feudal obligations and conscientious in the administration of justice. He was generous, sincerely religious, respectful of church authority, and faithful to his duties (Bishop 86). An enormous outpouring of literature, nurturing that of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table supported this ideal.The deeds of chivalry and mystical acts of courtly love inevitably contributed to Arthurian literature and romances. The epic began as oral or folk literature. It is a natural product of most primitive societies, a tale of heroes sung by a bard (Mathew 44). Long-forgotten poets worked it into fixed artistic shape, into a rhythmical pattern congenial to the language and music of a particular people. Eventually, these songs and tales were written down, to become a model for later, more sophisticated writers (Mathew 46).The epics expressed the noble attitudes and values of the early Middle Ages. They celebrate pride, honor, and victory, and had little to say of love (Mathew 47). Of course, new generations appeared, which were more cultured and sophisticated than their predecessors. They found the endless spearings, beheadings, and body bisections a bore. They asked for something more subtle: recognition of human problems, stories of love. The romance of chivalry, the roman courtois, or simply, the novel met their demands( Lunt 89).The romances of chivalry were tales of love and adventure, in verse or prose. Directed toward an audience of nobles and upperclassmen, they glorified the aristocratic way of life (Lunt 127). They contained long descriptions of luxury, furniture, and accessories not possessed by the middle or lower class. They exalted women, who were the poets' patrons and their most responsive public (Bishop 96). They also exalted the institution of courtesy, a code of morals and ideals for gentlemen and ladies. Most of all, they exalted love, "the origin and foundation of all that is good."The romances of chivalry...
