The Book of Dede Korkut

The Book of Dede Korkut

Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Oral tradition: 9th-10th century CEEarliest written versions: late 13th century – 14th century CE The Book of Dede Korkut In the history of world epics, The Book of Dede Korkut stands out not only for its...
Boccaccio, The Theseid

Boccaccio, The Theseid

Italy ca. 1340     Giovanni Boccaccio, Teseida (The Theseid)     The Teseida—or Teseida: Delle nozze d’Emilia (The Theseid: Of the nuptials of Emilia), the full title we derive at the closure of the text—is an epic poem written by Giovanni Boccaccio in the...
Boiardo, Orlando Innamorato

Boiardo, Orlando Innamorato

Italy Published: 1483 CE; 1495 CE Matteo Maria Boiardo, Orlando Innamorato Written for a fifteenth-century Italian court society hooked on Arthurian romance but also attuned to current world events, Boiardo’s Orlando Innamorato (Orlando in Love) charts a complex...
Martorell, Tirant lo Blanch

Martorell, Tirant lo Blanch

Spain First edition, 1490     Joanot Martorell Tirant lo Blanch​     A Valencian knight named Joanot Martorell replaced his sword with a pen on January 2, 1460, in order to narrate the adventures of a fictional knight. This undertaking resulted in...
Montalvo, Amadís de Gaula

Montalvo, Amadís de Gaula

Spain First edition, 1496; oldest extant edition, 1508.     Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo Amadís de Gaula   Amadis de Gaula (Amadis of Gaul) was the most famous and bravest knight in the entire Hispanic literary tradition, that is, until a crazy gentleman in a...