Friday, February 27, 2009

1200 to 1299: Aucissin and Nicolette to Tristan and Isolde

Anonymous. French. 1200 (?). Prose and Verse. Aucassin and Nicolette. Alternating prose and verse. Son of a count falls in love with a slave who turns out to be a king’s daughter.

Thomas of Celano. Italian. 1200 (?). Hymn. Dies Irae (Day of Wrath.) On the Last Judgment. Joel 2:31. Mass for the dead. Plainsong (Gregorian chant).

Wace. British. 1205. Poetry. The Brut. Middle English. Alliteration. Rhyme. First appearance of the story of Arthur in Britain. Britain from its founding by Brut to 689. Brut descendant of Aeneas. Stories of Lear, Cymbeline and other legendary kings of Britain.

Anonymous. German. 1210. Epic Poem. Gudrun. Sea settings are unusual. Three parts. Gudrun’s is the third part. Engaged, abducted, servant’s work, rescued by her lover.

Gotfried Von Strassburg. German. 1210. Tristan and Isolde. Illicit love of a knight and the Queen.

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