Friday, July 15, 2022

Ten Essential Works of Medieval Literature in the English Language





I have not read all of the following titles. I hope to do so soon, however.


Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Everyman

Beowulf*

Piers Plowman by William Langland

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Caedmon's Hymn

Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory

The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe

Pearl


You may ask why these titles I have chosen? Well, it's hard to imagine Medieval literature without Chaucer. While several of his works are significant to understanding the literary world that Medieval people imagined, The Canterbury Tales is fundamental. Then again, so are the Arthurian stories. Whether it is from Malory or the Pearl Poet, we can't separate the tales of King Arthur and his knights from most Medieval literature. Lastly, works like Everyman and Piers Plowman bear witness to the theological worldview of many people throughout Medieval times. 

While the works of Virgil, Ovid, Dante, and Boccaccio were composed in languages other than English, their books are nevertheless helpful to understanding Medieval literature as their stories impacted the written works of Old and Middle English. The Bible, Dante, and Ovid are three essential sources for understanding medieval literature, according to C. S. Lewis. As someone who has read all three, I agree with him. 




*Some scholars consider Old English literature distinct from Medieval literature.