The Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian Legend (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

For more than a thousand years, the adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have been retold across Europe. They have inspired some of the most important works of European literature, particularly in the medieval period: the romances of Chrtien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival , Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur . In the nineteenth century, interest in the Arthurian legend revived with Tennyson, Wagner and Twain. This Companion outlines the evolution of the legend from the earliest documentary sources to Spamalot, and analyses how some of the major motifs of the legend have been passed down in both medieval and modern texts. With a map of Arthur's Britain, a chronology of key texts and a guide to further reading, this volume itself will contribute to the continuing fascination with the King and his many legends. Cover......Page 1 The Cambridge companion to the Arthurian legend......Page 2 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Notes on Contributors......Page 9 Frequently Cited Sources and Abbreviations......Page 13 A Selective Chronology......Page 16 Map of Arthurian Britain......Page 20 Introduction......Page 27 1 The early Arthur: history and myth......Page 45 2 The twelfth-century Arthur......Page 60 3 The thirteenth-century Arthur......Page 77 4 The fourteenth-century Arthur......Page 93 5 The fi fteenth-century Arthur......Page 108 6 The Arthur of the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries......Page 127 7 The Arthur of the twentieth and twenty-fi rst centuries......Page 144 8 Questioning Arthurian ideals......Page 161 9 Arthurian ethics......Page 176 10 Imperial Arthur: home and away......Page 193 11 Love and adultery: Arthur’s affairs......Page 210 12 Religion and magic......Page 223 13 Arthurian geography......Page 240 Further Reading......Page 257 Index......Page 275 For more than a thousand years, the adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have been retold across Europe. They have inspired some of the most important works of European literature, particularly in the medieval period: the romances of Chrétien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. In the nineteenth century, interest in the Arthurian legend revived with Tennyson, Wagner and Twain. This Companion outlines the evolution of the legend from the earliest documentary sources to Spamalot, and analyses how some of the major motifs of the legend have been passed down in both medieval and modern texts. With a map of Arthur's Britain, a chronology of key texts and a guide to further reading, this volume itself will contribute to the continuing fascination with the King and his many legends. The Early Arthur : History And Myth / Ronald Hutton -- The Twelfth-century Arthur / Ad Putter -- The Thirteenth-century Arthur / Jane H.m. Taylor -- The Fourteenth-century Arthur / John Burrow -- The Fifteenth-century Arthur / Barry Windeatt -- The Arthur Of The Sixteenth To Nineteenth Centuries / Rob Gossedge And Stephen Knight -- The Arthur Of The Twentieth And Twenty-first Centuries / Norris Lacy -- Questioning Arthurian Ideals / Elizabeth Archibald -- Arthurian Ethics / Jane Gilbert -- Imperial Arthur : Home And Away / Andrew Lynch -- Love And Adultery : Arthur's Affairs / Peggy Mccracken -- Religion And Magic / Corinne Saunders -- Arthurian Geography / Robert Allen Rouse And Cory James Rushton. Edited By Elizabeth Archibald And Ad Putter. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The early Arthur: history and myth / Ronald Hutton The twelfth-century Arthur / Ad Putter The thirteenth-century Arthur / Jane H. M. Taylor The fourteenth-century Arthur / John Burrow The fifteenth-century Arthur / Barry Windeatt The Arthur of the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries / Rob Gossedge and Stephen Knight The Arthur of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries / Norris Lacy Questioning Arthurian ideals / Elizabeth Archibald Arthurian ethics / Jane Gilbert Imperial Arthur: home and away / Andrew Lynch Love and adultery: Arthur's affairs / Peggy McCracken Religion and magic / Corinne Saunders Arthurian geography / Robert Allen Rouse and Cory James Rushton. This Companion outlines the evolution of the Arthurian legend from the earliest documentary sources to Spamalot, and analyses how some of the major motifs of the legend have been passed down in both medieval and modern texts