Courtly culture : literature and society in the high Middle Ages
(Book)

Introduction: Fiction and Reality -- Everyday life and the feast day -- Courtly society and modern scholarship -- Literature as a historical source -- The "Praise of Times Gone By" (Laudatio temporis acti) -- An overview of the book -- CHAPTER I NOBLE SOCIETY OF THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND -- 1. Basic Concepts of the Social Order -- The law -- Lordship -- Estates -- 2. The Hierarchical Structure of Society -- The king -- The princes -- The nonprincely nobility -- The ministerials -- The urban population -- The rural population -- 3. The Economy -- Economic developments -- Trade and commerce -- The economic foundation of lordship -- 4. The Knight and Knighthood -- Ritter miles chevalier -- Noble knighthood -- The formation of the knightly class -- 5. The Court -- Itinerant lordship and the formation of permanent residences -- Court society -- The word "hofisch" (courtly) -- CHAPTER II The ADOPTION OF FRENCH ARISTOCRATIC CULTURE IN GERMANY -- 1. Society -- Economic ties -- The state of education -- Dynastic connections -- The adoption of French social forms -- 2. Language -- Language skills -- Loan words -- 3. Literature -- The chronology and geography of the transmission of French literature -- Courtly epics -- Courtly lyric -- The characteristics of the literary adaptation --

CHAPTER III MATERIAL CULTURE AND SOCIAL STYLE -- 1. Castles and Tents -- The construction of castles and palaces in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries -- The architecture of castles and palaces -- Furnishings -- Castles as instruments of lordship -- Luxurious tents -- 2. Clothes and Cloth -- Dress codes -- The sources for the history of costume -- Precious fabrics -- Sartorial extravagance -- The courtly ceremony of dress -- The beginnings of courtly fashion -- Women's clothes -- Men's clothes -- Changes in fashion -- Criticism from the Church -- 3. Weapons and Horses -- The history of armament -- The main weapons of a knight -- The social significance of weapons -- The ceremony of knightly single combat -- Horses -- 4. Food and Drink -- Food for the nobility -- The protocol of the courtly banquet -- Seating arrangements -- Service at table -- Tableware -- The organization of the meal -- Courtesy books -- Literature of feasting and carousing -- CHAPTER IV COURTLY FEASTS: PROTOCOL AND ETIQUETTE -- 1. Court Feasts -- The court feast at Mainz in 1184 -- Feast and lordship -- Lodging and food -- The festive entrance -- The ceremony of welcome -- Courtly entertainment -- Gifts -- 2. Knighting Ceremonies -- Terminology and ceremony -- The courtly ceremony of knighting -- The role of the Church -- From royal practice to mass promotion -- 3. Tournaments -- The beginnings of tournaments -- The mass tournament or melee -- The buhurt -- The single joust and the Round Table tournament -- The military, social, material, and political significance of tournaments -- Prohibitions and criticism of tournaments --

CHAPTER V THE COURTLY IDEAL OF SOCIETY

1.The Chivalrous Knight

The traditional image of the ruler

The religious concept of knighthood (militia Christi)

Courtly virtues

Ideal and reality

2. The Courtly Lady

The new image of women

Instruction for women: Upbringing and education

The parameters of women's activities

3. Courtly Love

What is courtly love?

Love marriage adultery

Love and society

CHAPTER VI CRITICISM OF COURTLY LIFE

CHAPTER VII THE LITERARY SCENE OF THE COURTLY AGE

1. Oral Culture and Literacy in Courtly Society

Lay education

Oral traditions

The development of organized writing at the secular courts

2. Patrons and Sponsors

The imperial court as a literary center

The patronage of princes

The smaller courts

The beginnings of literary life in the cities

3. Author and Audience

The social standing of the poet

The courtly audience

The impact of literature

4. The Performance and Spread of Literature

Courtly epic

Courtly lyric.