Instructions
Welcome, brave scholar, to the age of heroes, myths, and legends! Long before books were printed, great tales were told around campfires and in the halls of kings. These stories of courage, magic, and adventure were the history, entertainment, and wisdom of their time. In these activities, you will explore how these ancient tales have survived and discover the three great story-cycles of medieval Europe.
Activity 1: Whispers and Ink
How did stories survive for hundreds of years? They began as spoken words and were later written down by scribes. Match the term to its correct definition.
| Term | Definition |
| 1. Oral Tradition | A. A culture where knowledge and stories are primarily recorded by hand in books or scrolls. |
| 2. Manuscript Culture | B. The first written version of a story, from which other copies are made. |
| 3. Archetype | C. The process of passing stories, histories, and cultural information from one generation to the next through spoken word. |
Activity 2: The Three Great Matters
Medieval storytellers organised their greatest tales into three categories, known as the "Three Matters." Read the descriptions, then place the legendary characters below into their correct "Matter."
- The Matter of Britain: Legends of the British Isles, focusing on King Arthur, his Knights of the Round Table, magic, and the quests for chivalry and the Holy Grail. The Welsh tales of The Mabinogion are a key part of this.
- The Matter of France: Stories of the Emperor Charlemagne and his twelve paladins, especially the heroic Roland. These tales are filled with epic battles against Saracens and themes of loyalty and faith.
- The Matter of Rome: Tales that retell the myths and histories of ancient Greece and Rome, including the Trojan War, the founding of Rome by Aeneas, and the adventures of Alexander the Great.
Characters: Sir Lancelot, Emperor Charlemagne, Queen Guinevere, Aeneas of Troy, Roland, Merlin the Magician, Helen of Troy, Sir Gawain.
| The Matter of Britain | The Matter of France | The Matter of Rome |
|---|---|---|
Activity 3: A Timeline of Tales
The timeline below shows when scholars estimate the stories first began in oral tradition and when the oldest surviving manuscripts were written. Notice the huge gaps! Use the timeline to answer the questions that follow.
| Date | Event / Manuscript | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| c. 5th-6th Centuries | Estimated Oral Origins of Arthurian Legends | Stories about a British warlord fighting invaders begin to circulate. |
| c. 8th-9th Centuries | Estimated Oral Origins of Charlemagne Legends | Tales of the great Emperor and his knights are told and sung. |
| c. 975-1025 CE | Surviving Manuscript of Beowulf | An Old English epic; not one of the "Matters," but shows the manuscript culture of the time. |
| c. 1100 CE | Surviving Manuscript of The Song of Roland | The oldest major work of the Matter of France is written down. |
| c. 1136 CE | Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain | A hugely popular Latin book that established the main story of King Arthur. |
| c. 1250-1350 CE | Surviving Manuscripts of The Mabinogion | Ancient Welsh myths, including some of the earliest Arthurian tales, are preserved. |
Questions:
- Approximately how many centuries passed between the estimated oral origin of the Charlemagne legends and the writing of the surviving manuscript of The Song of Roland?
- Which was written down first: Geoffrey of Monmouth's history or the tales in The Mabinogion?
- Based on the timeline, why must we be cautious when we say a story like King Arthur's is a "history" of the 5th century?
Activity 4: History as Literature
The books in these legends are not like modern history textbooks. They are a mix of memory, imagination, entertainment, and morality. In 2-3 sentences, explain one advantage and one disadvantage of learning about the past through epic stories instead of a factual textbook.
Advantage:
Disadvantage:
Your Quest for Knowledge: A Reading List
Should you wish to continue your adventures, these books offer a portal to the past. Seek them at your local library or bookshop.
The Matter of Britain
- Accessible Translation: The Mabinogion, translated by Sioned Davies. This modern translation is clear and captures the magic of the original Welsh tales.
- Scholarly Introduction: For a deeper understanding, one might consult The Arthur of the Welsh, edited by Rachel Bromwich, which explores the historical roots of the legends.
The Matter of France
- Accessible Translation: The Song of Roland, translated by Glyn Burgess. A classic and readable version of this epic poem of heroism and betrayal.
- Scholarly Introduction: Phillippa Hardman's Legend of Charlemagne in Medieval England explains how these French stories became popular across the channel.
The Matter of Rome
- Accessible Translation: The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Robert Fagles. A powerful and exciting translation of Rome's founding myth.
- Scholarly Introduction: Peter Jones's Reading Virgil: Aeneid I and II provides excellent commentary for understanding the poem's context and meaning.
Answer Key
Activity 1: Whispers and Ink
1. C
2. A
3. B (Note: B is the best fit from the options, defining the physical object central to manuscript culture. In a broader sense, an archetype is a typical example of a person/thing, but in this context, it refers to the original manuscript.)
Activity 2: The Three Great Matters
| The Matter of Britain | The Matter of France | The Matter of Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Lancelot | Emperor Charlemagne | Aeneas of Troy |
| Queen Guinevere | Roland | Helen of Troy |
| Merlin the Magician | ||
| Sir Gawain |
Activity 3: A Timeline of Tales
- Approximately 3 centuries (or 300 years) passed. (From the 8th century, c. 800, to the manuscript date of c. 1100).
- Geoffrey of Monmouth's history (c. 1136 CE) was written down before the surviving manuscripts of The Mabinogion (c. 1250-1350 CE).
- We must be cautious because the stories were told orally for over 600 years before they were written down in the form we know them. Over that time, the story could have changed dramatically, with magical elements and new characters added.
Activity 4: History as Literature
(Answers will vary, but should be similar to the following.)
Advantage: An advantage is that stories are more memorable and engaging than lists of facts, and they teach us about the values and beliefs of the people who told them.
Disadvantage: A disadvantage is that storytellers might exaggerate or invent events to make the story more exciting, so the facts can become mixed with fiction.
A Tutor’s Analytic Rubric
Presented in a Manner Befitting a Gentlewoman of Sense and Discernment
(Aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9, English, Years 8-12)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a student in possession of a good mind must be in want of a proper assessment. The following rubric, therefore, shall serve to distinguish the truly accomplished from the merely tolerable in the study of early literature and its historical situation.
| Criterion | A Most Accomplished Scholar | Of Good Understanding | A Tolerable Acquaintance | Requires Further Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehension of the Matters (AC9E8LE02, AC9E9LE02) |
The student displays a fine and penetrating understanding of the distinctions between Oral Tradition and Manuscript Culture, and between the great Matters of Britain, France, and Rome, articulating these concepts with elegance and precision. | The student demonstrates a sound knowledge of the core concepts, explaining them with general accuracy. The distinctions are understood, if not expressed with the utmost felicity. | The student possesses a partial command of the topics, and may confuse certain characters or concepts. The general idea is present, but the particulars lack definition. | The student’s understanding is marked by significant confusion, and their sentiments upon the subject are ill-formed and wanting in substance. |
| Analysis of Chronology and Source (AC9E8LY03, AC9E10LY03) |
With judicious reasoning, the student analyses the timeline to draw insightful conclusions about the nature of literary evidence, perceiving the great gulf between an event and its telling with admirable perspicacity. | The student capably interprets the timeline to answer direct questions and can form a simple but sensible argument regarding the reliability of the sources based on the dates provided. | The student can extract information from the timeline but struggles to synthesise it into a coherent argument. The conclusions drawn are of a plain and simple nature. | The student finds the timeline a source of perplexity and is unable to form a rational judgement based upon the evidence it presents. |
| Propriety of Expression and Structure (AC9E8LY06, AC9E12LY06) |
The composition is a model of sense and sensibility. The language is well-chosen, the sentences are elegantly formed, and the whole is arranged with such propriety as to be a pleasure to peruse. | The writing is clear and orderly. The student expresses their meaning without affectation, and the structure of the work is logical and sound, if not possessing the highest degree of polish. | The expression is somewhat wanting in grace and clarity. The arrangement of ideas may be irregular, causing a degree of vexation to the discerning reader. | The prose is sadly deficient in both structure and sense. The thoughts are disordered, and the meaning is obscured by a want of attention to the common rules of grammar and syntax. |