Meaning of Medieval Literature (What is it, Concept and Definition)

What is medieval literature:

Medieval literature is all that was produced during the Middle Ages , a period that extended from the fifth century to the fifteenth century approximately.

Thus, to define this period of literature it is necessary to resort to extraliterary aspects, such as the historical context of literary production and the way in which it influenced it.

The Middle Ages begins approximately with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and extends until the arrival of Colon in America, in 1492.

The Middle Ages was characterized by the preeminence of the feudal system, the use of the Latin language as a diplomatic and high culture language, the expansion of the Germanic people, the crusades, the formation of national monarchies and the immense political power and cultural influence of the Catholic Church in all areas of life.aspects will be reflected in the literature produced in this period or.

See also the Middle Ages.

Characteristics of medieval literature

Language

The language that served as a vehicle for culture it was Latin, however, from the late Middle Ages texts written in vernacular languages ​​began to proliferate.

Orality

The most common form of diffusion of literary works was through the troubadours, since the vast majority of the population did not know how to read.

Verse

The writing in verse was the most cultivated.Besides, since it was easier to to memorize, the composition in verse helped the troubadours to remember the texts.Subgenres such as lyric, ode, elegy, egloga, epitalam, romance or sonnet were the most popular.

Prose

Prose were written texts such as chivalry novels, which referred to as medieval knights' exploits; the chronicles, which related historical issues chronologically; the hagiographies, which narrated the lives of the saints, or the lineage books, where the genealogy of the nobility is collected.

Anonymity

Many works of this period are not framed within of our traditional concept of author, so that they are not signed.In fact, many of them circulated thanks to the troubadours.

Originality

Originality was not an aspiration, so that stories were collected and recreated based on real events, popular tradition or classical texts.

Religious themes

Religious themes were recurring, since the Catholic Church exercised a strong patronage.

Didactism

The works had a didactic function, since they intended to transmit Christian values ​​and models of behavior to society.

Literary works of the Middle Ages

Anonymous works

• The romanceist
• Cantar de Mio Cid
• Beowulf
• Sing of Roldan
• Sing of the Nibelungs
• The golden legend
• Digenis Acritas
• Amadis de Gaula

Works and authors

• El decameron, by Giovanni Bocaccio.
• The divine comedy, by Dante Aligheri.
• Tirant lo Blanc, by Joanot Martorell.
• Theological sum of Saint Thomas of Aquino.
• Confessions, of Saint Augustine.
• Days of anger, of Saint Francis of Assisi.
• Cantigas de Santa Maria, of Alfonso X the Sage.
• Count of Lucanor, of Don Juan Manuel.
• Book of good love, by Juan Ruiz.
• Coplas to the death of his father, by Jorge Manrique.
• La celestina, by Fernando de Rojas.
• Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer.
• Songbook by Petrarca.