Medieval Literature

This volume is an introduction to Medieval literature for undergraduates, graduate students and general readers in both Britain and North America.Ra ther than assuming a defensive or reactive posture vis-a-vis the Renaissance (the period that coins the terms "Medieval" and "Middle Ages" and defines their pejorative connotations), the book celebrates all that is singular and vibrant in this formative, pre-print period. Discussion concentrates on writing in Middle English - particularly as developed between 1375 and 1400, one of the greatest phases of English literary creativity - but reference are also made to continental texts forming part of the greater European milieu. Particular attention is paid to the distinctive and precarious conditions of textual transmission in a manuscript culture; struggles to fashion a distinct identity as a writer; the relationship of women to Medieval writing; the erosion of feudal paradigms (through newly complex divisions of labour); and the magical enchantment of the Medieval countryside.