Notes Canterbury Tales prologue

Bede (pp.74-82) & the Prologue to Canterbury Tales (pp.90-115) Collaboration Notes

Pages 74-82 Taylor

From A History of the English Church and People:

• most people were illiterate so Bede got documents through the monastery
• Britain and Ireland: Britain is an island off the coast of Germany
• land is good for grain and timber
• good pasturage for cattle/draft animals
• alot of fish
• pearls and scarlet dye extracted from shellfish
• land has many metals: copper, iron, lead, silver
• has a lot of coal
• 28 noble cities: five languages and four nations (English, British, Scots, Picts)
• Britons were first to colonize, a common language is latin 
• Scots settled ireland and Picts showed up and asked permission to join their island
• Scots refused so Picts settled on Britain, Picts took Scottish wives so the king comes from the female royal line
• Scots migrated to Britain under chieftain Reuda they are called Dalreudians

From the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:

• The Vikings split up in East Anglia and Northumbria 
• vikings defeated many earls/lords of the British king in Sussex, Kent, Essex etc.
• King Alfred ordered new longships to be built against the ash-ships
• The english engaged in a naval battle with the danes
• The danes made king edward break the peace by taking a woman 
• they got into a huge fight and a lot of people with weird names died
• they negotiated peace with northumbria and the anglians 

Pages 90-98-michael

•  Bio

• ·         Written by Geoffrey Chaucer(circa 1343-1400)
• ·         No one knows what inspired Canterbury Tales, the tale embodies medieval literature such as romance and comedy. 

• A Closer look

• ·         The story tells of a pilgrimage of all people both rich and poor together, and starts with a prologue.
• ·         There are 24 different tales through the eyes of different people on the voyage.
• ·         Captures the essence of the time, shows all parts of medieval society.

• Prologue

• ·         Canterbury is a town outside London where a cathedral stands that is the place where Archbishop Thomas a Becket was murdered in 1170
• ·         The pilgrimage began in April 1387, at an inn on the way the narrator meets a group of people who are all going on the pilgrimage and he joins their fellowship.
• ·         Among the company was, a Knight was told of many heroic tales and battles he had been through.
• ·          With him was his son and squire, some 20 years of age. He is described as being fresh and yet experienced and knew what he was doing.
• ·         There was also a Yeoman( Attendant) for the knight and squire, “he was properly Forester I guess”

• A nun, Known as Madam Eglantyne. She was pleasant and friendly in her ways; her way of smiling was very simple and coy. 

Pages 99-107 Hikaru 

• the monk has a great horse, and is a hunter
• the friar is benevolent, a beggar
• the merchant is known for his money handling skills, but is in debt
• there is a clerk who likes philosophy books, spends his money on them
• the Sergeant of Law was well respected and erudite 
• several craftsmen as part of a guild - Haberdasher as hatmaker, weaver, carpenter, tapestry maker
• a shipman who knew the seas from Tunisia to Sweden, a great seaman
• a doctor who was excellent in curing people, saved his money

Pages 108-115 Annie

the plowman was an honest worker, was a good man living by the gospel (Ten Commandments) 

the miller was a big man, very strong and hearty. He played bagpipes and stole grain. He was a brawny looking dude. 

The manciple was illiterate but very good with money.

The reeve was old and thin. He played his bussiness by the books with taxes and such. He had his rich treasure stored away. He and from Norfolk.

The summoner resembled a cherub. He had bad boils on his face. He was mean looking and scared children. He resembled an ogre. Some thought he was insane. 

The pardoner rode with the summoner. He had waxy, yellow, rat tail hair with no hood. With bulging eyeballs. Small voice. a man of  God with many relics. 

This is the story of the ranks of an aseembled company in southwark at the high class hostelry know as the tabard. 

They were all drinking. A manly man came. the man proposes that they all tell two stories on the way to Canterbury Nd two stories back, the winner gets dinner at the tavern paid by all. The man will go with them and be the judge. They all started off on the journey.