What are the sacred genres of the Medieval period?

Answer 1

There were various movements in medieval literature.

Most of the literature that remains from the Early Middle Ages is religious, historical, or legal. This does not mean that such literature represents the greater part of what was written, it might merely mean that such literature was all the mater monastic copyists were interested in copying.

Secular literature of the Early Middle Ages included works by Taliesin and other Celtic poets, Beowulf, and the story of Walter of Aquitaine. Much of this material was written to praise warriors, noble houses, and so on. Walter of Aquitaine does have some elements of a lover story, however.

Beowulf is interesting in part because of what it tells us about the preservation of medieval literature. The only remaining copy of it was saved from a fire by a person who grabbed a stack of books and ran out of the building. It was just by chance that it was not lost. Aside from the Anglo saxon Chronicle, it is probably the greatest work remaining written in Old English.

The High Middle Ages century brought with them the troubadours. In various places, similar people of similar traditions went by the names scop, gleeman, trouvere, minnesinger, jongleur, and so on. These people wrote music, but they also wrote poetry. Cretien de Troyes, Walter von der Vogelweide, Wolfram von Eschenbach, and Marie de France are examples. Literature took on new meaning with the stories of Arthur and his knights, the Song of Roland, the Niebelungenlied, and literary material based on the lives of Alexander the great and Charlemagne. The movement was important in promoting the idea of a code of chivalry.

During the High Middle Ages, other works became important, such as ancient Greek philosophy, translated into Latin from Arabic. This brought about a new interest in philosophy, religion, and science.

Another type of literature of the time is represented by the Alexiad, by Anna Comnena, which was a memoir of the Byzantine court. Very few diaries or memoirs of the time remain. Other women were important writers of the time, including Julian of Norwich, who wrote of visions, and Hildegard of Bingen, who was an important polymath and wrote about many things.

Religion remained important. One example was the works of Thomas Aquinas. Another was Bonaventure's Life of Francis of Assisi.

The Late Middle Ages had truly great products with the Divine Comedy, by Dante, and The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Interest in Arthurian legends also continued, and both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur were products of this time.

There is a link below.

Answer 2

There were quite a few, see the link below for all of them.

Answer 3

Rondeaus, ballades, and lai were secular genres in the Medieval period

Answer 4

Motet and masses

Answer 5

Motets and masses.