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.
A medieval Latin poem subtly adapted the shepherdess, sheep, knight and wolf theme of the pastourelle to redeem the Christian church from gynocentrism. … Read the post radical pastourelle: redeeming men sheep from gynocentrism
That men don’t caring about birth control is myth. From the ancient Greek Peisistratus to men today, birth control has been urgently important to men. … Read the post men’s concern for birth control from Peisistratus to the present
The Carmina Burana’s medieval Latin poem Si linguis angelicis mocks bitter men left with women fantasies and delusions of courtly love. … Read the post courtly love ideology leaves bitter men with only fantasies
Men’s sadomasochistic interest in penal sex has prevented the achievement of gender symmetry in love. … Read the post blame men for lack of gender symmetry in love
Amid their learned classical references, cleric-scholars’ 12th-century Latin lyrics from the Carmina Burana show carnal love trumping reason. … Read the post cleric-scholars’ Latin lyrics long for bodily action