1. Early Beginnings: The Middle Ages Once upon a time, a long long time ago, stories and poems were told around the fires in cottages or sung in the great halls of castles…

2. Oral Tradition Before actual physical books came stories – stories for all ages, told after a long hard day in the fields, as the family gathered around the fire in the dark. Stories served as medieval television.

3. Cottage vs. Castle Stories Where: Castles and great manor houses Who: Wandering minstrels or bards What: heroic tales about Beowulf or King Arthur Where: Cottages or medieval fairs Who: Simple folks What: daily life – farmers, woodcutters; beast tales about wolves, foxes and hens

4. Early Manuscripts Picture Bibles Lesson books Only for wealthy or teachers in monastery Valuable: houses/lands exchanged for one volume!! Had 2 forms –Dialogue between teacher/student (question & answer) –Rhymed couplets (easy memorization)

5. Important People Aldhelm, abbot of Malmesbury: introduced question & answer approach Bede: translated/wrote 45 books for his students at the Jarrow monastery in England Anselm: Elucidarium Chaucer: Canterbury Tales

6. Important Books Elucidarium: book of general information for students (encyclopedia) Gesta Romanorum (Deeds of the Romans): sourcebook of stories for clergy –contained myths/fables/tales from places like India Canterbury Tales: legendary stories/folktales

7. Printed Books Originated in China (175 A.D.) –Also had wood block printing (8 th century) Gutenberg: movable metal type (1450’s) in Germany William Caxton: learned trade and brough it to England (1476) –Published 106 books –Expensive –Many owned books now!

8. Influence of Printing Textbooks alone Hornbooks –15 th Century –2 x 5 inches –Battledore

9. After Hornbooks ABC books Primers –Book of hours for children –Henry VIII

10. Lasting Contributions Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur Education not entertainment

11. TIMELINE of EVENTS & PUBLICATIONS EVENTS: 175 AD – Stone rubbings in China 400 – 1400’s – Oral storytelling 600’s – Early lesson Books 700’s – China’s block printing 1100’s—Elucidarium developed by Anselm 1380-1420 – Western printing began in Holland 1400’s – Hornbooks 1450 – Gutenberg’s moveable metal type (press) in Germany 1476 – Caxton’s printing press in Westminster 1514 – alphabet added to a book of hours for children 1600’s—Aldhelm introduces question/answer approach 1600’s—Bede translates/writes 45 books PUBLICATIONS: Early 1300’s – The Gesta Romanorum (deeds of the Romans) compiled 1387 – Canterbury Tales 1477 – A Book of Curtseye 1481 – The Historye of Reynart the Foxe 1484 – Aesop’s Fables 1485 - Le Morte d’Arthur 1584 - King Henry’s Primer

12. Assessment 1 Question: List the different types of publications

13. Answers: written wood block printing movable metal type Assessment 1

14. Question: List people and countries that published early literature Assessment 2

15. Answers: Gutenberg William Caxton Anslem Aldhelm Bede Chaucer Assessment 2 Holland Germany Westminster China

16. Question: List well-known books from the early literature period discussed in class Assessment 3

17. Answers: Elucidarium Canterbury Tales Aesop’s Fables Gutenberg Bible Beowulf Assessment 3