Courtly love was a code of conduct practiced in medieval European royal and noble courts that established a system of courtship. It was expressed through poetry and songs and involved secretive relationships between nobles in which lovers expressed their devotion and admiration for their beloved from afar. Some famous examples included the relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere in Arthurian legend. The ideals of courtly love spread through literature during this period and outlined 29 strict rules for lovers to follow regarding jealousy, fidelity, and other conventions of romantic relationships outside of marriage.

2. 
 Practiced during the Middle Ages
 Combined with the ‘Code of Chilvary’
 Strict Rules
 The ‘art’ was practiced by members of courts
 Allowed Knights and Ladies to show admiration
regardless of marital state
 Common occurrence for a married woamn to give a
token to knight to be worn during a tournament
What is it?

3. 
 Ideals of courtly love was publicised in
poems, ballads, writings and literary works of
various authors of the Middle Ages
 Geoffrey Chaucer, the most famous author of the
Middle Ages, wrote stories about courtly love in his
book Canterbury Tales, such as The Miller’s Tale
 A famous example of a relationship which was
stirred by romantic courtly love and romance is
described in the Legend of King Arthur
 Queen Guinevere fell in love with Sir Lancelot.
 Many illicit court romances were fuelled by the
practise and art of courtly love.
Love Poems and Songs

4. 
 Believed to be in Aquitaine in France in the 12th century
and further spread to other European countries
 Practised in English courts from the 1300's - 1500's
 During this period, marriages were arranged and had
little to do with love.
 A successful marriage was perceived as one that brought
material advantages to the participants and their families
 Love was clearly unrelated to marriage the requirement
for romance could be gained outside marriage
 As long as the rules relating to chastity and fidelity were
strictly adhered to.
Origins

5. 
 Written by the 12th Century Frenchman, Andreas Capellanus:
Marriage is no real excuse for not loving
1. He who is not jealous, cannot love
2. No one can be bound by a double love
3. It is well known that love is always increasing or decreasing
4. That which a lover takes against the will of his beloved has no relish
5. Boys do not love until they arrive at the age of maturity
6. When one lover dies, a widowhood of two years is required of the
survivor
7. No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons
8. No one can love unless he is impelled by the persuasion of love
9. Love is always a stranger in the home of avariceIt is not proper to
love any woman whom one would be ashamed to seek to marry
10. A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his
The Rules

6. 11. When made public love rarely endures
12. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of
attainment makes it prized
13. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved
14. When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved, his heart
palpitate
15. A new love puts to flight an old one
16. Good character alone makes any man worthy of love
17. If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives
18. A man in love is always apprehensive
19. Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love
20. Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects
his beloved
The Rules

7. 
21. He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little
22. Every act of a lover ends in the thought of his beloved
23. A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will
please his beloved
24. Love can deny nothing to love
25. A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved
26. A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved
27. A man who is vexed by too much passion usually does not
love
28. A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed
by the thought of his beloved
29. Nothing forbids one woman being loved by two men or one
man by two women
The Rules