Cultural Difference and Material Culture in Middle English Romance

<p>This book explores how the cultural distinctions and conflicts between Anglo-Saxons and Normans originating with the Norman Conquest of 1066 prevailed well into the fourteenth century and are manifest in a significant number of Middle English romances including <i>King Horn</i> <i>Havelok the Dane</i> <i>Sir Orfeo</i> <i>Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</i> and others. Specifically the study looks at how the material culture of these poems (architecture battle tactic landscapes) systematically and persistently distinguishes between Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultural identity. Additionally it examines the influence of the English Outlaw Tradition itself grounded in Anglo-Saxon resistance to the Norman Conquest as expressed in specific recurring scenes (disguise and infiltration forest exile) found in many Middle English romances. In the broadest sense a significant number of Middle English romances including some of the most well-read and often-taught set up a dichotomy of two ruling houses headed by a powerful lord who compete for power and influence. This book examines the cultural heritage behind each of these pairings to show how poets repeatedly contrast essentially Norman and Anglo-Saxon values and ruling styles.</p><p></p>