Christianity received a warm welcome in England in the early days and inspired the great Northumbrian poets, Caedmon and Cynewulf. This religious bias is not checked by Anglo-Norman influence, for it found a ready expression in a body of Latin literature largely theological, already passed under consideration.
A formidable rival, however, arose in the shape of Romance. The craze for story-telling spread through every class, and the clerics, wise in their generation, found it advantageous to make use of the tale-loving spirit, and supply the people with stories that should point a moral and adorn a dogma.
So while among the religious writings of the day there are certain devotional documents that scorned this compromise with romance and appealed frankly to the limited few, such as the writings of Richard Rolle, and the Ancern Riwle.
The legends of the Saints help us to understand in some measure a mental attitude differing widely from that of the present age. “They represent Christian mythology as it has been formed ii course of centuries.” The earliest of these legends, the lives of St. Juliana, St. Margaret, a Ketene, are written in rhythmical, alliterative prose.
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The well-known Vernon MS. at Oxford contains eight or nine Legends of the virgin, came into the West Midland dialect from French sources. It had long been the custom in frame to recite rhymed lives of the Saints either during Mass or at the evening service.
In English during the eleventh and twelfth centuries the alliterative homilies prevailed but the custom grew of reading on the special holiday the legend and office of the particular Saint whose festival being kept.
In the North there already existed a collection of Sunday Gospels-Festal Christi (i.e., homilies), consisting of exposition and narration; to these were added the legends. But in the South, the legendary matter was formed into a complete Libber Festivals, the eventually absorbed the homilies.
During the last quarter of the fourteenth century, legendary poetry entered service of the Church and was formed by the monks into great collections for the services; there was a considerable falling off in the quality and style.
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The legend cycle of South was compiled by the monks of Gloucester during the last qui of the thirteenth century. They gathered their materials from various sources. A great number of them were translated from the Latin; French poems were also occasionally used.
In course of time the power of famous legends atrophied-the native faith of the Middle Ages disappeared before increased knowledge. Indeed in the legends they there do not wanting signs of an awakening criticism.
St. Margaret:
In the life of Margaret, the devil comes to the Saint in the form of a dragon, enters her cell, and swallows her! St. Margaret makes the sign of the cross and immediately the body of the monster bursts and she steps forth unhurt. Whereupon the poet comments, “But I do tell this true or I do not find it truly authenticated. If it is true or not who can know? It would be against nature that the devil should be brought to death, hence I cannot believe it.”
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St. Dunstan:
As an illustration of the humorous elements in the Lives may be cited the story of St. Dunstan. The devil comes to the holy abbot in the form of a beautiful woman, while he is at work in his smithy. St. Dunstan talks in a friendly manner to his visitor and in the meantime heals his tongs in the glowing flames of the fire. When red hot, he suddenly seizes the devil’s nose between them, until the fiend dances and howls with pain. When released he rushes off, exclaiming, “Out, what has the bald-head done, what had the bald-head done.”
St. Michael:
The legend of St. Michael gives a curious account of the origin and nature of bad spirits. This legend is connected with the shrines on Mont St. Michael, and was of Norman origin.