Order Description
he Lais of Marie de France (Bisclavret, Les Deuz Amanz, Yonec, Eliduc); On Blackboard: Burchard of Worms, Correptor et Medicus (excerpt) Burchard wrote a guide for priests on how to help people identify their sins, and in the course of this listed a number of pagan beliefs and general superstitions. You are welcome to read the whole document (14 pages) but please focus on the following:
Sections 60-70 (pp 329-331)
Sections 90-104 (pp 332-335)
Sections 149-194 (pp 337-341)
This source is available under “Course Readings.”
Two Tasks – please do both.
1)For each of Marie’s Lais, write one question or substantive comment. The best questions will be open-ended and encourage discussion. The best comments will make connections to the larger course or at least the topic of the week. In either case, these can be brief – your goal is to let me know you’ve done the reading and thought about it.

2)Make a connection between the behaviors, beliefs or practices discussed by Burchard of Worms, and at least one of Marie’s stories. Write a brief paragraph explaining what this suggests to you about the nature of folk belief and the dominance of Christian ideology and practice in the High Middle Ages.