The lily and the thistle : the French tradition and the older literature of Scotland : essays in criticism

Resource Information

The work The lily and the thistle : the French tradition and the older literature of Scotland : essays in criticism represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Bates College. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

The lily and the thistle : the French tradition and the older literature of Scotland : essays in criticism

Title remainder

the French tradition and the older literature of Scotland : essays in criticism

Statement of responsibility

William Calin

Creator

• Calin, William

Subject

• Scottish literature -- To 1700 -- French influences
• Scottish literature -- To 1700 -- History and criticism

Language

eng

Summary

In 'The lily and the thistle', William Calin argues for a reconsideration of the French impact on medieval and renaissance Scottish literature. Calin proposes that much of traditional, medieval, and early modern Scottish culture, thought to be native to Scotland or primarily from England, is in fact strikingly international and European. By situating Scottish works in a broad intertextual context, Calin reveals which French genres and modes were most popular in Scotland and why. 'The lily and the thistle' provides appraisals of medieval narrative texts in the high courtly mode (equivalent to the French "dits amoureux"); comic, didactic, and satirical texts; and Scots romance. Special attention is accorded to texts composed originally in French such as the Arthurian "Roman de Fergus," as well as to the lyrics of Mary Queen of Scots and little known writers from the French and Scottish canons. By considering both medieval and renaissance works, Calin is able to observe shifts in taste and French influence over the centuries

Cataloging source

NLC

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

• dictionaries
• bibliography