Unit 1 – Lesson 1 Introduction to the Early Middle Ages – Literary Genres and the Preservation of Medieval Literature Based on pages 16-17 of Elements of Literature by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Many types of literature… Existed throughout the Early Middle Ages in England. Popular genres of this time included Epics Elegies Riddles Other misc. poetry. However, as most literature at the time was memorized and communicated orally, it took some time for all of it to be gathered and written down. Much of the literature of this time has probably been lost forever. The very few things we do have, to this day, were gathered together into large volumes and copied, by hand, by monks.

Epics As mentioned in previous lectures, epics are long narrative poems about the exploits of a national hero. Their main characters, epic heroes, embody the values of their society and protect the people from danger. Like Odysseus and Achilles for ancient Greece, Beowulf was the first epic hero of Early Medieval England. Beowulf embodies many of the values of the Anglo-Saxon people (both from their pagan roots and from their post-Christian ways of life). We will discuss Beowulf and epics further, starting next week.

Elegies Much literature of this time was written in elegy, mourning the passing of a person, people, or way of life. Some elegies are shorter works, as in “The Seafarer,” an anonymous poem wherein a sailor speaks of how lonely and sad he is at sea and of how much he misses the joys of being on land (For an abridged copy of this poem, see the green book). Other elegies take on the length of whole books. Beowulf, for example, is not only an epic, but an elegy that mourns the passing of the great warrior Beowulf, of his people – the Geats, and of their virtuous way of life.

Riddles Many shorter poems of the time took on the form of riddles. Monks gathered hundreds of these together. One of the most notable books to contain authentic Early Medieval riddles is the Exeter Book.

Other Poetry Like today, medieval poetry was also written simply out of idle boredom. One poem, titled “Pangur Ban,” is about a monk’s pet cat. This poem gave inspiration to the animated cat in the film The Secret of Kells, which we will begin either today or tomorrow (as time allows).

Monasticism While England underwent many conquests over the centuries, Ireland remained somewhat more stable up until the Viking invasion. In 432 AD, St. Patrick converted Ireland to Christianity. In Ireland, monasteries became “sanctuaries of learning.”

The Monasteries and Literature Monks copied books of all kinds by hand in rooms called “Scriptoriums,” spending hours and days preserving many works of religion, history, and literature. Epics of various cultures, such as the Latin and Greek classics, as well as Beowulf, were preserved by such means. Most writing was done on sheep- skin “paper” called vellum. Aside from writings, the monks practiced an art-form called illuminated manuscripts.

Illuminated Manuscripts This is a page from one of the more famous illuminated manuscripts, The Book of Kells. It is called the “Chi Rho” page, as it contains only two letters – the first two letters, in Greek, for the word “Christ.”

Activity – Life and Culture in the British Isles in the Early Middle Ages To help us explore what life and culture were like in the British Isles in the Early Middle Ages, we’re going to watch an animated film called The Secret of Kells. In this film, a monastery in Ireland lives in fear of Viking raids, all the while trying to live a peaceful life of prayer, work, and manuscript illumination – specifically, the creation of one of Ireland’s greatest artistic and cultural treasures, The Book of Kells – the most famous illuminated manuscript in history. This film will blend Celtic myths, Christian culture, Viking raids, etc, into one animated adventure. While you watch, follow along with the questions on your worksheet (most of which are in order). See what you can answer. If you can’t spell something, use the subtitles and/or the word bank on the back of the sheet to help you. The word search portion of the work sheet is optional.