Arthurian Characters and Themes

Examining the origins of the Arthurian legend and major trends in the portrayal of Arthur from the Middle Ages to the present, this collection focuses on discussion of literature written in English, French, Latin, and German. Its 16 essays, four published here for the first time, deal with such matters as the search for the historical Arthur; the depiction of Arthur in the romances "Erec" and "Iwein" of Hartmann von Aue; the way Arthur is depicted in 19th-century art and the Victorian view of manhood; and conceptions of King Arthur in 20th-century literature. Six of the essays, originally published in French and German, are translated into English especially for this book. Two essays have been substantially revised. An introduction offers a general discussion of the development of the legends in the countries of Europe.
Works discussed include medieval and Renaissance chronicles (Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae," Wace's "Roman de Brut, " Polydore Vergil's Anglica Historia, Scottish vernacular and Latin chronicles), medieval romances (the "Lancelot en prose, " the "Mort Artu, " the Post-Vulgate "Roman du" "Graal, " and works of Chretien de Troyes, Hartmann von Aue, and Sir Thomas Malory), Spenser's "Faerie Queene, " Tennyson's "Idylls of the King, " and T.H. White's "Once and Future King." A bibliography lists selected major secondary studies of King Arthur as well as major reference works.