MIDDLE ENGLISH (i) Anglo Norman Period (1066 - 1350)

 MIDDLE ENGLISH

(i) Anglo Norman Period (1066 - 1350)

Middle English is the transition period during which Old English was changed into Modern English.

Norman Conquest: Norman (Northman) originally from Scandinavia (Viking), invaded the whole North and settled in North West France (Normandy). They mingled with French, became Franks in all! They invaded England in 1066 under the leadership of William-III, Duke of Normandy. They defeated last Saxon king, Harold, in Battle of Hastings.  Feudalism started; King became the supreme. Normans’ language, French started domination.

French became the court language, official language. Many new words added to English. Spellings modified. Nobility used French, Clergy – Larin and Lower class- English. Old English Alliterative poetry disappeared. Meter and Rhyme introduced into English literature.

Chivalric Romances, Brut (story of legendries), Lays (short narrative or lyrical poem), Hagiographic Tradition (lives of saints) was introduced. Romance became the popular genre.

Note: Anglo Saxon literature was superior to the French, but it was replaced by French since Anglo Saxons don’t have liberty. (Without liberty, Great literature is not possible.)

Brut (story of legendries):

The first noteworthy work produced under French influence is Layamon’s Brut written about 1205. This voluminous poem about 30000 lines is a legendary history of Britain named after Brut or Brutus.  Geoffrey Monmouth’s “Historia Regum Britain” is very famous.

 

Hagiographic Tradition (lives of saints): earliest example is ‘’Saint Alexis”

 

Lays (short narrative or lyrical poem in octosyllabic couplets):

Mary De France wrote 12 lays and 103 fables. “Lais of Marie De France” is a collection of her 12 narrative lays. Some of the famous lays in it are: Le France(The Ash tree), The Nightingale.

 

Religious:

1.      Orm’s Ormulum, a verse paraphrase of the church gospels, is very popular religious writing.

2.      Handling Sin (Handbook of Sins)- by Robert Manning.

3.      Cursor Mundi (runner of the world)-by Anonymous -  30000 lines poem in octosyllabic lines, about the old testament, concludes that the better than tales of love, the best story to read is Mary Virgin

4.      The Prick of Conscience-  by Richard Rolle

Romance:

Christine De Troyes (French poet) wrote five romances. Guillaume De Lorries and Jean De Muenz wrote the famous romance, “Roman De La Rose”

The Owl and the Nightingale- Earliest example of Debate poetry, 2000 lines poem in octosyllabic couplets, ascribed to Master Nicholas of Guildford. Nightingale opens a debate, says owl is a creature of night, hence it is evil. The debate leads to no solution. The two birds decided to have Master Nicholas as the mediator. Reader don’t know which bird bests her opponent at the debate.