Knight's literature is a large direction of creativity, which was developed in the Middle Ages. Hero was the feudal warrior making feats. The most famous works of this direction: the “Song of Roland” created in France by Gottfried Strasbourg, “Tristan and Isolde” (a poetic novel) in Germany, the “Song of the Nibelungs”, and Rodrigo and the Song of My Side in Spain " other.
At school, the theme of "Knight's literature" (grade 6) is mandatory. Pupils go through the history of its occurrence, the main genres, get acquainted with the main works. However, the topic "Knightly Literature of the Middle Ages" (Grade 6) is revealed concisely, selectively, some important points are missed. In this article, we would like to disclose it in more detail so that the reader has a more complete picture of it.
Knight's Poetry
Knightly literature includes not only novels, but also poetry, which glorified fidelity to a certain lady of the heart. For her sake, the knights put themselves to various tests at the risk of their lives. Poets and singers who glorified this love in songs were called minnesingers in Germany, troubadours in the south of France, and troubers in the north of this country. The most famous authors are Bertrand de Born, Arnaud Daniel, Jaufre Rüdel. In 13th-century English literature, the most important monument is ballads dedicated to Robin Hood.
Knightly literature in Italy is represented mainly by lyric poetry. He founded a new style that glorified the love of a lady, Guido Guinicelli, a Bologna poet. Its largest representatives are Guido Cavalcanti and Brunetto Latini, Florentines.
The image of a knight and a beautiful lady
The word "knight" means "rider" in German. Remaining a warrior, he should at the same time have excellent manners, worship the lady of the heart, be cultured. It was from the cult of the latter that courtly poetry arose. Her representatives sang of nobility and beauty, and noble ladies favored this kind of art, which extolled them. Knightly literature was sublime. The pictures presented in this article confirm this.
Courtesy love, of course, was somewhat arbitrary, as it was completely subordinate to court etiquette. The glorified lady, as a rule, was the wife of the overlord. And the knights in love with her remained only respectful courtiers. Therefore, the courtly songs that flattered female vanity, simultaneously surrounded the feudal court with a radiance of exclusivity.
Courtesy Poetry
Courtly love was a secret, the poet did not dare to call his lady by name. This feeling looked like a reverent adoration.
There were a lot of poetic texts created at that time, and the authorship of most of them was lost. But among the many colorless poets there were also memorable, vivid figures. The most famous troubadours were Giraut de Borneyl, Bernart de Ventadorn, Markabrün, Jaufre Rüdel, Peyrol.
Types of courtly poetry
There were many types of courtly poetry in Provence, but the most common were: alba, canson, pastorel, ballad, cry, tenson, sirentes.
Kansona (translated - "song") outlined in a narrative form a love theme.
Alba (meaning "morning star") was dedicated to shared, earthly love. It was said that the lovers, after a secret meeting, parted at the dawn, their approach was notified to them by a servant or a friend on guard.
Pastorela is a song that tells about the meeting of a shepherdess and a knight.
In crying, the poet yearns, mourning his own share, or grieving over the death of a person close to him.
Tenson is a kind of literary dispute, in which either two poets take part, or the Beautiful Lady and poet, poet and Love.
Sirventes - a song that addresses social issues, the most important of which is: who is more worthy of love - an inglorious baron or a courteous commoner?
Such, in short, is knightly courteous literature.
The troubadours that we have already mentioned are the first courtly poets of Europe. After them were the German "singers of love" - the minnesingers. But the sensual element in their poetry played a lesser role than in the romance, rather a moralizing tone prevailed.
Genre of chivalry
In the 12th century, chivalric literature was marked by the emergence of a chivalric novel - a new genre. Creating it involves, in addition to creative perception of the world and inspiration, and extensive knowledge. Knightly and urban literature are closely related. Its authors were most often scientists, who tried to reconcile with their creativity the ideals of equality of all before God with the mores and customs of the era that existed in reality. The protest against the latter was the ideals of courtesy. This morality, which was reflected in knightly literature in the Middle Ages, was utopian, but it is precisely it that is shown in the novel.
French knightly romance
Its heyday marks the Breton cycle. The most famous of the novels of this cycle include: "Brutus", "Erek and Enida", "Klizes", "Tristan and Isolda", "Ivane", "The Beautiful Stranger", "Partzifal", "Roman about the Grail", "Fatal pogost "," Perlesvaus "," Death of Arthur "and others.
In France, knightly literature of the Middle Ages was widely represented. Moreover, she is the birthplace of the first chivalric novels. They were a kind of alloy of the late antique paraphrases of Ovid, Virgil, Homer, epic Celtic traditions, as well as stories about the unknown countries of the crusaders and courtly songs.
Chretien de Trois was one of the creators of this genre. His most famous creation is "Janein, or the Knight with a Lion." The world created by de Trois is the embodiment of chivalry, because the heroes who live in it, strive for exploits, for adventure. In this novel, Chretien showed that the feat in itself is meaningless, that any adventures should be focused, filled with meaning: it can be the protection of a certain slanderous lady, ridding a girl of a fire, saving the relatives of her friend. The self-denial and nobility of Ivein is emphasized by his friendship with the king of animals - the lion.
In "The Grail Story" this author used even more complex tricks that reveal the character of a person. The hero’s feat of “difficulty” dooms to asceticism. However, this is by no means a Christian austerity for the salvation of one’s soul, deeply selfish on internal motives, but great determination and self-determination. Percival, the hero of the work, leaves his girlfriend not because of a religious mystical impulse, but as a result of a whole complex of feelings in which the sadness about the abandoned mother mixed with the desire to help King Rybolov, the uncle of the hero.
Knightly novel in Germany
Another famous medieval novel, Tristan and Isolde, has a completely different tone. It was based on Irish legends describing the unhappy love of beautiful young hearts. There is no knightly adventure in the novel, a conflict between generally accepted norms and the motives of lovers is highlighted. The passion of Queen Isolde and the youth of Tristan pushes them to trample on conjugal and vassal duty. The book takes on a tragic connotation: the heroes fall prey to fate and fate.
In Germany, a chivalrous novel was presented mainly in the arrangement of French works: Heinrich von Feldeke ("Aeneid"), Gottfried Strasbourg, Hartmann von Aue ("Ivein" and "Erek"), Wolfram von Eschenbach ("Partial"). They differed from the latter in deepening religious and moral issues.
Knightly novel in Spain
In Spain, a chivalric novel was not developed until the 16th century. Only one is known in the 14th century under the name "Sifar Knight." In the next 15th century, Curial and Guelph and Tyrant White appeared, written by Joanot Marturel. In the 16th century, Montalvo created Amadis Galsky, and the anonymous novel Palmerin de Olivia and others appeared, more than 50 in all.
Knightly novel in Italy
Knightly literature of the Middle Ages of this country was characterized mainly by borrowed plots. The original contribution of Italy is the poem "Entry into Spain", written by an anonymous author in the 14th century, as well as "The Taking of Pamplona", its continuation, created by Niccolo of Verona. The Italian epic is developed in the works of Andrea da Barberino.