[alert-success] HEL - William J. Long [/alert-success]
[alert-warn] UNIT III : THE ANGLO-NORMAN PERIOD[/alert-warn] [alert-primary] Super Short Summary[/alert-primary]
[alert-primary] Super Short Summary[/alert-primary]
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The Normans were originally a hardy race of sea rovers inhabiting Scandinavia. In the 10th century, they conquered Normandy and adopted French culture and language. Under William, Duke of Normandy, they conquered Anglo-Saxon England in 1066. They brought bright, romantic tales of love and adventure to England, in contrast to Anglo-Saxon poetry's strength and somberness.
Normans and Saxons, French and England, gradually united after Hastings. Anglo-Saxons dropped most of their Teutonic inflections and adopted French vocabulary, and became English.
French and Saxon influence English literature. The conquest brought Roman civilization to England, centralised the government, and gave Chaucer a new language and literature.
The new literature, initially, was diverse but of low intrinsic value.
The new literature, initially, was diverse but of low intrinsic value.
(1) Geoffrey's History, which contains Arthur's Celtic legends, is a good literary source.
(2) French writers who popularised Arthurian legends.
(3) Riming Chronicles, like Layamon's Brut.
(4) Metrical Romances, or verse stories.
These were numerous and of four classes:
(a) the Matter of France, stories about Charlemagne and his peers, chief of which is the Chanson de Roland;
(b) the Matter of Greece and Rome, tales about Alexander and the Fall of Troy;
(c) the Matter of England, stories of Bevis of Hampton, Guy of Warwick, Robin Hood, etc.;
(d) the Matter of Britain, stories about Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is best.
(5) Miscellaneous literature, the Ancren Riwle, our best early English prose; Orm's Ormulum; Cursor Mundi, with its parallel to the Miracle plays; and ballads, like King Horn and the Robin Hood songs, the only popular poetry.
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