EUL - European Literature Foundations Lesson

Overview of European History

Attempting to condense European history is an impossible feat. With so much rich information about the multitude of countries that create European history, highlighting the main events that affected the literature of the time is the best route.

In the beginning, ancient Greek culture spread throughout Europe and Asia, leading the classical period throughout Europe. There are certain specific dates in European history that stand out due to the importance they hold.

The Viking Age, the migrations of the Scandinavian people, was from the mid 700s to the late 1000s. The Vikings were portrayed as bloodthirsty and violent, and they traveled by ships for trade and conquest on their journeys. The Vikings ended up settling in various places throughout Europe, such as Ireland, England, Normandy, Scotland, Greenland, and Iceland among others.

In 1066, the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of Norman rule in England. King William I was crowned King of England, and French became the language of the court. The Crusades began around 1095, as the Viking Age was winding down. The Crusades were also known as "Holy Wars" intended to bring Christianity back to power. The Crusades paved pathways for trade but ended shortly after beginning.

During the Middle Ages (around 1000-1500), the Black Death—a bacteria carried by rats—caused many deaths that led to a severe decrease in the European population as disease spread. In this time period, England fought with Scotland and France.

In the 14^th Century, the printing press allowed knowledge to spread, and people began questioning traditional doctrine.   Henry VIII also split the English Church, which caused wars between German and Spanish rulers. The Spanish were the leading rulers at this point, and many revolutions occurred in England.

Throughout history, as the countries known today were shaped and populations changed, so did the countries, and the literature followed suit.

European Literature

European literature includes literature by writers who are English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Czech, Russian, Scandinavian, and Irish. Often, when discussing European literature, Shakespeare becomes the main focus because of his massive presence in literature. However, many other authors contributed greatly to European literature.

Due to the many authors and various countries that comprise European literature, the literary time periods differ according to country. However, many famous poems, plays, and stories about love come from European literature. One of the most famous tragedies about love, Romeo and Juliet, is a European drama written by William Shakespeare from England. Also, well-known stories such as "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" are originally French short stories by Charles Perrault.

European literature is known for the wealth of poems, dramas, short stories, and novels with the theme of love. Therefore, the theme of this module is "The Nature of Love." The texts in this module will connect to this idea.

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