SEVEN DEADLY SINS

The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of the most objectionable vices which has been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen man's tendency to sin. It consists of "Wrath", "Avarice", "Sloth (deadly sin)", "Pride", "Lust", "Envy", and "Gluttony".
The Catholic Church divided sin into two principal categories: "Venial sins", which are relatively minor, and could be forgiven through any Sacramentals or Sacraments of the church, and the more severe "Capital" or Mortal sins. Mortal sins destroyed the life of grace, and created the threat of eternal damnation unless either absolved through the sacrament of Confession, or forgiven through perfect contrition on the part of the penitent.
Beginning in the early 14th century, the popularity of the seven deadly sins as a theme among European artists of the time eventually helped to ingrain them in many areas of Christian culture and Christian consciousness in general throughout the world. One means of such ingraining was the creation of the mnemonic "SALIGIA" based on the first letters in Latin of the seven deadly sins: superbia, avaritia, luxuria, invidia, gula, ira, acedia.

To begin a discussion of the Seven Deadly Sins, also known as "capital sins," it may be useful to discuss a few differences among Christians on this subject. Some people feel it is better to take a more positive approach to faith and not dwell on sin. Others believe all sin is equally repugnant to God, and so any classification of sins is wrong. Still others just want to forget the whole thing since they are saved and God loves them and really doesn't care about all this "stuff."
‘Self-knowledge’ follows closely behind the knowledge of God, and self-knowledge for anyone means knowledge of sin. "My own heart shows me the way of the ungodly." Scripture says we are all sinners, and we don't mind as long as the sins are nameless and faceless. When we name a sin found in ourselves it is as though we are confronted in the back alleys of our souls with furtive saboteurs and muggers who seek to prevent our union with God. The sudden self-revelation of a serious fault is one thing: the discovery of a deadly sin which we hate very much in others is worse. It is like finding out a spouse is unfaithful, or worse, that we have been blindly unfaithful to the Spouse of our soul.

COUTLY LOVE
Courtly Love is the celebration of sexual love between men and women. According to C. S. Lewis (1936), the poetic conventions developed to express it became important elements in the literature of the west during the later Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The term "courtly love" is vague and complex because the kinds of behavior it is used to specify developed in different ways in many kinds of literature over a long period of time.
The courtly lover is characteristically a knight, though the poet himself is more often than not a man of more humble origin. The troubadour (or poet) is the medieval equivalent of a raveling folksinger who plays other people's songs as well as his own. If he is talented and lucky, and can find a hospitable lord or lady with money, he performs regularly at a castle.

The beloved (the lady) to whom the song is addressed is a stereotype. Physically she is blond and fair, with stylized features and figure that vary little within the tradition.
The affair of the lover and his lady normally begins in April or May, and the stirrings of the lover are associated with the powers of nature in the springtime. Trees come to life, flowers bud, birds (especially nightingales, cuckoos, and larks) begin to sing and seek their mates, the whole earth is warmed by breezes and quickened by rain. The first stages of love fascinated the troubadours. According to A Natural History of Love (1967) the "flicking emotions and trembling moments" the lovers shared together were something wonderful. Sexual intercourse was believed to put an end to such happiness and was not of interest to the lovers. They preferred gazing into each other eyes, having secret codes, having the fear of being discovered and the ongoing pain of being separated. It is assumed that the songs of the troubadours were the direct reflection of the social behavior in the courts of France. The troubadours developed a cult of platonic love and sang an impossible passion for an unattainable noblewoman, proclaiming how lovely she was and how, despite her scorn, they would continue to adore her. A troubadour was expected to think himself well regarded for ten years of devotion by the gift of a single rose.

Troubadour poetry was of many kinds, only of some of which praised "true love"; and of these, some celebrated a love that seems more divine than human. The Allegory of Love (1936) gives a perfect example of the secret love story of Lancelot and Guinevere. The story turns mainly on the queen's captivity in the mysterious land of Gorre, where those that are native can go both in and out but strangers can only go in, and on her rescue from there by Lancelot. Lancelot sets out to find the queen but encounters many tribulations. When Lancelot finds Guinevere, she is very cruel to him and when she forgives him his trials are not yet over. The tournament at the end of the poem between other knights gives Guinevere another opportunity of exercising her position of power. Guinevere, in disguise, sends a message ordering him to do his poorest. Lancelot obediently lets himself be humiliated, mocked, and laughed at by his fellow peers. Lancelot's submission reveals his religious devotion towards Guinevere. He treats Guinevere with saintly, if not divine, honors. This is a perfect example of courtly love.

This is the most interesting topic that I studied because of the fact that the knights’ love was so bıg that they were worshipping the ladies and they don’t see anything other than them. I wonder if there is such a love in today’s world.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance outlining an adventure of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. In the tale, Sir Gawain accepts a challenge from a mysterious warrior who is completely green, from his clothes and hair to his beard and skin. The "Green Knight" offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts, and beheads him in one blow, only to have the Green Knight stand up, pick up his head, and remind Gawain to meet him at the appointed time. The story of Gawain's struggle to meet the appointment and his adventures along the way demonstrate the spirit of chivalry and loyalty.
In addition to its complex plot and rich language, the poem's chief interest for literary critics is its sophisticated use of medieval symbolism. Everything from the Green Knight, to the beheading game, to the girdle given to Gawain as protection from the axe, is richly symbolic and steeped in Celtic, Germanic, and other folklore and cultural traditions. The Green Knight, for example, is interpreted by some as a representation of the Green Man of Celtic legend and by others as an allusion to Christ.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an important poem in the romance genre, which typically involves a hero who goes on a quest that tests his ability. The ambiguity of the poem's ending, however, makes it more complex than most. Christian readings of the poem argue for an apocalyptic interpretation, drawing parallels between Gawain and Lady Bertilak and the story of Adam and Eve. Feminist interpretations disagree at the most basic level, some arguing that women are in total control from beginning to end, while others argue that their control is only an illusion. Cultural critics have argued that the poem is best read as an expression of tensions between the Welsh and English present at the time in the poet's dialect region. The poem remains popular to this day, through translations from renowned authors like J. R. R. Tolkien and Simon Armitage, as well as through recent film and stage adaptations.
•
The story begins in Camelot on New Year's Eve as King Arthur's court is feasting and exchanging gifts. A large Green Knight armed with an axe enters the hall and proposes a game. He asks for someone in the court to strike him once with his axe, on condition that the Green Knight will return the blow one year and one day later.[3] Sir Gawain, the youngest of Arthur's knights and nephew to the king, accepts the challenge. He severs the giant's head in one stroke, expecting him to die. The Green Knight, however, picks up his own head, reminds Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel in a year and a day (New Year's Day the next year) and rides away.
As the date approaches Sir Gawain sets off to find the Green Chapel and complete his bargain with the Green Knight. His long journey leads him to a beautiful castle where he meets Bertilak de Hautdesert, the lord of the castle, and his beautiful wife; both are pleased to have such a renowned guest. Gawain tells them of his New Year's appointment at the Green Chapel and says that he must continue his search as he only has a few days remaining. Bertilak laughs and explains that the Green Chapel is less than two miles away and proposes that Gawain stay at the castle.
Before going hunting the next day, Bertilak proposes a bargain to Gawain: he will give Gawain whatever he catches, on condition that Gawain give him whatever he might gain during the day. Gawain accepts. After Bertilak leaves, the lady of the castle, Lady Bertilak, visits Gawain's bedroom to seduce him. Despite her best efforts, however, he yields nothing but a single kiss. When Bertilak returns and gives Gawain the deer he has killed, his guest responds by returning the lady's kiss to Bertilak, without divulging its source. The next day, the lady comes again, Gawain dodges her advances, and there is a similar exchange of a hunted boar for two kisses. She comes once more on the third morning, and Gawain accepts from her a green silk girdle, which the lady promises will keep him from all physical harm. They exchange three kisses. That evening, Bertilak returns with a fox, which he exchanges with Gawain for the three kisses. Gawain keeps the girdle, however.
The next day, Gawain leaves for the Green Chapel with the girdle. He finds the Green Knight at the chapel sharpening an axe, and, as arranged, bends over to receive his blow. The Green Knight swings to behead Gawain, but holds back twice, only striking softly on the third swing, causing a small scar on his neck. The Green Knight then reveals himself to be the lord of the castle, Bertilak de Hautdesert, and explains that the entire game was arranged by Morgan le Fay, Arthur's sister and nemesis. Gawain is at first ashamed and upset, but the two men part on cordial terms and Gawain returns to Camelot, wearing the girdle in shame as a token of his failure to keep his promise with Bertilak. Arthur decrees that all his knights should henceforth wear a green sash in recognition of Gawain's adventure.

The Effect of 1066 Norman Invasion on the English Language.
The English language that is spoken today is the direct result of 1066 and the Norman Conquest. Modern English is vastly different from that spoken by the English prior to the Conquest, both in its word-hoard and its grammar.By 1100 English had changed sufficiently to be classed as a 'new' version of English, descended from, but quite different to, Old English.
So, how had the changes come about? When the Norse had settled in England they brought with them a language that was from the same linguistic family, and indeed enabled them to be understood by their English neighbours. The culture was also similar, not surprising considering that the original English had come from Scania, Denmark and the North Sea coast bordering Denmark. In addition the new comers supplemented, rather than replaced, both the aristocracy and the commons. As a result assimilation was very quick and easy even before the fighting stopped. The Normans brought with them an alien culture and language. Add to this their social status as the new ruling class, and it is no shock to find that assimilation was slower, and the new society and language that emerged was so radically changed from that which they found when they arrived uninvited in 1066.
English, which had been a written language since the conversion to Christianity, was rapidly dropped as the language for royal and legal charters and proclamations, not reappearing until Simon De Montfort's Parliament issued the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. The replacement language was usually Latin, though often duplicated in French. French was the language of the royal court, the legal system and the church. The use of French was reinforced by the fact that many of the new aristocracy and religious houses had extensive holdings in France. This state of affairs changed slightly in 1204 when King John lost Normandy, but did not really end until after the English were finally expelled from France at the end of the Hundred Years War in 1453.
The result of English disappearing as a written language was the removal of any restraints on language development. This assisted the simplification of the grammar as the folk strove to find the simplest way to communicate with people who did not speak English as their first language.

THE
ROUND TABLE
of King Arthur's Court
The Tradition: King Arthur's famous Round Table was first mentioned in about 1155, in Wace's "Roman de Brut," a rewrite of the first popular Arthurian novel, Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Kings of Britain". Wace explains that the King installed the the table in order to prevent quarrels over seating precedence, as a circular table had no head. Later writers add that there had actually been brawls at Court over the matter.
Supplementary information, provided by De Boron and the Vulgate Cycle, makes Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, responsible for the actual construction of the table, after hearing Merlin's tales of St. Joseph of Arimathea and the Grail Table. He gave it to King Leodegrance of Cameliard and, upon Arthur's marriage to the latter's daughter, Guinevere, it became their wedding present. Arthur simply established the Order of Knighthood which met there.
Notable amongst the seats around the table was the 'Siege Perilous,' placed there by Merlin as an aspiration for those who would be the most pure of knights.
Size and Appearance: The number of knights which the table could seat is highly disputed. Anything for over about twenty-five sitters would be quite unwieldy. This is the number of places set on the well-known Winchester Round Table and this is eighteen feet in diameter! The names were said to have been written by Merlin in magical gold paint which miraculously changed along with the occupants.
Some artists have depicted the table as a ring with a hollow centre, thus allowing it to be easily put together from several segments. Béroul indicates that it could be rotated.
Possible Origins: The Round Table was, no doubt, eagerly adopted by medieval writers of Arthurian Romance because of the tradition, recorded by St. Luke, that Christ and the Apostles sat at a circular table during the Last Supper. Its origins, however, are probably much older.
Celtic warriors often met in circles, perhaps for the very reasons indicated in the Arthurian stories. Fights over positioning were apparently commonplace, as recorded in near contemporary Irish tales. But the table as an object, as opposed to a mere seating arrangement, is a persistent theme.
This topic is very interesting too because of the one reason of the tables shape.As I heard the round shape of the table means equality. For example; if the table had been rectangular the person that sit on the head of the table would have impersonate the head of them.

England in the Middle Ages
England during the Middle Ages (from the 5th century withdrawal of Roman forces from the province of Britannia and the Germanic invasions, until the late Anglo-Saxon period) was fragmented into a number of independent kingdoms. By the High Middle Ages, after the end of the Viking Age and the Norman Conquest, the Kingdom of England came to rule much of the area previously ruled by the Romans; the territory of Roman Britain that did not fall under English rule was held by the Kingdoms of Wales and the Kingdom of Scotland.
The medieval period in England can be dated from the arrival in Kent of Anglo-Saxon troops led by the legendary Hengest and Horsa. Subsequently those Brythonic Celtic kingdoms whose territories lay within the area of modern England were conquered by Jutes, Angles and Saxons Germanic tribes, from the contemporary Angeln and Jutland areas of Northern Germany and mainland Denmark. Political takeover of other areas of England proceeded piecemeal and was not completed until the 10th century.
Similarly, the end of the medieval period is usually dated by the rise of what is often referred to as the "English Renaissance" in the reign of Henry VIII, and the Reformation in Scotland, or else to the establishment of a centralised, bureaucratic monarchy by Henry VII. From a political point of view, the Norman Conquest of England divides medieval Britain in two distinct phases of cultural and political history. From a linguistic point of view the Norman Conquest had only a limited effect, Old English evolving into Middle English, although the Anglo Norman language would remain the language of those that ruled for two centuries at least, before mingling with Middle English.
At the height of pre-Norman medieval English power, a single English king ruled from the border with Scotland to the border with Wales]. After the Norman Conquest, English power intruded into Wales with increasing vigour. Southern England, due to its proximity to Normandy, Flanders and Brittany, had closer relations with them than the other regions.
England was more widely and enduringly francophone in the middle ages than many standard accounts of its history, culture and language allow. The development of French in England, whether known as `Anglo-Norman' or `Anglo-French', is deeply interwoven both with medieval English and with the spectrum of Frenches, insular and continental, used within and outside the realm. As the language of nearly a thousand literary texts, of much administration, and of many professions and occupations, the French of England needs more attention than it has so far received.

The essays in this volume form a new cultural history focussed round, but not confined to, the presence and interactions of French speakers, writers, readers, texts and documents in England from the eleventh to the later fifteenth century. Taking the French of England into account does not simply add new material to our existing narratives of medieval English culture, but changes them, restoring a multi-vocal, multi-cultural medieval England in all its complexity, and opening up fresh agendas for study and exploration.

İYİ EDEBİYAT KÖTÜ EDEBİYAT

Okuyanlara estetik bir doyum sağlamak amacıyla yazılmış, ya da böyle bir amacı olmasa bile biçimsel ve içeriksel özellikleri ile bu düzeye ulaşabilen bütün yazılı eserlere edebiyat denir. Herhangi bir metnin edebiyat eseri sayılması için sanatsal değerler taşıması gerekir.

Kamyon arkası yazılarının ve duvar yazılarının edebi birer eser olup olmadıkları tartışılır bir konudur. Bence edebidirler. Çünkü herkesin yapamayacağı, yetenek isteyen bir iştir. Fakat iyi bir edebiyat örneği midir, bundan pek emin değilim. Evet edebidir ama bir kitap yazmak bir resim çizmek kadar edebi midir? Sanmıyorum. Onları üretnek için sarfedilen emekle, bir kamtyon arkası yazmak için sarfedilen emek kıyaslanamaz. Ama açıkcası; tam olarak iyi ya da kötü diyebilecek kadar edebi bilgim yok.

İşte birkaç kamyon arkası yazısı ve duvar yazısı örneği:

Sen gökyüzünde doğan güneş, ben yollarda çilekeş.

Karayollarında değil, senin kollarında öleyim.

Yollar gidişime, kızlar duruşuma hasta.

Üç kuruşluk insana beş kuruşluk değer verirsen, geriye kalan iki kuruşa satılırsın.

Son gülen iyi gülmez, şakadan anlamıyordur.

Hürriyet ALATAŞ

20839485