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DescriptionMedieval literature encompasses a broad sweep of people, cultures, and styles. "Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature" offers a comprehensive account of the literary works, writers, and concepts of the Middle Ages; from 500 to 1500 CE. Covering not only European literature but also that of India, the Far East, and the Muslim world, this invaluable A-to-Z guide is one of the most inclusive single-volume references of its kind. Approximately 700 entries cover works, authors, and terms from the following cultures and languages: English: Old English and Middle English, ncluding Beowulf, Chaucer, morality play, Sir Thomas Malory, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Robin Hood, and Troilus and Criseyde; French: Joan of Arc, Marie de France, Parzival, The Song of Roland, and Francois Villon; Provencal: troubadours and Peire Vidal; Celtic: Cuchulain, The Mabinogion, and Ulster cycle; German: The Nibelungenlied, Tristan, Ulrich von Lichtenstein, and Gottfried von Strassburg; Old Norse: Egil's Saga, skaldic poetry, and Snorri Sturluson; Latin: Peter Abelard, Bede, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae, Psychomachia, and St. Augustine of Hippo; Japanese: Muromachi Period, The Pillow Book, and The Tale of Genji; Chinese: The Story of Ying-ying and Li Po; Islamic: Omar Khayyam, the Koran, and The Thousand and One Nights; Indian: Govindadasa and Mahadeviyakka; Spanish; Hebrew; and more. The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature includes around 700 entries, covering the time period roughly 500 to 1500 C.E. Entries include authors, works, genres, and other literary and historical terms that inform the literature of the period. The encyclopedia targets upper-level high-school students and lower-level undergraduates. Alphabetical, cross-referenced entries are generally half a page to a page, and many are followed by bibliographies. Aids to access include a table of "Writers Covered, by Language of Composition" and an author time line. Each entry concludes with a bibliography, and a selected bibliography of more general reference works and primary and secondary sources rounds out the book. Witers from 25 language are covered, representing a variety of African, east Asian, European, Indian subcontinent, and Middle Eastern cultures. (In contrast, the Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature, published by Greenwood in 2000, concentrates on British literature, with no entries for Chinese, Indian, and northern European literatures.) Entries on religious works and movements are included, although there are no general entries on homilies, monasteries, or the role of monks. Oddly, this volume expects students to look under Vulgate, The for an entry on the Bible. Given the inclusion of such a wide range of cultures, translation and contact feature prominently. Also covered is the influence of women writers, including entries on individual women writers and overviews on women writers from some cultures. The author is a seasoned scholar with the experience necessary for the undertaking. Expansive in breadth but still accessible, the Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature is recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries. It is an inclusive, easy-to-use volume providing a wide cross section of literature that challenges narrow views of the literature of the time. Sharing Widget |