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This article presents lists of the literary events and publications in the 12th century. The 12th century in Western Europe saw an increase in the production of Latin texts and a proliferation of literate clerics from the multiplying cathedral schools. At the same time, vernacular literatures ranging from Provençal to Icelandic embodied in lyric and romance the values and worldview of an increasingly self-conscious and prosperous courtly aristocracy. These two trends contributed to a sweeping revival of letters with a lasting influence on the development of literature in the following centuries.

Events

*1104:

September 3 Events Pre-1600 *36 BC – In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompey, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate. * 301 – San Marino, one of the ...

– St. Cuthbert is reburied in

Durham Cathedral Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...

(England) and the St. Cuthbert Gospel of St. John removed from his tomb. *1170: Poet, politician and historian

Lu You Lu You ( zh, s=陆游, t=陸游, first=t; 1125–1210) was a Chinese historian and List of Chinese language poets, poet of the Southern Song Dynasty (南宋). Career Early life and marriage Lu You was born on a boat floating in the Wei River e ...

(陸游) travels on the

Grand Canal (China) The Grand Canal () is a system of interconnected canals linking various major rivers and lakes in North and East China, serving as an important waterborne transport infrastructure between the north and the south during Medieval and premodern ...

from

Shaoxing Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the south ...

to the river

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

, recording his progress in a diary. *Before 1173: Copenhagen Psalter produced in northern England *1170: 29 December – Archbishop of Canterbury

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

is assassinated in

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

, an event that inspires several plays, notably:

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...

's '' Becket'' (

1884 Events January * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London to promote gradualist social progress. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera '' Princess Ida'', a satire on feminism, premières at the Savoy The ...

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

's ''

Murder in the Cathedral ''Murder in the Cathedral'' is a verse drama by T. S. Eliot, first performed in 1935 (published the same year). The play portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral during the reign of Henry II in 1170. El ...

'' (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

's '' Becket'' (''Becket, ou l'honneur de Dieu'',

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

) and Paul Webb's '' Four Nights in Knaresborough'' (

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

). It also features in novels such as

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (11 October 1825 – 28 November 1898) was a Swiss poet and historical novelist, a master of literary realism who is mainly remembered for stirring narrative ballads like "Die Füße im Feuer" (The Feet in the Fire). Biog ...

's '' Der Heilige'' ("The Saint",

1879 Events January * January 1 ** The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. ** Brahms' Violin Concerto is premiered in Leipzig with Joseph Joachim ...

), Ken Follett's '' The Pillars of the Earth'' (1989) and Sharon Kay Penman's '' Time and Chance'' (2002). *: The university and its libraries at

Nalanda Nalanda (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) was a renowned Buddhism, Buddhist ''mahavihara'' (great monastery) in medieval Magadha (Mahajanapada), Magadha (modern-day Bihar), eastern India. Widely considered to be am ...

in India are sacked and burned by Turkic invader Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji; the burning of the library is said to have continued for several months.

Histories

*Early 12th century **''

Gesta Francorum ''Gesta Francorum'' (Deeds of the Franks), or ''Gesta Francorum et aliorum Hierosolimitanorum'' (Deeds of the Franks and the other pilgrims to Jerusalem), is the name given to one of a family of Latin narrative accounts of the First Crusade. It ...

'' ** **'' Liber Eliensis'' by monks of Ely Abbey *By 1106 by monks of

Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise or Clonmacnois (Irish language, Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery in County Offaly in Republic of Ireland, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, Ciarán, ...

*1108 '' Dei gesta per Francos'' by Guibert of Nogent *–18 by ' Gallus Anonymus' * ''

Primary Chronicle The ''Primary Chronicle'', shortened from the common ''Russian Primary Chronicle'' (, commonly transcribed ''Povest' vremennykh let'' (PVL), ), is a Rus' chronicle, chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110. It is believed to have been or ...

'' (, ''Povest' Vremyan'nykh Let, ''Tale of Bygone Years'' or ''Chronicle of Nestor'') *–40 '' Annals of St Neots'' by monks of

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as ''Bury,'' is a cathedral as well as market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk District, West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St. Edmunds an ...

*1122–54 ''

Peterborough Chronicle The ''Peterborough Chronicle'' (also called the Laud manuscript and the E manuscript) is a version of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'' originally maintained by the monks of Peterborough Abbey, now in Cambridgeshire. It contains unique informa ...

'' *–50 ''Historia Hierosolymitanae expeditionis'' by

Albert of Aix Albert of Aix(-la-Chapelle) or Albert of Aachen; ; ''fl.'' c. 1100) was a historian of the First Crusade and the early Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born during the later part of the 11th century, and afterwards became canon (priest) and ''custos'' ( ...

*–39 '' Estoire des Engleis'' by Geoffrey Gaimar * by

Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth (; ; ) was a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales, and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle '' The History of ...

*From 1137 ''Vita Ludovici regis'' by Abbot Suger and ''Historia gloriosi regis Ludovici'' by Suger and others *Concludes 1140 ''Chronicon ex chronicis'' by

John of Worcester John of Worcester (died c. 1140) was an English monk and chronicler who worked at Worcester Priory. He is now usually held to be the author of the . Works John of Worcester's principal work was the (Latin for "Chronicle from Chronicles") or ...

*c. 1140 '' Chronicon Roskildense'' *1145 ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

'' (삼국사기, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') by Kim Bu-sik (김부식) and others *Concludes 1146 ''Chronica de duabus civitatibus'' by

Otto of Freising Otto of Freising (; – 22 September 1158) was a German churchman of the Cistercian order and chronicled at least two texts which carry valuable information on the political history of his own time. He was the bishop of Freising from 1138. Ot ...

*–50 transcribed by Brother Marcus *–55 ''

Roman de Brut The ''Brut'' or ''Roman de Brut'' (completed 1155) by the poet Wace is a loose and expanded translation in almost 15,000 lines of Norman-French verse of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin '' History of the Kings of Britain''. It was formerly known ...

'' by

Wace Wace ( 1110 – after 1174), sometimes referred to as Robert Wace, was a Medieval Norman poet, who was born in Jersey and brought up in mainland Normandy (he tells us in the ''Roman de Rou'' that he was taken as a child to Caen), ending his car ...

*Concludes 1152 ''Gesta Friderici Imperatoris'' Book 1 by Otto of Freising *1153–54 '' Relatio de Standardo'' (Account of the Standard, or ''De bello standardii'', On the

Battle of the Standard The Battle of the Standard, sometimes called the Battle of Northallerton, took place on 22 August 1138 on Cowton Moor near Northallerton in Yorkshire, England. English forces under William of Aumale repelled a Scottish army led by King Davi ...

) by Aelred of Rievaulx *1154 ''Historia Anglorum'' by Henry of Huntingdon (fifth and last book completed) *–84 by monks of Santa Maria de Ripoll * *1170–84 ''Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum'' by

William of Tyre William of Tyre (; 29 September 1186) was a Middle Ages, medieval prelate and chronicler. As Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tyre, archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from his predecessor, William I of Tyr ...

*c.1168–69 '' Chronica Slavorum'' by Helmold of Bosau *By 1177 ''Unum ex quatuor'' (

gospel harmony A gospel harmony is an attempt to compile the canonical gospels of the Christian New Testament into a single account. This may take the form either of a single, merged narrative, or a tabular format with one column for each gospel, technically kn ...

with commentary) by Clement of Llanthony *–1208 by

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author ...

* ''Witherlogh'' by

Sven Aggesen Sven Aggesen (also known as ''Svend Aagesen,'' ''Aggessøn'', or ''Aggesøn'', in Latin ''Sveno Aggonis''; born around 1140 to 1150, death unknown) was the author of '' Brevis historia regum Dacie'', one of the first attempts to write a coherent ...

* by Joseph of Exeter * ''Historia brevis regum Dacie'' by

*1188 '' Topographia Hibernica'' ("Topography of Ireland") by

Gerald of Wales Gerald of Wales (; ; ; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively. He studied and taught in France and visited Rome several times, meeting the Pope. He ...

*1190s '' Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja'' *–1215 '' Brut'' by

Layamon Layamon or Laghamon (, ; ) – spelled Laȝamon or Laȝamonn in his time, occasionally written Lawman – was an English poet of the late 12th/early 13th century and author of the ''Brut'', a notable work that was the first to present the legend ...

*1192 ''Chronicon de rebus gestis Ricardi Primi'' by Richard of Devizes * (''On the education of a prince'') by

Philosophy/theology

*Early 12th century '' Rhinelandic Rhyming Bible'' * ''Theologia 'Summi Boni by

Peter Abelard Peter Abelard (12 February 1079 – 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, and poet. This source has a detailed description of his philosophical work. In philos ...

* by

*–42 ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' by

Orderic Vitalis Orderic Vitalis (; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th- and 12th-century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England.Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 6 Working out of ...

* ''Speculum caritatis'' (The Mirror of Charity) by Aelred of Rievaulx *1150 Skara Missal * ** by

Ibn Tufail Ibn Ṭufayl ( – 1185) was an Arab Andalusian Muslim polymath: a writer, Islamic philosopher, Islamic theologian, physician, astronomer, and vizier. As a philosopher and novelist, he is most famous for writing the first philosophical nov ...

**''The Four Books of

Sentences The ''Sentences'' (. ) is a compendium of Christian theology written by Peter Lombard around 1150. It was the most important religious textbook of the Middle Ages. Background The sentence genre emerged from works like Prosper of Aquitaine's ...

(Libri Quattuor Sententiarum)'' by

Peter Lombard Peter Lombard (also Peter the Lombard, Pierre Lombard or Petrus Lombardus; 1096 – 21/22 August 1160) was an Italian scholasticism, scholastic theologian, Bishop of Paris, and author of ''Sentences, Four Books of Sentences'' which became the s ...

**''De tribus in paenitentia consideranda'' and ''Unum ex quatuor'' by Clement of Llanthony *Mid-12th century ''Unum ex quatuor'' by Clement of Llanthony (translation into Middle English: ''Oon of Foure'') *–64 ''Liber viarum Dei'' by Elisabeth of Schönau * **''De institutione inclusarum'' by Aelred of Rievaulx **'' Policraticus'' by John of Salisbury *1163? ''

Makhzan al-Asrar ''Makhzan ol-Asrar'' or ''Makhzan al-Asrar'' () is a famous ''mathnawi'' poem by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209). It is the first of Nizami's five long poems known collectively as the '' Khamsa''. It is a didactic and philosophic ...

'' (The Treasury of Mysteries) by

Nizami Ganjavi Nizami Ganjavi (; c. 1141 – 1209), Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī,Mo'in, Muhammad(2006), "Tahlil-i Haft Paykar-i Nezami", Tehran.: p. 2: Some commentators h ...

*1164–67 ''De spirituali amicitiâ'' (Spiritual Friendship) and ''De anima'' (On the Soul) by Aelred of Rievaulx *–1200 *1185–90 ''

The Guide for the Perplexed ''The Guide for the Perplexed'' (; ; ) is a work of Jewish theology by Maimonides. It seeks to reconcile Aristotelianism with Rabbinical Jewish theology by finding rational explanations for many events in the text. It was written in Judeo-Arabic ...

'' (دلالة الحائرين, ''Dalālat al-ḥā'irīn'') by

Maimonides Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and Jewish philosophy, philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah schola ...

* '' Senchakushū'' (選択本願念仏集) by

Hōnen , also known as Genkū, was the founding figure of the , the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. Hōnen became a Tendai initiate at an early age, but grew disaffected and sought an approach to Buddhism that all people of all ...

(法然) *1196 ''Revelation of St Nicholas to a monk of Evesham''Abridged in ''

Flores Historiarum The ''Flores Historiarum'' (Flowers of History) is the name of two different (though related) Latin chronicles by medieval English historians that were created in the 13th century, associated originally with the Abbey of St Albans. Wendover's ...

''. '' The Cambridge History of English and American Literature'
vol. II, chapter XIII, section 10.
/ref>

Biography/Hagiography

*11th or 12th century **''Betha Meic Creiche'' (Life of Mac Creiche) **''

Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib ''Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib'' ("The War of the Irish with the Foreigners") is a medieval Irish text that tells of the depredations of the Vikings and Uí Ímair dynasty in Ireland and the Irish king Brian Boru's great war against them, begin ...

'' (The War of the Irish with the Foreigners, biography of

Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...

) *12th century **''De Reis van Sinte Brandaen'' (The Voyage of Saint Brendan) **''

Ramavataram The ''Ramavataram'', popularly referred to as ''Kamba Ramayanam'', is a Tamil epic that was written by the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. Based on Valmiki's ''Ramayana'' (which is in Sanskrit), the story describes the legen ...

'' by Kambar *By 1111 ''Deliverance From Error'' (المنقذ من الضلال, ''al-munqidh min al-ḍalāl'') by

Al-Ghazali Al-Ghazali ( – 19 December 1111), archaically Latinized as Algazelus, was a Shafi'i Sunni Muslim scholar and polymath. He is known as one of the most prominent and influential jurisconsults, legal theoreticians, muftis, philosophers, the ...

(spiritual autobiography) *–1115 ''Vita Mathildis'' (Life of Mathilda of Tuscany) by Donizone * ''Vita Anselmi'' (Life of

Anselm of Canterbury Anselm of Canterbury OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also known as (, ) after his birthplace and () after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher, and theologian of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Canterb ...

) by

Eadmer Eadmer or Edmer ( – ) was an English historian, theologian, and ecclesiastic. He is known for being a contemporary biographer of his archbishop and companion, Saint Anselm, in his ''Vita Anselmi'', and for his ''Historia novorum i ...

(and other lives of British saints) *1148 '' Alexiad'' by

Anna Komnene Anna Komnene (; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine Greek historian. She is the author of the '' Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Her work constit ...

* ''Vita Davidis Scotorum regis'' (Life of David, King of the Scots) by Aelred of Rievaulx *1153–54 ''Genealogia regum Anglorum'' (Genealogy of the Kings of the English) by Aelred of Rievaulx *1154–60 '' Vita Sancti Niniani'' (Life of Saint Ninian) by Aelred of Rievaulx * '' De Sanctimoniali de Wattun'' (On the Nun of Watton, or ''De quodam miraculo miraculi'', Of a Certain Wonderful Miracle) by Aelred of Rievaulx *–70 ''Het Leven van Sint Servaes'' (The Life of Saint Servatius) by Heinrich von Veldeke *1161–63 ''Vita S. Eduardi, regis et confessoris'' (Life of Saint Edward, King and Confessor) by Aelred of Rievaulx *1180–86 ''Vita Wulfrici anchoretae Haselbergiae'' (Life of Wulfric the

anchorite In Christianity, an anchorite or anchoret (female: anchoress); () is someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, Asceticism , ascetic, or Eucharist-focused life. Anchorit ...

of Haselbery) by John of Ford * ''De rebus a se gestis'' by

(autobiography)

Epic/Saga/Chanson de Geste

*''

Táin Bó Cúailnge (Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "the Irish ''Iliad''", although like most other earl ...

'' (

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

version in , by 1106;

Middle Irish Middle Irish, also called Middle Gaelic (, , ), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of Late Old English and Early Middle English. The modern Goideli ...

version in '' Book of Leinster'', ) *''

'' by Kambar *Earliest texts of the ''

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Of disputed source, usually assumed to be primarily Celtic nations, Celtic, the tale is a ...

'' legend **–1190 ''Le Roman de Tristan'' by

Béroul Béroul (or Beroul; Norman ) was a Norman or Breton poet of the mid-to-late 12th century. He is usually credited with the authorship of ''Tristran'' (sometimes called ''Tristan''), a Norman language version of the legend of Tristan and Iseult, o ...

("common branch";

Norman language Norman or Norman French (, , Guernésiais: , Jèrriais: ) is a ''Langues d'oïl, langue d'oïl'' spoken in the historical region, historical and Cultural area, cultural region of Normandy. The name "Norman French" is sometimes also used to des ...

) **–1173 ''Tristan'' by Thomas of Britain ("courtly branch";

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...

) * * ''Letter of Prester John'' * *–1210 *Late 12th century **''Acallam na Senórach'' (Dialogue of the Ancients;

) **'' Aiol and Mirabel'' (

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th Karel ende Elegast'' (Middle Dutch">Elegast#Karel ende Elegast">Karel ende Elegast'' (Middle Dutch) **''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' (Слово о пълкѹ Игоревѣ, ''Slovo o pŭlku Igorevě''; Old East Slavic) *''Chanson de Jérusalem'' *''Digenis Acritas'' *''Metrical Dindshenchas'' *c. 12th century **'' Historia Caroli Magni'' (pseudo-history falsely attributed to Turpin (archbishop of Reims)) **'' The Knight in the Panther's Skin'' by Shota Rustaveli **''

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...

Romance

* '' Culhwch and Olwen'' *–60 by

Benoît de Sainte-Maure Benoît de Sainte-Maure (; died 1173) was a 12th-century French poet, most probably from Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine near Tours, France. The Plantagenets' administrative center was located in Chinon, west of Tours. ''Le Roman de Troie'' His 40,000 ...

* by

Chrétien de Troyes Chrétien de Troyes (; ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on King Arthur, Arthurian subjects such as Gawain, Lancelot, Perceval and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's chivalric romances, including ''Erec and Enide'' ...

*–1200? ''Roman de toute chevalerie'' by Thomas de Kent * '' Cligès'' by Chrétien de Troyes *1177–80 ''

Khosrow and Shirin ''Khosrow and Shirin'' () is a romantic Epic poetry, epic poem by the Persians, Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209). It is the second work of his set of five poems known collectively as Khamsa of Nizami, ''Khamsa''. It tells a highly el ...

'' by

*–81 by Chrétien de Troyes **'' Lancelot, le Chevalier de la Charrette'' **'' Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion'' * **''Ipomedon'' by Hugh of Rhuddlan **''Protheselaus'' by Hugh of Rhuddlan **'' Der arme Heinrich'' by

Hartmann von Aue Hartmann von Aue, also known as Hartmann von Ouwe, (born ''c.'' 1160–70, died ''c.'' 1210–20) was a German knight and poet. With his works including '' Erec'', '' Iwein'', '' Gregorius'', and '' Der arme Heinrich'', he introduced the Arthu ...

*–91 by Chrétien de Troyes * '' Gregorius'' by Hartmann von Aue *? ''

Erec The Knights of the Round Table (, , ) are the legendary knights of the fellowship of King Arthur that first appeared in the Matter of Britain literature in the mid-12th century. The Knights are a chivalric order dedicated to ensuring the peace ...

'' by Hartmann von Aue *1192 '' Layla and Majnun'' by

*c. 1194? ''Eskandar-nameh'', an Alexander romance, by

*1197 '' Haft Peykar'' by

Fable/Allegory

*''Dolopathos'', translation of the ''

Seven Wise Masters The ''Seven Wise Masters'' (also called the ''Seven Sages'' or ''Seven Wise Men'') is a cycle of stories of Sanskrit, Persian or Hebrew origins. Frame Narrative The Sultan sends his son, the young Prince, to be educated away from the court in ...

'' made by Jean de Hauteseille (Joannes de Alta Silva) *1121 ''Kalīleh o Demneh'' (), translation of the ''

Panchatantra The ''Panchatantra'' ( IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, , "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story.

'' made by Abu'l Ma'ali Nasr Allah Munshi * by Bernardus Silvestris * '' Architrenius'' by John of Hauville

Drama

*'' Ludus de Antichristo'' *'' Ordo Virtutum''

Lyric

Lyric poetry Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person. The term for both modern lyric poetry and modern song lyrics derives from a form of Ancient Greek literature, t ...

by William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, in

Old Occitan Old Occitan (, ), also called Old Provençal, was the earliest form of the Occitano-Romance languages, as attested in writings dating from the 8th to the 14th centuries. Old Occitan generally includes Early and Old Occitan. Middle Occitan is some ...

known *–27 '' Waka'' anthology (Collection of Gold Leaves) compiled by

Minamoto no Shunrai was an important and innovative Japanese poetry, Japanese poet, who compiled the ''Kin'yō Wakashū''. He was the son of Minamoto no Tsunenobu (1016–1097); holder of the second rank in court and of the position of Grand Counsellor). Shunrai was ...

(源俊頼) *1140s–1150s Goliardic poetry by Hugh Primas of Orléans *–54 ''Waka'' anthology (Collection of Word Blossom) compiled by Fujiwara no Akisue (藤原顕季) *1160s Goliardic poetry by the Archpoet *c. 1188 ''Waka'' anthology '' Senzai Wakashū'' (Millennial Collection, 千載和歌集) compiled by Fujiwara no Shunzei (藤原俊成) *Late 12th century '' Lais'' by

Marie de France Marie de France (floruit, fl. 1160–1215) was a poet, likely born in France, who lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an unknown court, but she and her work were almost certainly known at the royal court of Kin ...

( Anglo-Norman)

Linguistics

*–1175 ''

First Grammatical Treatise The First Grammatical Treatise (, roughly: "first language studies writ act") is a 12th-century work on the phonology of the Old Norse or Old Icelandic language. It was given this name because it is the first of four grammatical works bound in the ...

'' (

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

) by the "First Grammarian"

Topography

*1191 ''

Itinerarium Cambriae The ''Itinerarium Cambriae'' ("The Itinerary Through Wales") is a medieval account of a journey made by Gerald of Wales, written in Latin. Gerald was selected to accompany the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baldwin of Forde, on a tour of Wales in 1 ...

'' by

*1194 ''

Descriptio Cambriae The ''Descriptio Cambriae'' or ''Descriptio Kambriae'' (''Description of Wales'') is a geographical and Ethnography, ethnographic treatise on Wales and Welsh people, its people dating from 1193 or 1194. The ''Descriptio''’s author Gerald of Wa ...

'' by Gerald of Wales *? by Lucian of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

Treatises

*1107 ''

Treatise on Tea The ''Grand Treatise on Tea'' () is a book written by the Chinese Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty in 1107.''Mair, Victor H. ''The True History of Tea'', ch. 5, Thames & Hudson (2012).'' Emperor Huizong was a great connoisseur of tea, with m ...

'' (大觀茶論, ''dà guān chá lùn'') by

Emperor Huizong of Song Emperor Huizong of Song (7 June 1082 – 4 June 1135), personal name Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the penultimate emperor of the Northern Song dynasty. He was also a very well-known painter, poet and calli ...

*1113 ''Comput(us)'' by Philip de Thaun ( Anglo-Norman, in hexasyllabic couplets) *1121–39 ''Bestiaire'' by Philip de Thaun (

Bestiary A bestiary () is a compendium of beasts. Originating in the ancient world, bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beas ...

translated from ''

Physiologus The ''Physiologus'' () is a didactic Christian text written or compiled in Greek by an unknown author in Alexandria. Its composition has been traditionally dated to the 2nd century AD by readers who saw parallels with writings of Clement of Alexa ...

'' into Anglo-Norman rhyming couplets) *1180–84 '' Tractatus de Purgatorio Sancti Patricii'' (Treatise on the Purgatory of St Patrick) by H nryof Saltrey

Encyclopedias

*By 1129 ''

Manasollasa The ' also known as ''Abhilashitartha Chintamani'', is an early 12th-century Sanskrit text composed by the Kalyani Chalukya king Someshvara III, who ruled in present-day Karnataka. It is an encyclopedic work covering topics such as polity, gove ...

'' composed by

Someshvara III Someshvara III (; ) was a Western Chalukya king (also known as the Kalyani Chalukyas), the son and successor of Vikramaditya VI. He ascended the throne of the Western Chalukya Kingdom in 1126 CE, or 1127 CE. Someshvara III, the third king i ...

, ruler of the south Indian

Western Chalukya Empire The Western Chalukya Empire ( ) ruled most of the Deccan Plateau, western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This Kannada dynasty is sometimes called the ''Kalyani Chalukya'' after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's ...

(

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

) *1167–85 '' Hortus deliciarum'' compiled by Herrad of Landsberg (original destroyed

1870 Events January * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge be ...

)

Authors

*Born 1100/1110:

, Welsh chronicler (died 1155) *Died 1101: August 24

Su Shi Su Shi ( zh, t=, s=苏轼, p=Sū Shì; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (), art name Dongpo (), was a Chinese poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, scholar-official, literatus, artist, pharmacologist, and gastronome wh ...

(蘇軾), Chinese poet (born

1037 Year 1037 (Roman numerals, MXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – A revolt in northern Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire), Italy is started by Archbishop Arib ...

) *Died 1105: July 13

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi stud ...

, French

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

nical scholar (born 1040) *Killed 1106:

Máel Muire mac Céilechair Máel Muire ("servant of Mary") mac Céilechair (died 1106) was an Irish cleric of the monastery of Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, and one of the principal scribes of the manuscript ''Lebor na hUidre''. He came from a prominent clerical family wi ...

, Irish monk and scribe *Born 1109:

April 21 Events Pre-1600 * 753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). * 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is mur ...

–

Aosta Aosta ( , , ; ; , or ; or ) is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual Regions of Italy, region in the Italy, Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the G ...

n-born archbishop and philosopher (born c.

1033 Year 1033 (Roman numerals, MXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the wikilink will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Asia * December 5 – A 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake, major earth ...

) *Born 1110: Aelred of Rievaulx, writer and abbot (died 1167) *Born c. 1110:

Jèrriais ( ; also known as the Jersey language, Jersey French and Jersey Norman French in English) is a Romance languages, Romance language and the traditional language of the Jersey people. It is a form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, an isla ...

poet (died after 1174) *Born c. 1110: Lawrence of Durham, English poet, hagiographer and bishop (died 1154) *Died 1118: Florence (Florentius) of Worcester, English chronicler and monk *Born 1121/2: Khaqani, Persian poet (died 1190) *Born 1125:

October 17 Events Pre-1600 * 690 – Empress Wu Zetian establishes the Zhou Dynasty of China. * 1091 – London tornado of 1091: A tornado thought to be of strength T8/F4 strikes the heart of London. * 1346 – The English capture King D ...

–

(陸游), Chinese poet (died 1209) *Died :

, English ecclesiastic and historian (born c. 1060) *Born : Akka Mahadevi, female Indian

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

language Vachana sahitya didactic poet (died 1160) *Died 1131: December 4

Omar Khayyám Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīshābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131) ( Persian: غیاث الدین ابوالفتح عمر بن ابراهیم خیام نیشابورﻯ), commonly known as Omar Khayyam (), was ...

, Persian philosopher, scientist and presumed poet (born 1048) *Born :

, Seljuk Empire Persian romantic epic poet (died 1209) *Born :

(Giraldus Cambrensis), Cambro-Norman churchman and topographer (died c.

1223 Year 1223 (MCCXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 4 – Germanus II of Constantinople, Germanus II takes office as Patriarch of Constantinople, leader of the Eastern O ...

) *Died :

Henry of Huntingdon Henry of Huntingdon (; 1088 – 1157), the son of a canon in the diocese of Lincoln, was a 12th-century English historian and the author of ''Historia Anglorum'' (Medieval Latin for "History of the English"), as "the most important Anglo- ...

, English historian writing in Latin *Died 1160: Ibn Quzman,

al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

ian poet (born

1078 Year 1078 (Roman numerals, MLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – Nikephoros III Botaneiates, Nikephoros Botaneiates, a Byzantine general (''strategos' ...

) *Born 1162:

Fujiwara no Teika was a Japanese anthologist, calligrapher, literary critic,"The high quality of poetic theory (''karon'') in this age depends chiefly upon the poetic writings of Fujiwara Shunzei and his son Teika. The other theorists of ''tanka'' writing, st ...

(Fujiwara no Sadaie, 藤原定家) Japanese waka poet, calligrapher and scholar (died

1241 Year 1241 ( MCCXLI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events * March 18 – Battle of Chmielnik ( Mongol invasion of Poland): The Mongols overwhelm the feudal Polish armies of Sandomierz and Kraków provinces ...

) *Died 1167:

January 12 Events Pre-1600 * 475 – List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine Emperor Zeno (emperor), Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire. *1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crow ...

– Aelred of Rievaulx, writer and abbot (born 1100) *Fl. 1180s: Joseph of Exeter, English poet writing in Latin *Fl. 1180s: H nryof Saltrey, English Cistercian monk writing in Latin *Born : Gonzalo de Berceo, Castilian poet (died by 1264) *Fl. late 12th century:

, Old French poet *12th or 13th century: Berechiah ha-Nakdan, Jewish exegete, poet and philosopher *12th century: Jocelyn de Brakelond, English chronicler and monk

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:12th Century In Literature Medieval literature History of literature

Events

Histories

Philosophy/theology

Biography/Hagiography

Epic/Saga/Chanson de Geste

Romance

Fable/Allegory

Drama

Lyric

Linguistics

Topography

Treatises

Encyclopedias

Authors

See also

References