The Arthur of Medieval Latin Literature: The Development and Dissemination of the Arthurian Legend in Medieval Latin (Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages #6)

Overview: Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, written in Latin, is one of the earliest sources for many of the legends we now associate with King Arthur and his knights. What is little known, however, is that the tradition of Arthur stories in Latin extended well beyond Geoffrey. This collection offers essays that highlight different aspects of that broader Latin Arthurian tradition. King Arthur is arguably the most recognizable literary hero of the European Middle Ages. His stories survive in many genres and many languages, but while scholars and enthusiasts alike know something of his roots in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin History of the Kings of Britain, most are unaware that there was a Latin Arthurian tradition which extended beyond Geoffrey. This collection of essays will highlight different aspects of that tradition, allowing readers to see the well-known and the obscure as part of a larger, often coherent whole. These Latin-literate scholars were as interested as their vernacular counterparts in the origins and stories of Britain's greatest heroes, and they made their own significant contributions to his myth. Preface / Ad Putter -- Introduction: The Arthur Of Medieval Latin Literature / Siân Echard -- The Seeds Of History And Legend. -- The Chroniclers Of Early Britain / Nick Higham -- Arthur In Early Saints' Lives / Andrew Breeze-- Geoffrey Of Monmouth. -- Geoffrey Of Monmouth / Sian Echard -- Geoffrey And The Prophetic Tradition / Julia Crick -- Chronicles And Romances. -- Latin Historiography After Geoffrey Of Monmouth / Ad Putter -- Glastonbury / Edward Donald Kennedy -- Arthurian Latin Romance / Elizabeth Archibald -- After The Middle Ages. -- Arthur And The Antiquaries / James P. Carley. Edited By Siân Echard. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [179]-184) And Indexes. King Arthur's stories survive in many genres, but while scholars and enthusiasts alike know something of his roots in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin History of the Kings of Britain, most are unaware that there was a Latin Arthurian tradition which extended beyond Geoffrey. This collection of essays highlights different aspects of that tradition.