Medieval Language, Literature, and Society: Key Aspects
Medieval Language and its Influence
What did the Latin language mean? Although during the tenth century, Romance languages emerged in their oral form, Latin maintained its reputation as the language of the church, political power, education, and culture. During the medieval era, there was significant literary production in Latin, alongside the literature that was developing in the various Romance languages. Furthermore, Latin became a universal language for communication and exchange between countries.
Why have older texts, especially legal codes and religious sermons, survived? Both legal texts and religious sermons, such as homilies, had a clear public dimension. It was necessary to ensure they reached people for law enforcement or to instruct believers. Because these were important documents, copies were made, and fortunately, some have survived.
Minstrels and Feudal Society
What was the job of a minstrel and their role in society? The role of these artists was to entertain. Acrobats, dancers, and musicians, these performers used resources such as poems written for gentlemen. Minstrels did not read; they memorized the text. They sang the words, which helped them remember, and recited with musical accompaniment.
Feudal Society Structure
How was feudal society structured? Feudal society had a pyramidal structure, with the king and pope at the apex, followed by the nobility and chivalry, then clerics and monks, and finally, the working people. This structure is reflected in three types of literature: religious, chivalric or courtly, and popular. These forms coexisted, but they do not encompass the full complexity of medieval literature.
The Church’s Influence
What influence did the church have on culture and literature? The church was behind the birth or resurgence of many literary forms during the medieval period. The theater developed closely related to religious ceremonies, both inside and outside churches. Also, the works of Ramon Llull exemplify doctrinal literature, which presented a wide range of expressive possibilities and contributed to the development of the Catalan language.
Royal Chancery and Language
What was the royal chancery and its relationship with the Catalan language? The royal chancery was the administration of the Crown of Aragon. The institution monitored the writing and linguistic uniformity of royal documents written in Latin, Catalan, or Aragonese, the three official languages. A group of secretaries with strong rhetorical training worked during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to establish a more uniform language, adjusting morphology and syntax.
The Rise of the Bourgeoisie
What did the presence of the bourgeoisie in cities bring to cultural life? The bourgeoisie reinforced active cultural life in two ways. First, they developed a literature that went beyond the courtly world, reflecting bourgeois interests. Second, the first publishing companies began to appear, initially linked to craft workshops, but with the introduction of printing in the fifteenth century, a small industry was born that evolved and progressed over time.
Humanism and its Impact
How does humanism, exemplified by Petrarch, relate to culture? Petrarch, in the fourteenth century, is considered the starting point for a new cultural sensibility. In contrast to previous centuries of religious and theocentric dominance, humanism became anthropocentric, placing human beings at the center. Humanists believed that the foundation of any culture should be in language and the arts, through the study, commentary, and imitation of the great classical authors. This is the essential factor in the study of humanities: language and literature, classical examples of clarity and beauty, should be the basis of any doctrine or project.
Doctrinal Literature
How was doctrine and literature expressed during the medieval period? During the medieval period, the church was intensely dedicated to educating all social sectors. Doctrinal literature expressed Christian beliefs and defenses. The message was the priority, and all formal and rhetorical possibilities of literature were used to serve it. This intention was manifested in the preaching of clerics and in theatrical performances, both in religious ceremonies in Latin and in dramatic representations.
Ramon Llull’s Conversion
What led Ramon Llull to reorient his life? What project did he undertake? Ramon Llull experienced a conversion that led him to change his life: he left his family, the court, and wealth to serve God. He believed he should convert non-believers, write books to combat the errors of other beliefs, and persuade political and ecclesiastical authorities to found schools and monasteries to prepare future missionaries of the Christian faith.