Part 104 (2/2)

[25] See page 618.

[26] See pages 133 and 608.

[27] See page 53.

[28] Greek _oneiros_, ”dream.”

[29] Greek _nekros_, ”corpse.”

[30] Charles Perrault's _Tales of Pa.s.sed Times_ appeared at Paris in 1697 A.D. It included the now-familiar stories of ”Bluebeard,” ”Cinderella,”

”Sleeping Beauty,” and ”Little Red Riding Hood.” In 1812 A.D. the brothers Grimm published their _Household Tales_, a collection of stories current in Germany.

[31] See page 420.

[32] _Exodus_, xxii, 18.

[33] See page 428.

[34] See page 346.

[35] The great Pa.s.sion Play at Ober Ammergau in Germany is the modern survival and representative of this medieval religious drama.

[36] _Everyman_, one of the best of the morality plays, has recently been revived before large audiences.

[37] See the ill.u.s.tration, page 408.

[38] Tacitus, _Germania_, 22.

CHAPTER XXV

THE RENAISSANCE [1]

209. MEANING OF THE RENAISSANCE

LATER PERIOD OF THE MIDDLE AGES

The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, covering the later period of the Middle Ages, are commonly known as those of the Renaissance. This French word means Rebirth or Revival. It is a convenient term for all the changes in society, law, and government, in science, philosophy, and religion, in literature and art which gradually transformed medieval civilization into that of modern times.

LIMITS OF THE RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance, just because of its transitional character, cannot be exactly dated. Some Renaissance movements started before 1300 A.D. For instance, the study of Roman law, as a subst.i.tute for Germanic customs, began toward the close of the eleventh century. The rise of European cities, with all that they meant for industry and commerce, belonged to about the same time. Other Renaissance movements, again, extended beyond 1500 A.D. Among these were the expansion of geographical knowledge, resulting from the discovery of the New World, and the revolt against the Papacy, known as the Protestant Reformation. The Middle Ages, in fact, came to an end at different times in different fields of human activity.

ORIGINAL HOME OF THE RENAISSANCE

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