PY - R - W2 - Breton Lai

Question 1

LE BRETON LAI (general definition)

Answer 1

Narrative or Lyrical Poem intended to be Sung

Question 2

Lais stories

Answer 2

stories of romance associated with Celtic legends

Question 3

Lais (features)

Answer 3

• Aristocratic Characters
• Love-Crises
• Otherworldly visions
• Dependence on magic
• Illusion to advance Plot (fairy-world proper involved)
• Music (and music performance in narrative)
• Diversion from tragedy.

Question 4

Origin of Lais

Answer 4

• Marie de France (12th C. noblewoman)
• Anglo-Norman
• Literary Poetic transcript of Breton Minstrels pop Tales.

Question 5

Middle English Breton Lai (examples)

Answer 5

• Havelok the Dane
• Sir Orfeo,
• The Franklin’s Tale (Chaucer)
• Sir Gawain & the Green Knight

Question 6

Middle English Lais (Common Element)

Answer 6

Concern with Values of Nobility:

• gentillesse
• franchise
• shame
• trouthe (honnesty, trught, honnor)

Question 7

Lais (Consitent Traits)

Answer 7

• Identify themselves as lais (poems of Britanny)
• Combine orality w/ literacy ( insist their sung origin poems even if to be read)

Question 8

1100-1500 (language)

Answer 8

Middle English - written language of England

Question 9

Middle English General Rule (pronunciation)

Answer 9

• Sound out every letter and every syllable.
• If a word looks French, say it so.

Question 10

OPEN long Vowels (Middle English Pronunciation)

Answer 10

Modern English
‘‘oa’’ = / o:/
‘‘ea’’ = / É›:/

Question 11

CLOSED long Vowels (Middle English Pronunciation)

Answer 11

Modern English
‘‘oo’’ = / É”:/
‘‘ee’’ = / e:/

Question 12

sym. (p)

Answer 12

• thorn
• voiced + voiceless
• Middle English

Question 13

sym. (3)

Answer 13

• yogh
• y
• Middle English