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.
Medieval European culture supported ardent, profound love between women and men. Losing such love is a catastrophe for human welfare and society. … Read the post medieval men ardently, profoundly loved women
While old men may lack young men’s sexual vigor, medieval poetry of the Carmina Burana shows young men regarded old men as competitors in love. … Read the post medieval tension between young & old men in loving women
In meeting the Trojan woman Briseida, the ruthless, brutal Greek warrior Diomedes asked to be subservient to her in love and begged her for mercy. … Read the post Greek Diomedes madly loved Trojan Briseida during Trojan War
The bawdy pound-of-flesh motif in the Gesta Romanorum illustrates the moral range of Shakespeare’s medieval sources for The Merchant of Venice. … Read the post bawdy medieval version of The Merchant of Venice’s pound of flesh
Amid gender injustices, hate isn’t inevitable. Medieval literature shows ways that God saves men from hating beloved women whom they feel have hurt them. … Read the post medieval insight: what prevents hate amid gender injustices