages [pic]
Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period
• The period from the sixth to the elevent centuries → the period following the fall of Roman Empire. It starts with Anglo-Saxon migration (449) • Anglo-Saxons consisted of three tribes 1. The Angles 2. The Saxons 3. The Jutes (they were of the same origin, spoke different dialects of a common language.
Germanic society was organised by the families
• Family formed an
Those Who Pray, Work, and Fight
|It is well known that in this world |and defend our land against an invading army. |
|there are three orders, set in unity: |Now the farmer works to provide our food, |
|these are laboratores, oratores, bellatores. |And the worldly warrior must fight against our foes, |
|Laboratores are those who labor for our living; |and the servant of God must always pray for us |
|Oratores are those who plead for our peace with God; |and fight spiritually against invisible foes. . . . |
|Bellatores are those who battle to protect our towns | |
Adalbero, bishop of Laon, Poem for King Robert, c.1025; edited by C. Carozzi, Poème au roi Robert.
The Medieval Age: “the middle age” or “mediaeum aevum” between two classical periods: 1: ancient Greece and Rome 2: Renaissance , roughly 500-1500.
Middle Ages: starts with Caedmon’s Hymn (end of 7th century) and extends to Everyman (beginning of the 16th century), The age of print → William Caxton’s History Of Troy (1473 or 74). Middle ages ends with accession of Henry VII to the throne in 1485. • The term was applied to the Middle Ages by the humanists who regarded the Middle Ages as dark ages, void of classical knowledge and sophistication. Barbaric in this sense. • Middle Ages [pic]
Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period
• The period from the sixth to the elevent centuries → the period following the fall of Roman Empire. It starts with Anglo-Saxon migration (449) • Anglo-Saxons consisted of three tribes 1. The Angles 2. The Saxons 3. The Jutes (they were of the same origin, spoke different dialects of a common language.
Germanic society was organised by the families
• Family formed an