Ballads and Literature
Books relating to the study of medieval ballads, Middle English and medieval literature.
A Book of Middle English
J.A. Burrow
An overview of the dialects, grammar and pronunciation of the language spoken and written in England from about 1100 to 1500. Includes examples of Middle English texts and a dictionary of common Middle English words.
Paperback: 373 pages
The Outlaws of Medieval Legend
Maurice Keen
Explores the origins, spirit, popularity and background of outlaw figures and legends in the medieval era.
Paperback: 280 pages
The Three Ravens and Other Ballads
Suzanne Guldimann
A collection of 34 traditional Scottish and English ballads arranged for harp.
Paperback: 72 pages
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
Francis James Child, Editor
Volume One of Child's definitive collection of traditional ballads is finally back in print, though not in its original form. This new edition by Loomis House includes 77 ballads from the original text and 60 additional ballad tunes culled from Child's notes.
Hardcover: 672 pages
Blind Harry's Wallace
William Hamilton of Gilbertsfield
Complete text of the epic ballad about William Wallace. Includes an excellent introduction and margin notes by Elspeth King. Original woodcut illustrations by Owain Kirby.
Paperback: 227 pages
A Celtic Miscellany:
Translations from the Celtic Literatures
Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson, Editor
Comprehensive collection of Celtic poetry and prose including hero tales, epics, reflections on nature, love, epigrams, Celtic magic poems, descriptive sketches, humor and satire, Bardic Poetry, elegies, religious reflections and more. Drawn from six Celtic sources – Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish and Manx.
Paperback: 352 pages
The Earliest English Poems
Michael Alexander, Editor
Collection of early English poetry. Provides great insight into the Anglo-Saxon literature of pre-Norman times including the works of Bede. Includes comprehensive notes.
Paperback: 192 pages
The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
Translated into modern English, these tales of a motley crowd of pilgrims drawn from all walks of life-from knight to nun, miller to monk-reveal a picture of English life in the fourteenth century that is as robust as it is representative.
Paperback: 528 pages
Beowulf
Seamus Heaney
The Anglo-Saxon epic, composed between the 7th and 10th centuries, in which warriors must back up boasts with instant action, monsters abound, and fights are always to the death. Translation and analysis by poet Seamus Heaney.
Paperback: 215 pages
The Lais of Marie De France
Glyn S. Burgess, Translator
Twelve short stories about romance or adventure in verse, based on popular folklore from medieval Breton. Includes notes by the translator.
Paperback: 176 pages
Middle English Romances
Stephen H.A. Shepherd
A collection of seven pre-Renaissance English romantic poems. Includes critical essays with comprehensive glossaries and annotations.
Paperback: 514 pages
The History of the Kings of Britain
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Epic chronicle completed in 1136, spanning centuries of British history, from the founding of Britain by Brutus to the coming of the Saxons. Features the first mention of legendary figures King Arthur and King Lear.
Paperback: 384 pages
The Complete Romances of Chretien De Troyes
David Staines
Earliest Arthurian romances, translated from French with comprehensive notes. Stories of courtly love and of knight tested in their devotion to chivalric ideals, thrilling wonder stories of giants, wild men, tame lions, King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Gaiwain, Perseval and the other knights and ladies of famous romances.
Paperback: 576 pages
The Song of Roland
Glyn S. Burgess, Translator
Based on the massacre in 778 of Charlemagne's rearguard in northern Spain, The Song of Roland transforms a legendary defeat into an epic clash between Christianity and paganism. The oldest extant epic poem in French, celebration of the crusading and feudal values of the 12th century.
Paperback: 224 pages
The Quest of the Holy Grail
Pauline Matarasso, Editor
A combination of Celtic myth and Arthurian romance, The Quest is an absorbing allegory of man's perilous search for the grace of God.
Paperback: 304 pages
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Keith Harrison
Originating from the north-west midlands of England, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is based on two ancient Celtic motifs – the Beheading and the Exchange of Winnings – brought together by the anonymous 14th century author.
Paperback: 160 pages
Parzival
A.T. Hatto, Translator
Parzival, an Arthurian romance, was completed in the first years of the thirteenth century. The world of knighthood, of love and loyalty and human endeavor despite the cruelty and suffering of life, is constantly mingling with the world of the Grail, affirming the inherent unity between man's temporal condition and his quest for something beyond human existence.
Paperback: 448 pages
Tristan
A.T. Hatto, Translator
13th century German version of this legendary romance - in which Tristan and Isolde, who is promised to Tristan's uncle King Mark, drink a potion that causes them to fall in love.
Paperback: 384 pages
Lancelot of the Lake
Corin Corley, Translator
Written in the early 13th century and universally considered a major work of European literature, Lancelot greatly influenced Malory, Tennyson, T.H. White and others. This edition presents, for the first time in English translation, the original, short version, which tells of Lancelot's childhood, his arrival at King Arthur's court, and the flowering of his legendary love affair with Queen Guinevere.
Paperback: 480 pages
Le Morte D' Arthur
Robert Graves, Translator
Splendid rendition of Malory's masterpiece, faithfully preserving the original flavor – that of banners and bloodshed, knights and ladies, Christians and sorcerers, sentiment and savagery. A vivid medieval tapestry woven about a central figure who symbolizes the birth of an age of chivalry.
Paperback: 512 pages
Also on Mostly Medieval:
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Exploring the Middle Ages
Research articles about life in the Middle Ages. Ballads, religion, heraldry, medicine and more.
In the Exploring the Middle Ages section. -
Downloads
Backgrounds, letters, avatars and more for websites, blogs, and newsletters. Desktop wallpapers for personal use.
In the Downloads section. -
Travels in the UK
Travelogue of a journey through northern England and Southern Scotland. Visits to castles, cathedrals, ruins and more.
In the Travels in the UK section.
