Norman Conquest’s Impact on Middle English Literature
The Norman Conquest and Literary Transformation
In the Battle of Hastings, Britain was invaded once more by a powerful nation, the Normans. Consequently, French and Latin became the literary standard, and English fell into disuse as an artistic language.
The land was divided between France and England, a division that profoundly affected literature. The West Saxon dialect disappeared as a literary standard, as French became a mark of distinction. Three languages coexisted in England: Latin, English, and French.
However, at the beginning of the 13th century, the English throne lost Normandy, and Norman noblemen began using English as a sign of their nationalism.
Dominance of French Literature in Middle English
The dominance of French literature was the most important feature of the Middle English Period. The primary French influences included:
- Romance
- Allegorical and lyrical poetry
- Fabliau (a short narrative poem characterized by coarse humor)
These genres often featured themes centered around:
- Arthurian legends
- Charlemagne
- Classical heroes
Courtly love was the most famous theme, notably appearing in Roman de la Rose by Guillaume de Lorris. The topic of these poems typically involved a dream or vision where the poet dreamt of his lady.
The Alliterative Revival (14th Century)
The Alliterative Revival refers to a group of alliterative poems written in the second half of the 14th century. In these works, alliteration (not rhyme), which had been the formal basis of Old English Poetry, was again used in verse. This served as an alternative to the continental form of syllabic rhyming verse. Main exponents include Piers Plowman and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Piers Plowman Key Features and Allegory
The poem, written by William Langland, is characterized by:
- Total Allegory: Everything in the poem is allegorical. For example, the Seven Deadly Sins are each represented by a character.
- Lack of Narrative Continuity: The structure involves an interlacing of visions, expositions, semi-liturgical passages, and abrupt digressions.
- Strong Moral Message: The poem emphasizes that good works are better than merely going on pilgrimage.
- Language: Colloquial and accessible language, undecorated, and stripped to functional essentials.
The Seven Deadly Sins represented are: lust, sloth, gluttony, envy, wrath, greed, and pride.
Symbolism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Two crucial symbols define the narrative of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:
The Pentangle
According to the Gawain-poet, King Solomon originally designed the five-pointed star as his own magic seal. It is a symbol of truth, where the five points link and lock with each other, forming what is called the endless knot. Each line of the pentangle passes over one line and under one line, joining the other two lines at its ends.
The pentangle symbolizes the virtues to which Gawain aspires:
- To be faultless in his five senses.
- Never to fail in his five fingers.
- To be faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross.
- To be strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (the Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption).
- To possess brotherly love, courtesy, piety, and chastity.
The side of the shield facing Gawain contains an image of the Virgin Mary to ensure that Gawain never loses heart.
The Girdle
The meaning of the host’s wife’s girdle changes over the course of the narrative. It is made out of green silk and embroidered with gold thread, colors that link it to the Green Knight. She initially claims it possesses the power to keep its wearer from harm, but we find out in Part 4 that the girdle has no magical properties.
After the Green Knight reveals his identity as the host, Gawain curses the girdle as representing cowardice and an excessive love of mortal life. He wears it from then on as a badge of his sinfulness. To show their support, Arthur and his followers wear green silk baldrics that look just like Gawain’s girdle.