Medieval Literature Glossary

A literary mode in which characters, events, and settings systematically represent abstract ideas or moral truths beneath the surface narrative.

A poetic form structured by the repetition of initial consonant sounds rather than end-rhyme, dominant in Old English and revived in the fourteenth century.

An illustrated medieval compendium describing animals and their symbolic moral or religious significance.

Relating to the Frankish dynasty of Charlemagne (768-814 CE) and the literary and cultural achievements associated with his court and successors.

A genre of Old French epic poetry celebrating the heroic deeds of knights in the service of Charlemagne.

The medieval knightly code of conduct emphasizing bravery, honor, courtesy, loyalty to one's lord, and protection of the weak.

A literary convention depicting idealized, codified romantic devotion between a knight or poet and a noble lady.

A literary form in which the narrator falls asleep and experiences a dream that conveys allegorical, philosophical, or prophetic meaning.

A long narrative poem recounting the heroic deeds of a legendary figure, often reflecting the values and history of a culture.

A literary form that critiques society by examining and satirizing the three traditional social orders: clergy, nobility, and commoners.

A short illustrative story or anecdote used in sermons and didactic writing to teach a moral lesson.

A short, comic, often bawdy verse narrative popular in medieval France, typically featuring trickery and satirical portrayals of everyday life.

A literary technique in which an overarching story encloses one or more embedded tales told by characters within the outer narrative.

The genre of writing devoted to the lives of saints, recounting their virtues, miracles, and martyrdoms.

The system of literary production and transmission in which texts were copied by hand, typically by monastic scribes, before the invention of the printing press.

A form of medieval allegorical drama depicting the struggle between virtues and vices for the human soul.

A medieval dramatic form presenting biblical narratives, performed in cycles by trade guilds during religious festivals.

The transmission of literature, history, and culture through spoken word rather than written text, fundamental to the origins of many medieval literary works.

Texts concerned with sin, confession, penance, and spiritual guidance, including manuals for confessors and guides for moral self-examination.

A medieval narrative genre featuring knights on quests that test chivalric virtues, typically involving adventure, love, and supernatural elements.

A prose narrative originating in medieval Iceland and Scandinavia, recounting the deeds of historical or legendary figures across generations.

The dominant medieval intellectual method combining Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy, influencing literary culture through its emphasis on logical argumentation and textual commentary.

A room in a medieval monastery dedicated to the copying and production of manuscripts by scribes.

A poet-musician of southern France who composed lyric poetry in Old Occitan, celebrating refined love and developing complex verse forms.

Literature written in the everyday spoken language of a region rather than in Latin, the dominant language of learning and the Church in medieval Europe.