Arthurian romances/legends《亚瑟王传奇》 亚瑟是否为一历史人物仍无法确定。传说中亚瑟王 原为威尔士国王之子，年轻时以力拔千钧之势将 插入巨石的一柄大剑拔了出来，令许多武士望尘 莫及。他用这柄宝剑征服了苏格兰和爱尔兰，娶 了美貌的桂内薇尔为妻。 《亚瑟王传奇》...以传说中的英王亚瑟为中心的故 事体和中世纪的传奇故事。这些故事记述了亚瑟 王的一生、他的骑士们的奇遇，以及他的骑士朗 斯洛(Lancelot)和亚瑟的王后桂内薇尔 (Guinevere)的奸情。
• The new literature The literature which Normans brought to England is remarkable for its bright, romantic tales of love and adventure, in marked contrast with the strength and somberness of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Anglo-Saxon literature: Battle is a way of life. Strength, courage and loyalty are basic virtues for both kings and warriors. Beowulf shows how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader.
Medieval romances or tales in verse, can be divided into three classes: • a. the Matter of France • b. the Matter of Greece & Rome • c. the Matter of Britain tales having their heroes Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.
The Norman Conquest saw the introduction of medieval French Culture, including French modes of custom manners, literature, and especially the Norman-French/诺曼法语 language into English on a large scale.
The new language : the most general immediate result of the Conquest was to make English a trilingual country, where Latin, French, and native English were spoken separately side by side for almost two hundred years after 1066. • Latin was used among the scholars in churches and courts. • French was introduced as a language of the governing and upper social class. • The native English language, which descended from Anglo-Saxon or Old English, was the common speech of the overwhelming majority of the ordinary people. P.16
The Anglo-Norman Period
• In the year 1066, at the battle of Hastings/黑斯廷战役, the Norman headed by William/威廉公爵, Duke of Normandy, defeated the AngloSaxons. William claimed to the succession of the English throne, which marked the end of the AngloSaxon period and the beginning of the “Norman Conquest”.
The four chief effects of the conquest were: • a. politics: the establishment of the feudal system • b. civilization: the bringing of Roman civilization to England • c. the new language • d. the new literature
Norman Conquest
• William I of England William I, known as William the Conqueror, was king of England from 1066 to 1087. As king, WillБайду номын сангаасam reorganized the feudal system, making all landholders swear greater loyalty to him rather than to their separate lords. William also ordered an exhaustive survey of the landed wealth in his realm.