Research Guides: ENGL 3610: Medieval Literature: Background Research

Background Research

The medieval world was vastly different from our own. Because customs, philosophies, and language have changed so much, I recommend you begin your research by digging into the historical context of your chosen text. There are several sections of the library's book collection that contain useful background and context:

Topic	Call Number Section
British Medieval Literature	PR 171-369
French Medieval Literature	PQ 1300-1595
Norse Medieval Literature	PT 7101-7338
Medieval British History	DA 129-260
Medieval French History	DC 60-109
Medieval Norse History	Denmark: DL 160-183.9; Iceland: DL 335-380; Norway: DL 460-478; Sweden: DL 660-700.9
Gender Roles in History	Sex: HQ 12-449; Family: HQ 503-1064; Man-Woman Relationships: HQ 801-801.83; Gender Roles for Men: HQ 1088-1090.7; Gender Roles for Women: HQ 1101-2030.7
Medieval Christianity	BR 160-275
Folklore	GR 1-950

You can browse our shelves virtually using the library catalog. To search by call number, change Keyword to Call Number in the first dropdown box, then type in the call number for the section you wish to browse. For best results, do not type in the entire range; you only need to type in the first call number in the section, i.e. search for DC 60 not DC 60-109.

Companion Books

I also recommend the following companions. These books contain essays by subject experts that can help you not only understand different aspects of your chosen text, but also help you narrow your topic. This is not a complete list of our companion titles. You can find more by browsing the relevant call number range or by searching our catalog with this search phrase: companion AND [author or type of literature].

Cambridge Companion to Medieval French Literature (Print Book) by Simon Gaunt and Sarah Kay (Editors)
Publication Date: 2008
Medieval French literature encompasses 450 years of literary output in Old and Middle French, mostly produced in Northern France and England. These texts, including courtly lyrics, prose and verse romances, dits amoureux and plays, proved hugely influential for other European literary traditions in the medieval period and beyond. This Companion offers a wide-ranging and stimulating guide to literature composed in medieval French from its beginnings in the ninth century until the Renaissance.
Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature (Print Book) by Malcolm Godden and Michael Lapidge (Editors)
Publication Date: 2013
This Companion has been thoroughly revised to take account of recent scholarship and to provide a clear and accessible introduction for those encountering Old English literature for the first time.
Companion to Medieval English Literature (Print Book) by Michael Murphy and James Clawson
Publication Date: 2009
This Companion consists of slightly over 100 entries on some of the more important forms and conventions of Old and Middle English literature, especially as they are encountered in college classes and seminars.
Companion to Medieval Popular Romance (Print Book) by Raluca L. Radulescu and Cory James Rushton
Publication Date: 2009
Popular romance was one of the most wide-spread forms of literature in the middle ages, yet despite its cultural centrality, and its fundamental importance for later literary developments, the genre has defied precise definition, its subject matter ranging from tales of chivalric adventure, to saintly women, and monsters who become human.
Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian Legend (Print Book) by Elizabeth Archibald and; Ad Putter (Editors)
Publication Date: 2009
This Companion outlines the evolution of the Arthurian legend from the earliest documentary sources to Spamalot, and analyses how some of the major motifs of the legend have been passed down in both medieval and modern texts.
Critical Companion to Beowulf (Print Book) by Andy Orchard
Publication Date: 2007
A Critical Companion to Beowulf contains an initial introduction to the poem, attention is focused on such matters as the manuscript context and approaches to dating the poem; the particular style, diction, and structure of this most idiosyncratic of Old English texts; the background to the poem (considered not simply with respect to historical and legendary material, but also in the context of myth and fable); the specific roles of selected individual characters, both major and minor; and the original intended audience and perceived purpose of the poem.
Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture (Print Book) by Rory McTurk (Editor)
Publication Date: 2007
This major survey of Old Norse-Icelandic literature and culture demonstrates the remarkable continuity of Icelandic language and culture from medieval to modern times.

Library Help

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