Pre-Renaissance

Pre-Renaissance

• Related closely to spread of Christianity
• Imitated Latin works
• Caedmon - 7th century
• Cynewulf - 8th century
• Venerable Bede - 673~735 AD

What Was The Poetry About?

• Highlight on feudal culture and medieval tales
• In verse and lyrical poem of brave knights and beautiful ladies
• Often sung and accompanied with musical instruments

More Poetry

• The ballads followed the rhythm of of Italian ballata and Spanish ballade
• Earliest known English poem was a hymn on the creation
• Bede marked the begining of the Anglo-Saxon poetry with "Ecclesiastical History of the English People"

Similarities to European Counterparts

• The Nibelungenlied, an epic German poem is similar to Beowulf.
• Both feature historic events intertwined with fictional stories.
• The poems take place during the 5th and 6th century.

Dante's Divine Comedy

• The Divine Comedy is an Italian epic poem; it is an allegorical piece of medieval literature. Dante's journey represents the soul’s journey towards God.
• Similarly is Piers Plowman. It is an English poem and also allegorical. The narrator's visions represent the conflict between the Catholic Church and Theology.

Similarities to European Counterparts

• The Divine Comedy is also similar to another piece of English literature, The Canterbury Tales.
• .
• Dante and Chaucer insert themselves as characters in both their works.
• The framing of both works are similar, with both being about a guided pilgrimage or journey.

Social Events of the Era

• Feudalism was the social system in medieval England based on land tenure. Rich and poor were dominated by the feudal system.
• Your job or occupation dictated your quality of life at the time, including your healthcare and doctors.

Christianity

• Christianity was the only recognized religion of the time, more importantly, Catholicism.
• Life was surrounded by the church, no matter if you were a serf, noble, lord, or king.
• Monks and nuns were dedicated to the Catholic church. The religion began to get questioned when the new Protestant Reformation made way.

Medieval Knights

• It was the duty of a knight to learn how to fight and serve his lord based on the Code of Chivalry.
• The qualities expected of a knight included courtesory, honor, and bravery toward women.

Historical Events

• 1347- the plauge kills many in Europe 1517 - start of the reformation
• 1099- First Crusade (many many wars across Europe and Asia are fought during this time period) 1380 - Chaucer writes the Canterbury tales
• 1382- Bible is translated to English by John Wycliff

Historical Events cont...

• 1050-1300 western europe flourishes and many changes in intellect and religion occur 1300-1500 the magnetic compass is made and helps to start more travel and trading overseas

Historical Events cont...

• 1350’s- France suffers economically because of war and black death
• 1492- Christopher Columbus sailed to America
• 1231- Spanish Inquisition begins

Art+Architecture

• Artists painted realistically and were very progressive
• influenced by Christian Byzantine art and murals to develop a style called Gothic art
• Very famous across Europe in courts and areas of nobility

Art+Architecture

• types of art practiced - fresco mural painting, tempera panel painting, book illuminations, relief sculpture, goldsmithing and other forms of metalwork
• Artists include Giotto, Ducio,

Art+Architecture

• Pre-renaissance architecture started with ancient Greek and Roman arches and Egyptian pyrimads
• Byzantine cathedrals were grand and included glass mosaics
• Gothic architecture (mid 12th century) had thinner walls, tall, grand, detail orientated, and were more Romanesque