Handbook of Arthurian Romance: King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature (de Gruyter Reference)

"The renowned and illustrious tales of King Arthur, his knights and the Round Table pervade all European vernaculars, as well as the Latin tradition. Arthurian narrative material, which had originally been transmitted in oral culture, began to be inscribed regularly in the twelfth century, developing from (pseudo- )historical beginnings in the Latin chronicles of 'historians' such as Geoffrey of Monmouth into masterful literary works like the romances of Chrétien de Troyes. Evidently a big hit, Arthur found himself being swiftly translated, adapted and integrated into the literary traditions of almost every European vernacular during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. This Handbook seeks to showcase the European character of Arthurian romance both past and present. By working across national philological boundaries, which in the past have tended to segregate the study of Arthurian romance according to language, as well as by exploring primary texts from different vernaculars and the Latin tradition in conjunction with recent theoretical concepts and approaches, this Handbook brings together a pioneering and more complete view of the specifically European context of Arthurian romance, and promotes the more connected study of Arthurian literature across the entirety of its European context."--Publisher's website Acknowledgments......Page 6 Table of contents......Page 8 List of Contributors......Page 12 List of Abbreviations......Page 16 Introduction: King Arthur’s Court in Medieval European Literature......Page 18 Historical Context: The Middle Ages and the Code of Chivalry......Page 30 The International Arthurian Society and Arthurian Scholarship......Page 42 The Evolution of the Critical Canon......Page 60 Text-Types and Formal Features......Page 76 The Arthur-Figure......Page 96 The Manuscript Context of Arthurian Romance......Page 114 Readership and Audience......Page 134 Chronology, Anachronism and Translatio Imperii......Page 152 Historiography: Fictionality vs. Factuality......Page 168 Rewriting: Translation, Continuation and Adaptation......Page 184 Intertextuality......Page 200 New Philology/Manuscript Studies......Page 216 Text and Image......Page 232 Material Studies......Page 242 The Natural World......Page 256 Gender/Queer Studies......Page 276 Orality, Literacy and Performativity of Arthurian Texts......Page 290 Medievalism......Page 310 Post-Colonial Studies......Page 324 Heinrich von dem Türlin’s Diu Crône: Life at the Arthurian Court......Page 340 Herr Ivan: Chivalric Values and Negotiations of Identity......Page 356 La Tavola Ritonda: Magic and the Supernatural......Page 372 Chrétien de Troyes’ Lancelot, ou le Chevalier de la charrette: Courtly Love......Page 390 Sir Percyvell of Galles: A Quest for Values......Page 406 Peredur son of Efrawg: The Question of Translation and/or Adaptation......Page 420 The Roman van Walewein and Moriaen: Travelling through Landscapes and Foreign Countries......Page 432 The Iberian Post-Vulgate Cycle: Cyclicity in Translation......Page 448 Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival: Searching for the Grail......Page 460 Chrétien de Troyes’ Erec et Enide: Women in Arthurian Romance......Page 478 Merlin: Christian Ethics and the Question of Shame......Page 494 De ortu Walwanii and Historia Meriadoci: Technologies in/of Romance......Page 510 Jaufre: Genre Boundaries and Ambiguity......Page 522 Index......Page 538 Acknowledgments 6 Table of contents 8 List of Contributors 12 List of Abbreviations 16 Introduction: King Arthur’s Court in Medieval European Literature 18 Section I. The Context of Arthurian Romance 30 Historical Context: The Middle Ages and the Code of Chivalry 30 The International Arthurian Society and Arthurian Scholarship 42 The Evolution of the Critical Canon 60 Text-Types and Formal Features 76 The Arthur-Figure 96 The Manuscript Context of Arthurian Romance 114 Readership and Audience 134 Section II. Approaching Arthurian Romance: Theories and Key Terms 152 Chronology, Anachronism and Translatio Imperii 152 Historiography: Fictionality vs. Factuality 168 Rewriting: Translation, Continuation and Adaptation 184 Intertextuality 200 New Philology/Manuscript Studies 216 Text and Image 232 Material Studies 242 The Natural World 256 Gender/Queer Studies 276 Orality, Literacy and Performativity of Arthurian Texts 290 Medievalism 310 Post-Colonial Studies 324 Section III. Reading Arthurian Romances: Content, Method and Context 340 Heinrich von dem Türlin’s Diu Crône: Life at the Arthurian Court 340 Herr Ivan: Chivalric Values and Negotiations of Identity 356 La Tavola Ritonda: Magic and the Supernatural 372 Chrétien de Troyes’ Lancelot, ou le Chevalier de la charrette: Courtly Love 390 Sir Percyvell of Galles: A Quest for Values 406 Peredur son of Efrawg: The Question of Translation and/or Adaptation 420 The Roman van Walewein and Moriaen: Travelling through Landscapes and Foreign Countries 432 The Iberian Post-Vulgate Cycle: Cyclicity in Translation 448 Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival: Searching for the Grail 460 Chrétien de Troyes’ Erec et Enide: Women in Arthurian Romance 478 Merlin: Christian Ethics and the Question of Shame 494 De ortu Walwanii and Historia Meriadoci: Technologies in/of Romance 510 Jaufre: Genre Boundaries and Ambiguity 522 Index 538

The renowned and illustrious tales of King Arthur, his knights and the Round Table pervade all European vernaculars, as well as the Latin tradition. Arthurian narrative material, which had originally been transmitted in oral culture, began to be inscribed regularly in the twelfth century, developing from (pseudo-)historical beginnings in the Latin chronicles of "historians" such as Geoffrey of Monmouth into masterful literary works like the romances of Chrétien de Troyes. Evidently a big hit, Arthur found himself being swiftly translated, adapted and integrated into the literary traditions of almost every European vernacular during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. This Handbook seeks to showcase the European character of Arthurian romance both past and present.

By working across national philological boundaries, which in the past have tended to segregate the study of Arthurian romance according to language, as well as by exploring primary texts from different vernaculars and the Latin tradition in conjunction with recent theoretical concepts and approaches, this Handbook brings together a pioneering and more complete view of the specifically European context of Arthurian romance, and promotes the more connected study of Arthurian literature across the entirety of its European context.

"The renowned and illustrious tales of King Arthur, his knights and the Round Table pervade all European vernaculars, as well as the Latin tradition. Arthurian narrative material, which had originally been transmitted in oral culture, began to be inscribed regularly in the twelfth century, developing from (pseudo- )historical beginnings in the Latin chronicles of 'historians' such as Geoffrey of Monmouth into masterful literary works like the romances of Chrétien de Troyes. Evidently a big hit, Arthur found himself being swiftly translated, adapted and integrated into the literary traditions of almost every European vernacular during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. This Handbook seeks to showcase the European character of Arthurian romance both past and present. By working across national philological boundaries, which in the past have tended to segregate the study of Arthurian romance according to language, as well as by exploring primary texts from different vernaculars and the Latin tradition in conjunction with recent theoretical concepts and approaches, this Handbook brings together a pioneering and more complete view of the specifically European context of Arthurian romance, and promotes the more connected study of Arthurian literature across the entirety of its European context."--Publisher's website