Adapting the Arthurian Legends for Children: Essays on Arthurian Juvenilia (Arthurian and Courtly Cultures)

For centuries, the Arthurian legends have fascinated and inspired countless writers, artists, and readers, many of whom first became acquainted with the story as youngsters. From the numerous retellings of Malory and versions of Tennyson for young people to the host of illustrated volumes to which the Arthurian Revival gave rise. From the Arthurian youth groups for boys (and eventually for girls) run by schools and churches to the school operas, theater pieces, and other entertainment for younger audiences; and from the Arthurian juvenile fiction sequences and series to the films and television shows featuring Arthurian characters, children have learned about the world of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Announcing a New Series The stories and legends of King Arthur, the Round Table, and the Grail have been with us for centuries, in an endless variety of forms. From medieval texts to popular films, modernist literature to feminist fantasy, from the sixth through the 21st centuries, few literary subjects have inspired such fertile ground for cultural elaboration. This dynamic field is the subject for a new book series, Worlds of King Arthur. The series will explore a wide range of topics related to the stories and legends of Arthur, and the great variety of literary and cultural texts which they have inspired. Including worlds of literary criticism, cultural studies, and history, the series provides a venue for the publication of the most significant new works in Arthurian Studies. Series Editor: Bonnie Wheeler, Southern Methodist University Editorial Board: James Carley, York University Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, American University Virginie Greene, Harvard University Siân Echard, University of British Columbia Sharon Kinoshita, University of California, Santa Cruz Alan Lupack, University of Rochester Andrew Lynch, University of Western Australia For centuries, the Arthurian legends have fascinated and inspired countless writers, artists, and readers, many of whom first became acquainted with the story as youngsters. From the numerous retellings of Malory and versions of Tennyson for young people to the host of illustrated volumes to which the Arthurian Revival gave rise, from the Arthurian youth groups for boys (and eventually for girls) run by schools and churches to the school operas, theater pieces, and other entertainment for younger audiences, from the Arthurian juvenile fiction sequences and series to the films and television shows featuring Arthurian characters, children have learned about the world of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table Cover 1 Table of Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 List of Illustrations 12 Introduction 14 1 Le Morte Darthur for Children: Malory’s Third Tradition 23 2 Text, Image, and Swords of Empowerment in Recent Arthurian Picture Books 72 3 The Case of the Disappearing Text: Connecticut Yankee for Kids 94 4 Deceptive Simplicity: Children’s Versions of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 127 5 The Sense of Place in Arthurian Fiction for Younger Readers 142 6 Susan Cooper’s "The Dark Is Rising" 158 7 Interview with Susan Cooper 179 8 Swords, Grails, and Bag-Puddings: A Survey of Children’s Poetry and Plays 188 9 Arthurian Youth Groups in America: The Americanization of Knighthood 214 10 Good King Arthur: Arthurian Music for Children 234 11 Once and Future Kings: The Return of King Arthur in the Comics 259 12 Camelot on Camera: The Arthurian Legends and Children’s Film 279 Contributors 311 Index 314 A 314 B 315 C 316 D 319 E 319 F 320 G 321 H 322 I 323 J 324 K 324 L 325 M 326 N 329 O 329 P 329 Q 331 R 331 S 331 T 333 U 335 V 335 W 335 X 336 Y 336 Z 336 Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Le Morte Darthur for Children: Malory’s Third Tradition....Pages 1-49 Text, Image, and Swords of Empowerment in Recent Arthurian Picture Books....Pages 51-72 The Case of the Disappearing Text: Connecticut Yankee For Kids....Pages 73-105 Deceptive Simplicity: Children’s Versions of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ....Pages 107-121 The Sense of Place in Arthurian Fiction for Younger Readers....Pages 123-138 Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising”....Pages 139-159 Interview with Susan Cooper....Pages 161-169 Swords, Grails, and Bag-Puddings: A Survey of Children’s Poetry and Plays....Pages 171-196 Arthurian Youth Groups in America: The Americanization of Knighthood....Pages 197-216 Good King Arthur: Arthurian Music for Children....Pages 217-241 Once and Future Kings: The Return of King Arthur in the Comics....Pages 243-262 Camelot on Camera: The Arthurian Legends and Children’s Film....Pages 263-294 Back Matter....Pages 295-320