Friendship in Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Thought

The terms ‘friend’ and ‘friendship’ can be used in a very casual way, referring to ordinary companions, fellows, teammates, and the like, even in a jovial address by an authority figure to the audience, meaning really nothing but cajoling the other for the effect of captatio benevolenti, or they can represent truly good friends and good friendship that connects people throughout life not in an erotic, but in an ethical, spiritual, maybe also moral and philosophical way. A real friend is someone whom one can rely on in good and bad times, who shares the same values and enjoys one’s company over many years or until death. That kind of friendship bonds people with similar characters and creates a new and lasting community predicated on fully functioning communication. And these friends prove to be reliable also in deeds and come to one’s assistance in time of need. True friendship also outlasts angry exchanges or injuries when those are followed by sincere apologies, as Ulrich Bonerius taught in one of his fables (no. 41; see below) composed in c. 1350.