The Carmina Burana {Songs from Benediktbeuern} is the largest and most important medieval European poetic anthology. Found at the Benedictine monastery of Benediktbeuern about 50km south of Munich, it was probably written about 1230 in South Tyrol. It has been preserved as MS. Bavarian State Library, Munich, clm 4660/4660a.
The Carmina Burana consists mainly of accentual, rhyming Latin verse. It also includes some German verse (about 7% of the verses) and a Latin-French macaronic poem.
The Carmina Burana represents the true vibrancy and diversity of medieval European culture. It encompasses moral-satirical verse, love poems, drinking poems, and religious plays. The love poems show medieval men’s ardent, fleshly love for women and represent men’s great suffering in lovesickness. These poems embrace God’s love in the flesh and relish the divine promise of seminal fruitfulness.
With an atomic theory denying immortality, Lucretius wrongly associated penetration with destruction rather than joy and creating new life. … Read the post Lucretius’s atomic theory lacks bodily penetration & immortality
Resisting the common superlative “flower of flowers {flos florum},” a medieval poet insisted on his beloved women actually being as lovely as a flower. … Read the post flower of flowers: beloved woman as loveliest flower
In medieval Easter plays and resurrection poems, harrowing of Hell starts with repentance. Then Jesus frees captive souls and renews the earth. … Read the post Christian hope for release from Hell implies repentance
True love between woman and man is incarnate reality of living embrace, not abstract reasoning or dreamy ideals. Medieval women taught men that. … Read the post medieval women taught men about true love
The 12th-century cleric Serlo of Wilton outdid Ovid in love poetry, then became a Cistercian monk. Serlo exemplifies medieval men’s passionate love. … Read the post Serlo of Wilton shows medieval men’s love ambition