In this Book
- A Medieval Storybook
- Book
- 2013
- Published by: Cornell University Press
From the rich store of medieval tales, Morris Bishop brings together a delightful collection of thirty-five stories. Some are romantic, some religious, some realistic, some even scurrilous. There are merry tales and moral tales, sagas, allegories, and fables. They vary widely in theme and their characters represent every class of medieval society. The tales in A Medieval Storybook vividly illustrate medieval life and thought. Above all they excel as stories, and demonstrate the high level attained by narrative art in the Middle Ages and the great gift the medieval writers had for creating lively and memorable characters. Some of the stories in the book were translated by Bishop; others were translated in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Line drawings by Alison Mason Kingsbury add considerably to the charm of this collection.
Table of Contents
- I. Romances of King Arthur's Court
- The Story of Merlin
- pp. 3-12
- The Sword in the Stone
- pp. 13-22
- Lancelot, Elaine, and Guenever
- pp. 23-44
- Tristan's End
- pp. 45-62
- II. Adventures and Escapades
- The Story of Frithjof and Ingebjorg
- pp. 65-91
- Amleth's Revenge
- pp. 92-102
- A Knight Who Made a Bargain with a Merchant
- pp. 103-137
- The Cruelty of Francesco Orsini
- pp. 138-141
- A Night in Naples
- pp. 142-154
- III. Lovers' Weal and Woe
- The Dapple-Gray Palfrey
- pp. 157-176
- The Lay of the Nightingale
- pp. 177-180
- The Falcon
- pp. 181-186
- IV. Wonders and Prodigies
- The Life of Saint Brandon
- pp. 189-204
- The Famour History of Friar Bacon
- pp. 205-218
- V. Moral Tales
- The Execrable Devices of Old Women
- pp. 221-223
- Of the Cunning of the Devil
- pp. 224-226
- Of the Transgressions and Wounds of the Soul
- pp. 227-229
- Of Extreme Fear
- pp. 230-232
- The Cleric Who Deflowered a Jewish Maiden
- pp. 239-241
- How the Novice Theobald Conquered His Pride
- pp. 242-243
- Friar Juniper
- pp. 244-258
- VI. Merry Tales and Salty Fictions
- Of the Churl Who Won Paradise
- pp. 261-263
- A Dean and a Magician
- pp. 264-269
- King Ben Abit and Queen Romaquia
- pp. 270-272
- A Profound Judgment
- pp. 273-274
- The Pear Tree
- pp. 275-276
- Fra Cipolla
- pp. 277-285
- A Father's Wise Counsel
- pp. 286-289
- The Rustic Ambassadors
- pp. 290-293
- The Noble Crest
- pp. 294-296
- Sacchetti and the Astrologer
- pp. 297-299
- The Blind Man of Orvieto
- pp. 300-304
- The Reeve's Tale
- pp. 305-312