The Middle English Breton Lays (Middle English texts) - Softcover

Anne Laskaya, Eve Salisbury

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1879288621 ISBN 13: 9781879288621

Publisher: Medieval Institute Publications, 1995

Synopsis

Written approximately between 1150 and 1450, the Middle English Breton Lays emulate the Lais of Marie de France, regarded as one of the first female writers to compose poetry in her own vernacular language. Following the lai genre, these Middle English poems are short, rhymed narratives of love, marriage, and chivalry, often involving encounters with fairies and other Celtic supernatural figures. Each of the eight poems in this volume―Sir Orfeo, Lay le Freine, Sir Degare, Emare, Sir Launfal, Sir Gowther, Erle of Tolous, and Sir Cleges―reveal differences in dialect that showcase the complexity of the Breton Lay genre as representative of different English regional areas and manuscripts, and the overarching themes of each lay offer insights into medieval English family values, interpersonal morals, and romantic ideals. This edition improves upon its predecessors by furnishing introductory readers with detailed introductory statements and notes for each of the lays.

About this title

About the Authors

Anne Laskaya is Associate Professor of English at the University of Oregon.

Eve Salisbury is Professor of English at Western Michigan University where she teaches the works of late medieval poets―Dante, Boccaccio, Chaucer, Gower, Christine de Pizan, and Marie de France―Middle English and Arthurian literature, Medieval Literary Theory, British Literature I, and Medieval Drama. She has also taught a graduate seminar on medieval marriage at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

Edition details

• Publisher: Medieval Institute Publications
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1879288621
• ISBN 13: 9781879288621
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 452