Medieval Europe II
III) Ethical Guidance and Emotional fulfillment (high middle ages)
A) Literature
1) Starts producing poems, stories and drama
2) Example
i) Song of Roland
a) epic poem
b) based on the time of
Charlemagne
c) Charlemagne has been
fighting Moslems for seven years and he finally beats them - he is worried
that the Moslems might try and attack again - he puts Roland in charge
of watching over the Moslems to make sure they don't attack - Moslems attack
Roland with 100,000 men against Rolands 20,000 men - Roland decides to
take them all on and is at first successful - Moslems are able to reinforce
- Finally Roland and two men are the only ones left alive for his army
- Moslems were scared of Roland and his two men - Roland finally calls
for support - Roland is killed - Roland goes straight to heaven - Charlemagne
finishes off the Moslems
d) values of Roland
1) loyalty -
very important to crusaders
2) Bravery -
very important to crusaders
i) right kind of bravery - Roland was so proud that he never called for
reinforcement = bad bravery or stupidness
e) emotional fulfillment
of Roland
1) crusaders
can identify with works like Roland - makes them feel like they are doing
something worthwhile
2) Helps people
deal with death for their society
i) heavens open and come down to get Roland when he dies
ii) says that if you die in a holy war you go straight to heaven
iii) takes the Islamic belief and gives it to the crusaders
ii) Lancelot (Chetien de Troyes)
a) writes about the time
of Arthur
1) Gwenivere
is stolen - lancelot is the only knight brave enough to save her - he rescues
her and decides to stay over night in the castle that he saves her at -
lancelot sleeps with gwenivere - lancelot cuts his hand when he snuck into
the castle - someone finds the blood on the sheets and they conclude that
someone slept with gwenivere - the guard Sir Kay is blamed - lancelot comes
forth to defend gweniveres honor against the accuser - lancelot wins the
fight
b) comedy?
1) intended
to make people laugh
2) during the
fight lancelot is showing off for gwenivere
3) oath is supposed
to be funny
c) lessons?
1) temptation
for adultery among upper classes due to political reasons - marriages arranged
i) 15 year old women are often married to 40 year old men
ii) lancelot and gwenivere are good people - king is an evil person - if
there were ever a couple that would be okay for adultery it would be lancelot
and gwenivere
iii) the book ends with the affair ruining the King, Lancelot, Gwenivere,
and the Empire
iv) says that there are always consequences
2) Man should
make sacrifices for a woman he loves
B) Works of Art
1) Romanesque
i) southern Europe
ii) example is the church at Pisa
2) Gothic
i) Northern style
ii) example is Notre Dame (Paris) -
flying buttresses - highly decorated to teach the bible through symbols
- stained glass windows
C) intellectual life
1) Universities
i) became larger and offered many subjects
ii) students would come to study specific
things at specific schools
iii) Started the lecture system
a) still continued today
iv) students ran the University - hiring
and firing - took control of their learning
v) Study of Medicine - fix the problems
of the people
vi) Study of Law - fix legal problems
of the world