PK, Sep. 2015.
Chaucer notes
c. 1343-1400
Rise of the middle class, especially in London: growing importance of English
· Black Death. Influx into London from the Midlands.
o Northern forms: they, (hem) (’em)
o Loss of southern forms; verbal plural -en for -th
o Long vowel raising, beginning of the GVS
Chaucer’s friend Gower still writes in French
Chaucer’s connections via marriage
Public servant, records of his life.
Hundred Years’ War with France, travels with Edw II’s army 1359, captured and ransomed.
Marries Philipps de Roet, lady-in-waiting to Edw’s Queen Philippa
Chaucer’s son Thomas served at the court, envoy to France, Speaker of the House of Commons
Other named sons and daughters, an earl among his descendents.
Much travelled abroad on Royal business, but his later post as Comptroller of Customs in the Port of London kept him also in contact with commoners and dock-workers.
Henry IV, 1367-1413.
ME class system: nobility, church, commoners.
Rise of the middle class in the second half of the 14th century.
Canturbury Tales;
Apparently 120 stories planned originally. Only 22 completed. Ending completed.
Oldest MS is Hengwrt MS; Ellesmere MS. , Caxton printed the CT in 1476.
Hengwrt: 1400 or shortly after Chaucer’s death.
http://sd-editions.com/AnaServer?HengwrtEx+0+start.anv
Caxton, 1978 edition
http://molcat1.bl.uk/treasures/caxton/record.asp?LHPage=1v&LHvol=&LHCopy=1&RHPage=2r&RHvol=&RHCopy=1&disp=s&Linked=0#DispTop
Ellesmere:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellesmere_Chaucer#/media/File:Ellesmere_Manuscript_in_Huntington_Library.jpg
Hengwrt is now thought to have been written by Adam Pinkhurst; probably close to the original holograph. This was probably the “scriveyn” whom Chaucer empolyed as a scribe. Chaucer seems to be addressing him in this poem:
Norton says of the Canterbury Tales that they show “little moral judgement” - I can’t accept this. They are at time massively ironic, often sarcastic.
Prologue. Notes mainly from Robinson
Try also
http://www.shmoop.com/canterbury-tales-prologue/
Written c.1387
1 soote vs swete in 5
6 inspired. John 3.8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Genesis 1.2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
ruach (Hebrew) = pneuma (Greek) = spiritus (Latin): these words all have the meanings “wind, breath, spriti”
7 Aries: March 21, April 13. Taurus, Gemini Cancer ...
Chaucer’s fascination with astrology: Treatise on the Astrolabe. Litel Lowes my sonne....
17 Thomas à Becket obiit 1170
12 The nature of Pilgrimages. Cf. modern Western Africa. (Underlying religious similarities between Islamic and Christian areas Nigeria, Benin, Senegal)
Ufuoma Overa: Wahala Dey-O
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi1UkSsIpMA
17 seeke-seke. Identical rhyme. Accepted and sought-after.
20 tabard, a short sleeveless coat.
Southwark, /'sʌðək/.. Original building burnt in 1676, rebuilt, and its name corrupted to the Talbot, survived until 1876.
25 yfalle - Chaucer often uses the past participle prefix “y-” which corresponds to Old English “ge-” (cf. Modern German)
27 wolden, Midland plural. S. woldeth, N. woldes.
37 resoun: technical rhetorical term, order.
28 metre: to telle yow al the condicioun.
43 The Knight
46 freedom: “generosity of spirit”, “liberality”
49 hethenesse: Islamic & Eastern Authodox Chruch.
68 worthy-wis. ?brave but prudent?
72 verrai never means “very” in Ch.
79 The Squire.
Young man, shield-bear, in attendance on the Knight. Esquire, écuyer, scutarius (skutum). See Etymonline
80 bachelor, see Etymonline.
88 his lady grace. Old female possessive form, “lafdige”.
89 mede, pasture. mæd (mow)
96 juste, iuxtare come together, yoke. Modern spelling pronunciation “joust”, earlier ʤʊst, ʤʌst
101 The Knight’s Yeoman. (From “young man”?)
118 The Nun
120 St. Eloi, St Elegius, who refused to swear.
125 The French of Stratford attė Bowe
147 wastel, Norman form of “gastel” (cf. French gateau)
149 men, weak sg. Cf. Icelandic “maður”.
152 grey: colour uncertain. Colour terms change rapidly
163 The Nun’s Chaplain, and three priests. Only one. “Nonne’s preest” appears later in the Canterbury Tales
165 The Monk
165 for the maistrie, “pour la meastrye” surpassing all others, extremely
172 celle, subordintate outying monastry: sel
175 anacoluthon
208 The Friar
214 a pillar of the Church /of society.
220 friction between the parish preists and the wandering friars who had the powere of confession and absolution for greater crimes than the parish priests. Often charged with laxity in the imposition of a penance.
247 yeddinges, giedd
260 love-dayes eindagi máldagi bardagi[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.]
264 worsted, placename in Norfolk.
272 The Merchant
motley: fashion
311 Sergeant of the Law, servientes ad legem
287 The Clerk of Oxford
333 Franklin
335 sanguine. A ruddy face was only the outward sign of the sanguine “complexion”.
choleric, melancholy, phlegmatic, sanguine
358 Knight of the Shire: county representative in Parliament
363 Five Guildsmen
363 Haberdasher, seller of smmall articles / clothesmaker. AN hapertas, “small ware” or a type of cloth, “of unknown origin”. >Hafurtask
381 The Cook
390 The Shipman
401 If that he faught: piracy was common
413 The Doctor of Physic
416 “Astronomy” = astrology
419 the ascendant
422 the four humours: elementary qualities
cold dry hot moist
The 4 elements
cold / dry / hot / moist / natural motionearth / + / + / ↓
air / + / + / ↑
water / + / + / ↓
fire / + / + / ↑
447 Wife of Bath
479 The Poor Parson of the Town i.e. of his parish
515 the wolf miscarry. John 10.11-12 I am the good shepherd. (I do not desert my sheep though I see the wolf coming)
530 The plowman Note how Ch speaks well of the Poor Parson and his brother.
545 and myself
547 The Miller
567 bagpipe: a common instrument among the lower classes throughout Europe. Asociated with secular festivity, taverns etc. Bawdy connotations, particularly later.
- Quarrel between the Miller and the Reve: both tell bawdy tales about each other.
569 The Manciple: officer of a temple of lawyers
gentle - Ch is being very ironic, but he is never vicious
588 sette him aller cappe ealra, allra. Made fools of them all.
589 The Reeve: some sort of bailiff, administrative officer. So detailed and peculiar a description that he may be describing a certain person. Tucked clothes, rusty sword, shrewd and well-off; and he knows where he lives and how.
625 Summoner, ecclesiastica office serving summons, sniffing out offenders and blackmailing them.
647 harlot, rascal, usually male. French Provencal and Italian, unknown origin. He’s a rascval and Chaucer likes him.
670 buckler, small shield; cake = loaf of bread. ???
671 Pardoner. Dispenser of papal pardons.
689 bretful of pardon, , come from Rome al hoot
710 both a scoundrel and a “noble ecclesiast”
______
731 don’t be offended if I speak coarsely; I’m only repeating their words.
741-3 Quotes Christ and Plato to support his case.
748 My wit is short.
749 The Host
794 two tales per man there and two on the return journey.
831 and it yow recorde --- IF you recall.