|
|
|||
|
||||
OverviewThe epic tales of medieval France, called chansons de geste, or ""songs of deeds"", provided the chief means of cultural and imaginative expression in the French language for over one hundred and fifty years (c.1100-1250), during one of the most significant periods of social change in the history of Western civilisation. Yet they remain largely unknown to most English-speaking readers of the twenty-first century. In Heroes of the Old French Epic (Boydell, 2005) Michael Newth translated a selection of the traditional militaristic narratives dominated by male heroes. This oral-based epic genre was increasingly influenced by the ethos of romance, and the present volumeoffers full English verse translations of six more of these songs, each chosen this time to illustrate the range of roles gradually accorded to women in these originally militaristic narratives. Four key narrative roles have beenselected - woman as helpmeet, woman as lover, woman as victim, and woman as spiritual model - in order to illustrate some major changes in the social status of women that took place during the period of this popular genre's existence. These poems are a key witness to the final stages of the chansons de geste before they were overtaken by the new fashion for the fictions of courtly romance. Apart from ""The Capture of Orange"", which has never been translated into modern English verse, none of the poems have yet appeared in English translation. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Michael A.H. Newth , Michael A.H. NewthPublisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd Imprint: D.S. Brewer Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 3.40cm , Length: 23.40cm Weight: 0.001kg ISBN: 9781843843610ISBN 10: 1843843617 Pages: 434 Publication Date: 20 March 2014 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviews...an interesting collection for those interested in the genre or in women in medieval France. CHOICE Author InformationRetired. Michael Newth was Co-ordinator of Languages Other Than English for the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, Australia. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |