medieval epic
Knights and quests
A medieval epic is a long narrative poem from the Middle Ages celebrating heroic deeds, often featuring warriors, kings, or legendary figures in battles and quests.
Examples include *Beowulf*, *The Song of Roland*, and *El Cid*.
These works typically blend historical events with mythology, emphasizing honor, loyalty, and martial valor.
The course covered medieval epics from across Europe.
- Arthurian legendsBritish king myth tradition
- round tableEqual-status meeting format
- holy grailSupremely elusive objective
- chivalryKnightly code of honor
- knight errantRoaming medieval warrior-adventurer
divine intervention · Norse sagas · feudalism · heroism · Charlemagne · oral tradition · Beowulf · Roland · folklore traditions · moral conflict · sworn oath · heroic saga · noble deeds · oral storytelling · El Cid · courtly romance · damsel in distress · loyalty
- historical fictionhistorical fiction, historical novel, period drama, Victorian novel, historical mystery
- NibelungenSiegfried, Gunther, Burgundians, dragon slayer, cursed treasure
- Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great, Bucephalus, Darius, Alexandria, Gordian knot
- Carolingian epicsSong of Roland, Roland, Oliver, Charlemagne, chansons de geste
- Italian epicsOrlando Furioso, Ariosto, ottava rima, Angelica, Divine Comedy
medieval epicsonnet
Fourteen-line metered poem
haiku · lyric poem · epigram · short story · vignette
medieval epicslice of life
Realistic everyday depiction
mock-epic · farce · slice-of-life · comic sketch · parody