courtly love

n. An idealized and often illicit form of love celebrated in the literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in which a knight or courtier devotes himself to a noblewoman who is usually married and feigns indifference to preserve her reputation.

courtly love

n (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a tradition represented in Western European literature between the 12th and the 14th centuries, idealizing love between a knight and a revered (usually married) lady

court′ly love′

n. a highly stylized code of conduct between lovers, often the subject of medieval literature. [1895–1900]

Thesaurus

Noun

courtly love - (Middle Ages) a highly conventionalized code of conduct for loverscode of behavior, code of conduct - a set of conventional principles and expectations that are considered binding on any person who is a member of a particular groupDark Ages, Middle Ages - the period of history between classical antiquity and the Italian Renaissance

Translations

Minne

courtly love

courtly love,

philosophy of love and code of lovemaking that flourished in France and England during the Middle Ages. Although its origins are obscure, it probably derived from the works of Ovid, various Middle Eastern ideas popular at the time, and the songs of the troubadours. According to the code, a man falls passionately in love with a married woman of equal or higher rank. Before his love can be declared, he must suffer long months of silence; before it can be consummated, he must prove his devotion by noble service and daring exploits. The lovers eventually pledge themselves to secrecy and to remain faithful despite all obstacles. In reality, courtly love was little more than a set of rules for committing adultery. It was more important as a literary invention, expressed in such works as Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot (12th cent.), Guillaume de Lorris's Roman de la Rose (13th cent.), and Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde (14th cent.). In these works it was the subjective presentation of the lovers' passion for each other and their consideration for other people that transformed the code of courtly love into one of the most important literary influences in Western culture. See chivalrychivalry
, system of ethical ideals that arose from feudalism and had its highest development in the 12th and 13th cent.

Chivalric ethics originated chiefly in France and Spain and spread rapidly to the rest of the Continent and to England.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Bibliography

See J. M. Ferrante and G. D. Economou, ed., In Pursuit of Perfection: Courtly Love in Medieval Literature (1975); N. B. Smith and J. T. Snow, ed., The Expansion and Transformation of Courtly Literature (1980).

courtly love

courtly love

courtly love

court′ly love′

courtly love

courtly love,

Bibliography

courtly love

Words related to courtly love

noun (Middle Ages) a highly conventionalized code of conduct for lovers

Related Words