Marriage Fictions in Old French Secular Narratives, 1170-1250: A Critical Re-evaluation of the Courtly Love Debate (Studies in Medieval History and Culture)

First published 2002 by Routledge. Nickolaus provides the readers with a concise critical discussion of the "courtly love" debate, broad historical and comparative analysis, and a model that explains, at the level of plot, rhetoric, and ideology, the proper place of amorous motifs in the context of prevailing Christian doctrines and attitudes. Series Editor Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter One. Marriage Fictions and the Meaning of 'Courtly Love' Chapter Two. Love, Marriage, and Mythology: Marriage Fictions and Epic History Chapter Three. Twelfth-Century Marriage Reforms and the Representation of Marriage Chapter Four. Courtly Narratives, Christian Sacrament: Consent Doctrine and Social Ideology in the Old French 'Roman' Conclusion. Western Tradition and the Old French 'Roman' Bibliography Index

Nickolaus provides the readers with a concise critical discussion of the "courtly love" debate, broad historical and comparative analysis, and a model that explains, at the level of plot, rhetoric, and ideology, the proper place of amorous motifs in the context of prevailing Christian doctrines and attitudes.

The study of amorous and marital intrigue in the twelfth-century vernacular narrative of France is both a compelling and a daunting prospect.