The twelfth century experienced dramatic changes throughout Europe which resulted in the so-called “Renaissance (or Reformation) of the Twelfth Century” that affected almost every aspect of medieval society. During this century we also witness the emergence of courtly literature. Between 1160 and 1191 Chrétien de Troyes introduced, under the patronage of Countess Marie de Champagne, the genre of the Arthurian romance, publishing his Erec et Enide, Cligès, Yvain ou Le Chevalier au lion, Lancelot ou Le Chevalier de la charrette and Perceval (also known as Le Conte du Graal), for which he drew much inspiration from British-Celtic sources such as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s chronicle …
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Citation: Classen, Albrecht. "German Courtly Romance". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 May 2003 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1279, accessed 21 November 2024.]
