Module convenor for 2017-18: Dr Sarah Wood

This module (15 CATS) will be taught by weekly seminars of 1.5 hours. It can be taken alone or alongside Further Explorations II.

In 2017-18 the module will be taught in Term 2.

Module aims and outline

This module aims to extend students' knowledge of some of the major genres and preoccupations of Middle English literature, building on their first year taster module, EN121 Medieval to Renaissance literature. It will introduce them to the major genres of popular romance and literature for, and by, women. In addition to strengthening students' linguistic abilities in late 14th and 15th-century Middle English, it will also introduce them to some earlier Middle English writing from the 13th and early 14th century.

Texts to Buy

A. Savage & N. Watson (eds and tr.) Anchoritic Spirituality: 'Ancrene Wisse' and Associated Writers (Classics of Western Spirituality Series) Paulist Press, 1991

Syllabus

Weeks 1-5 Popular Romance

We will extend our first-year knowledge of medieval romance (SGGK, the Wife of Bath's tale), by reading a variety of popular romances (the so-called pulp fiction of medieval England!). Texts will include Sir Orfeo (a romance reworking of the Orpheus myth), Sir Gowther, Sir Degare, Havelok the Dane, and Amis and Amiloun (expect blood brotherhood, illicit passion, divine disfigurement, and child sacrifice!) For an excellent survey of Middle English romances, their plots and manuscripts, I recommend The Online Database of Middle English Romance: http://www.middleenglishromance.org.uk/

For the digitalised Auchinleck manuscript (major early 14th century romance collection): http://auchinleck.nls.uk/

Week 1 Introduction to Middle English popular romance MacDonald, Pulp Fictions, Introduction 

Week 2 Middle English Breton lays: Sir Orfeo and Sir Gowther: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/laskaya-and-salisbury-middle-english-breton-lays

Week 3 Sir Degaré: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/laskaya-and-salisbury-middle-english-breton-lays

Week 4 Amis and Amiloun: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/foster-amis-and-amiloun-robert-of-cisyle-and-sir-amadace

Week 5 The Matter of England: Havelok the Dane: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/salisbury-four-romances-of-england

Each of these online editions comes supplied with an introduction and bibliography specific to each romance.

Weeks 7-10 Religious Writing for and by women

Some of the most important early Middle English writing was directed towards religious women (because they needed to learn about their faith but couldn't read Latin). Some of the most important late Middle English religious writing is by women and is heavily visionary (women couldn't be bible exegetes, but they could have visions and could claim divine inspiration). Religious women also frequently lived physically enclosed lives in anchorholds and convents in the Middle Ages (because the control of their bodies was a key concern and anxiety). We'll read some texts where several of these features intersect: Ancrene Wisse (early Middle English spiritual guidance for anchoresses; we'll read this in Modern English translation), Julian of Norwich's Revelation of Divine love (viewed from a modern perspective as the most renowned mystical text of the late Middle Ages), the Book of Margery Kempe (Margery travelled all over Europe on pilgrimage, preached and taught publicly, infuriated many, and was interrogated by the church authorities for alleged heresy), and selected female saints' Lives (virginity and sexuality are key concerns here).

Please buy Anchoritic Spirituality. For the extracts of the other texts that we'll be studying in class, plus links to the full texts, please see weblinks below.

Week 7 Extracts from Ancrene Wisse. Translated in A. Savage & N. Watson (eds and tr), Anchoritic Spirituality: 'Ancrene Wisse' and Associated Works (Classics of Western Spirituality series), Paulist Press, 1991, pbk. The relevant extracts are: Ancrene Wisse, Introduction, Part II Outer Senses, Part III Inner Feelings, Part IV Temptations (up until p. 128), Part VII Love, Part VIII Outer Rule.

Week 8 The Revelation of Divine Love of Julian of Norwich. The whole text can be read here: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/crampton-shewings-of-julian-norwich. For the extracts that we'll be studying in class, please use this link: Julian of Norwich extracts.

Week 9 Extracts from The Book of Margery Kempe. The full text is available here: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/staley-the-book-of-margery-kempe Please read the Prologue, chs 1-7, 11, 21-22, 26-31, 35-36, 52-55, 79-81, 88-89. For a modernisation of the same extracts, see here: Margery extracts.

Week 10 Middle English Female Saints' Lives: a selection of female saints' lives from http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/reames-middle-english-legends-of-women-saints The lives in question from the TEAMS edition are The Stanzaic Life of St Margaret of Antioch, The Stanzaic Life of St Katherine of Alexandria, and Osbern Bokenham's The Life of St Anne. I would also like you to read Bokenham's short prologue to his Life of St Mary Magdalene. I'll provide a handout of this, but the extract is available as a scan here: Bokenham's Prologue to the Life of St Mary Magdalene.

Assessment

The module will be assessed by 1 x 5000 word essay, due in April (Tues, week 1, term 3).

Pre-requisites

Normally, students should have taken EN 121, Medieval to Renaissance Literature, but I am happy to consider other students with some prior reading knowledge of Middle English. Visiting students wishing to take the module should have completed at least one semester of prior study of Middle English texts, and should meet with the convenor in Week 1 to discuss the suitability of the module.

Related modules

Students interested in this module may also be interested in Further Explorations in Medieval Literature II, Arthurian Literature and its Legacy, or Chaucer.

Bibliography