Middle English

Women can't be studied apart from the broader history and literature of their time, but there are a variety of online resources that have been developed specifically to illuminate medieval women's experiences, literacies, and writings. In addition to the sites linked below, you'll want to consider the resources provided for the women writers gathered on the Major Authors page as well as those on the History and Culture page (esp. the sections on "Love and Sex").

The resources on this and the linked pages are primarily aids for studying non-Chaucerian Middle English, but there will inevitably be some overlap with the Chaucerian resources in content and utility.

Organized alphabetically (by last name or, if the writer goes by a toponymic, first name). Also consult the Luminarium entries for these authors.

Resources with an astericks (*) next to them are high quality scholarly sites; the rest are designed as basic material for students or the general public.

Basic Principles

• Read phonetically.  There is no spelling consistency in Middle English; authors and scribes wrote what they spoke (and heard).  And in courses where the texts come from a variety of locales and time periods, you will find substantial spelling changes from poem to poem; reading phonetically (and being flexible about vowel pronunciation) will improve your comprehension and reading speed.

Do I have to read Middle English in class?

Yes, I do expect you to read Middle English aloud in class when asked to do so, and I expect you to do so in a reasonable approximation of a Middle English accent. Why? Two reasons:

Resources on Chaucer are so prolific that I have divided this resource list into sub-categories:

Chaucer Online: Includes both general interest and scholarly digital resources.

Chaucer Print Resources: Print research pointers for both beginning and advanced students.