MARS 2P95 & Callie Norwich Present:
The Medieval Hero
Beowulf
Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon text, written by an unknown author, that is said to originate around the 6th century, but is written down in the 10th century. At this time Rome is really gaining power through the church and through conquering lands. There is always a chance of war or invasion from neighbouring tribes and clans. It is a life of fear, monsters, the supernatural, little comfort and plenty of room to prove yourself as a warrior. In fact being a warrior becomes the most sought out position for men and many want to prove themselves. The mentality was that one could become immortal if you were sung about by the bards - immortalized through stories and songs.
Although by the time it was written down the Anglo Saxon and Scandanavian people had invaded Britain, many elements of the story take place before the invasion. Although this story has very strong pagan ties, it was written down by a christian poet and therefore there is a tension to try and attribute christian motives to pagan actions. (Sparknotes About Beowulf) However if you click the title you will see how the traits of Beowulf uncover the mentality of the society it was originally created in.
THE BOOKS
This section will give you a little historical and cultural context about each of the texts. Click the title of any of the works to see an in depth analysis about the characteristics the literary hero in that text embodies and how that can give us an inside look into the historical society and what their ideologies/beliefs were. The information gathered here is taken from class material as well as various sources on the internet. At the end of each historical blurb you will see the word source, clikcing on these links will bring you to the sources I used for each blurb.
Le Morte D'Arthur
Written by Thomas Malory, the only author of these texts that there is concrete information on, it was first written in 1470 while he was in prison. The story mirrors what was happening in society at the time. During the period it was written it seemed that the kingdom of Britain was doomed to fall to pieced. There was much turmoil between kingdoms/monarchs and Malory himself was a soldier turned rebel. Malory is playing a Merlin like role by showing his readers what they should be doing (Cliffnotes).
He writes about the forces that bring a kingdom or society into existence and those that can also destroy it. He writes about brotherhood, and leaning on those chivalric ideals presented in earlier texts, shows us seemingly virtuous knights. All of his characters are seemingly perfect, yet all have a very vital flaw. Through the variety of literary heroic figures that are presented in this text we can see the values that Malory is trying to endorse and why those values would be important to a society in turmoil.
Grettir The Strong
​The Saga of Grettir the Strong is written by an unknown author and part of the Icelandic Saga. They were all written in the 13th or 14th century, yet take place in the 9th-12th century - the time that Iceland was being settled (Wikipedia Grettis Saga). Literature is and always has been the backbone of Icelandic patriotism and how they identify with their nation. It is written after the age of settlement has finished because there is no more land to parcel out. Iceland was a independent republic from 930-1264, during this time (which is also the time of the saga) they were ruled by a legislative and judicial parliament (Short 2). Since there was no king a group of lawkeepers got together annually to deal with any cases/punishments/lawbreakers etc.
Grettir is the story of a hero who is outlawed for the better part of his existence; being an outlaw is the worst punishment that could be given. The story focuses on the commoners and chieftans that settled Iceland. Grettir becomes a sort of backward hero figure within the text and through him we can see what the Icelandic communities of the time valued - don't believe me just click on the title!
Source and another source
The Song of Roland
​This text is written down in the mid to late 11th century, in France, by an unknown author. It is a text based off of the historical attack that happened in 778 on Charlemagne's rearguard, however, it is written after this attack happened during the first crusades against the Muslims (it has been suggested that it was written, in part, to be propaganda) (Wikiedia Song of Roland). When this is written down Charles the Great has become a romantacized hero figure.
This story is a mythification of this event, because in the real event Charles the Great did not win against the Saxons (Sparknotes About Song of Roland). Although Charlemagne has become a superhuman figure at this point, it is Roland who is the hero figure of this story (although arguments, that I will touch on, can also be made that Oliver is also a hero figure as the counterpart to Roland). Through the importance put on the figure of Roland in the story we can see, and you can see it too by clicking the title, the qualities that this society valued
Source and another source
The Lais of Marie de France
​The Lais are an Anglo Norman French text written in the late 12th century by Marie last name unknown (little is known about the author) (Wikipedia The Lais). The stories mark the transition from medieval stories about warriors to medieval stories about courtly love. This is where the idea of chilvary and love in literature originates. During the time these were written the men of the castles would go off hunting or to war and leave the managing of the castle to the ladies of the court. Therefore the entertainment that the bards would present become directed at the ladies and thus the writing became about love and chilvary. Courtly love was a paradigm to the relationship of a lord being a vassal for their king, instead men were now vassals of their lady loves.
These Lais were written to be both entertaining and provide crucial moral lessons and rules about love and courtship. Through the literary Hero or Heroines (depending on how you look at it) in these lais we can gather what their society valued and possibly what change Marie was trying to evoke in her society.