Performing Medieval NarrativeEvelyn Birge Vitz, Nancy Freeman Regalado, Marilyn Lawrence DS Brewer, 2005 - 261 pages This book provides the first comprehensive study of the performance of medieval narrative, using examples from England and the Continent and a variety of genres to examine the crucial question of whether - and how - medieval narratives were indeed intended for performance. Moving beyond the familiar dichotomy between oral and written literature, the various contributions emphasize the range and power of medieval performance traditions, and demonstrate that knowledge of the modes and means of performance is crucial for appreciating medieval narratives. The book is divided into four main parts, with each essay engaging with a specific issue or work, relating it to larger questions about performance. It first focuses on representations of the art of medieval performers of narrative. It then examines relationships between narrative performances and the material books that inspired, recorded, or represented them. The next section studies performance features inscribed in texts and the significance of considering performability. The volume concludes with contributions by present-day professional performers who bring medieval narratives to life for contemporary audiences. Topics covered include orality, performance, storytelling, music, drama, the material book, public reading, and court life. |
Contents
Medieval performers of narrative and their | 6 |
Performability and medieval narrative genres | 8 |
Wynnere and Wastoure and the | 27 |
John Ahern | 41 |
Keith Busby | 61 |
Marilyn Lawrence | 89 |
Nancy Freeman Regalado | 103 |
Brian J Levy | 123 |
Common terms and phrases
amateur author Arthurian audience bien Boccaccio brigata Calogrenant Cambridge century chansons de geste chevalier Chrétien de Troyes comic court Culhwch and Olwen Dame Decameron Dioneo entertain erotic reading fabliaux Flamenca Francesco da Barberino Gautier Gautier de Coinci genres gestures Giovanni Boccaccio Gwydion harp instrument interludes italiana Jones and Jones jongleur jousts knights lady Latin lines listeners literary Literature lovers Mabinogi Mabinogion mance manuscript Marthe Marthe's medieval narrative melody Middle Ages Middle English minstrel Miracles misperformance topos Moyen musical narrator novella novelle NRCF Old French oral epics oral performance Paris passage performance of narrative play poem poet poetry prose re-performance readers reading aloud recitation repertory rhyme Roman de Renart romance Saenger Sarrasin scene sermons singer singing Sir Kay song story storytelling Studies sung tale tell tion tradition trans Tristan Turkic University Press vernacular verse vols women word-separation words written narrative Wynnere and Wastoure Ysaÿe le Triste Yvain
Bibliographic information
| Title | Performing Medieval Narrative |
| Editors | Evelyn Birge Vitz, Nancy Freeman Regalado, Marilyn Lawrence |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | DS Brewer, 2005 |
| ISBN | 1843840391, 9781843840398 |
| Length | 261 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |