(Talking Stone, 2021)
Paperback and E-book editions

A UNIQUE COLLECTION
OF ROMANTIC STORIES
FROM BRITAIN AND EUROPE
IN THE 12th – 15th CENTURIES



Authentically 
brought back to life
from the original medieval texts
to entertain the modern reader




Rosalind Kerven, connoisseur of myths and folktales...has translated and condensed sprawling, beautiful but inaccessible original texts from the 12th to 15th centuries into concise, elegant tales, capturing Christian, Muslim and folk influences at play in Western Europe during this period, they celebrate romantic love at the same time as offering some salient points of comparison... Whether it's simple escapism or century-spanning wisdom, this is a book to savour."

– The Independent




"Kerven's latest book is a lush retreat from the world and its troubles. In this respect, one might say it is the perfect book for these parlous times. Here one finds tales of enchantment, seduction and adventure drawn from all over medieval Europe. Love and lust are idealised, satirised, mourned and parodied in stories taken from dream poems, Arthurian legends, the letters of Abelard and Heloise, the lais of Marie de France, chivalric romance and bawdy tales of all kinds... helpful accompanying notes to each legend... stands as striking testimony to the medieval claim that serves as its epigraph: 'No one is invulnerable against love' "
– TLS (The Times Literary Supplement)




"A fine collection of medieval stories, 
some well known, others deserving to be better known 
than they are. It forms a great introduction to the whole area" 
– Helen Cooper,  Professor Emeritus of Medieval and Renaissance English, University of Cambridge


"A spicy collection... authentically and accessibly retold" 
– The Bookseller


"A well selected collection of accessible 
translations...I enjoyed looking at them!"
– Dr Andrew Dunning, curator of medieval manuscripts,
 Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

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The 12th to 15th centuries saw a great flowering of romantic literature in Western Europe, ranging from dramatic adventures in courtly love to bawdy and jocular tales. Both male and female authors also explored mystical passion, tragedy and scandal.

This unique book brings to life old stories from England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Wales, authentically retold from translations of the original texts, with informative background notes.  

Highlights include the scandalous affair between celebrity Abelard and adolescent Heloise, the heartache behind Dante's iconic Divine Comedy, the feminist City of Ladies, spicy stories from Chaucer and Boccaccio, Queen Guinevere's adultery with Sir Lancelot and the haunting Lais of Marie de France, alongside many lesser-known narratives.  

It is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the popular thought and culture of the Middle Ages.














 



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CONTENTS


 MEDIEVAL PEOPLE AND THEIR BOOKS

RETELLING MEDIEVAL STORIES

WHAT IS LOVE?


12th CENTURY


ABELARD & HELOISE (France)

FLOIRE & BLANCHEFLEUR (France)

FENICE & CLIGÉS (France)

THE LAIS OF MARIE DE FRANCE (England)
Love Knots
Werewolf
The Hawk

AUCASSIN & NICOLETE (France)

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE (Germany)



13th CENTURY

FERGUS & GALIENE (Scotland)

GUINEVERE & LANCELOT (France)

GAWAN & ORGELUSE (Germany)

THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE  (France)

THE PRINCE OF BEAUTY (Spain)


14th CENTURY


DANTE & BEATRICE (Italy)

THE LADY OF THE WELL (Wales)

STORIES FROM DECAMERON (Italy):
The Gardener and the Nuns
The Donkey Kicks Back
Surplus Love
The Price of Lust
A Muddle of Beds
The King's Appetite
The Apothecary's Daughter

THE NUN AND HER FAITHLESS LOVER (Netherlands)

STORIES FROM CHAUCER (England)
Troilus & Criseyde
The Promise

AMADIS & ORIANA (Portugal)



15th CENTURY




THE CITY OF LADIES (France)

FORTUNE'S WHEEL (Scotland)

ARTHUR, GUENEVER & LAUNCELOT (England)







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All images on this website date from the Middle Ages and are out of copyright.
Please note that only the black and white images appear in the actual book