The Geography of the Puranas c4.2

c4.2

The influence of these works can be seen in the literature of the period, particularly in the works of Chaucer and Gower. Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales* and Gower's *Confessio Amantis* both draw heavily on the *Gesta Romanorum* and the *Legenda Aurea*. The *Speculum Historiale* was also a major source for medieval chroniclers, who used it to provide a context for their own accounts of contemporary events. The popularity of these works is a testament to the medieval interest in history and morality, and to the way in which the Church sought to shape the intellectual life of the period.