Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature

The concept of mediaeval literature is not easy to pin down, especially on a global scale where mediaeval in one context can be ancient or classical in another contemporaneous culture. A short but admirably clear introduction sets the parameters of this volume: “c.500ad to 1500ad (from ‘Caedmon’s Hymn’ to Everyman in English)”. The emphasis is on early British literature, but the other major countries and traditions are all treated. General essays discuss particular linguistic or geographical traditions (Hispanic, German, Italian, Islamic, Welsh, etc.), while individual works from such traditions (Cantar del Mio Cid, Laxdaela Saga and others) are also...