7. Tell some typical story from the Mabinogion. Where did the Arthurian legends originate, and how did they become known to English readers? What modern writers have used these legends? What fine elements do you find in them that are not found in Anglo-Saxon poetry? 8. What part did Arthur play in the early history of Britain? How long did the struggle between Britons and Saxons last? What Celtic names and elements entered into English language and literature? 9. What is a ballad, and what distinguishes it from other forms of poetry? Describe the ballad which you like best. Why did the ballad, more than any other form of literature, appeal to the common people? What modern poems suggest the old popular ballad? How do these compare in form and subject matter with the Robin Hood ballads? CHRONOLOGY ============================================================================= HISTORY | LITERATURE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 912. Northmen settle in Normandy | 1066. Battle of Hastings. William, | king of England | | 1086. Domesday Book completed 1087. William Rufus | 1093. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury | | 1094(_cir._). Anselem's Cur Deus Homo 1096. First Crusade | 1100. Henry I | | 1110. First recorded Miracle play in | England (see chapter on the | Drama) 1135. Stephen | | 1137(_cir_.). Geoffrey's History 1147. Second Crusade | 1154. Henry II | 1189. Richard I. Third Crusade | 1199. John | | 1200 (_cir_.). Layamon's Brut 1215. Magna Charta | 1216. Henry III | | 1225 (_cir_.). Ancren Riwle 1230 (_cir._). University of Cambridge | chartered | 1265. Beginning of House of Commons. | Simon de Montfort | | 1267. Roger Bacon's Opus Majus 1272. Edward I | 1295. First complete Parliament | | 1300-1400. York and Wakefield. | Miracle plays 1307. Edward II | | 1320 (_cir_.). Cursor Mundi 1327. Edward III | 1338. Beginning of Hundred Years' War | with France | | 1340 (?). Birth of Chaucer