By Danièle Cybulskie If you’ve ever had your doubts that King Arthur was a real, living, breathing human being at some point, you’re not alone. Despite the many, many histories that “prove” that Arthur was definitely this or that – tenacious Briton, Roman military man, leader of hunky Sarmatians – the evidence is pretty thin. […]
Five Favourite Middle English Romances
April 2, 2016 By
Danièle Cybulskie, the 5MinMedievalist, shares her five favourite Middle English romances – what are yours?
Daughter of Destiny, by Nicole Evelina
January 9, 2016 By
Before queenship and Camelot, Guinevere was a priestess of Avalon. She loved another before Arthur, a warrior who would one day betray her.
Reclaiming Guinevere for the 21st Century
January 9, 2016 By
It’s my hope that as women continue to claim their power in modern society, they will learn from Guinevere’s mistakes, emulate her strengths, and claim her as the heroine and role model she should be.
The Lady’s Man: Gawain as Lover in Middle English Literature
December 26, 2015 By
Gawain’s reputation as a philanderer precedes him; the best known example is the comment of Bertilak’s wife in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, whose disbelief that the famous and courteous Gawain could be alone with her and not crave a kiss is notorious
In Search of Guinevere
November 28, 2015 By
As a lifelong lover of Arthurian stories, I have always had a love/hate relationship with Guinevere. In some stories, she is the well-mannered and generous ideal queen; in others she is a jealous and spiteful adulteress. How can she be both? When did she change?
Celtic Mythology in the Arthurian Legend
October 31, 2015 By
The aim of this thesis is to find out whether there are some aspects, themes or symbols of the pagan Celtic mythology that appear in the Arthurian legend and if so, what role they play there and to what extent they influence the legend.
Hair and Masculinity in the Alliterative Morte Arthure
September 5, 2015 By
This essay examines the use of forced hair cutting in the late fourteenth‐century alliterative romance, Morte Arthure, to show how it is used to develop characters that reflect the tension surrounding the English king Richard II and the tyranny that characterized the final years of his reign.
Secret Gestures and Silent Revelations: The Disclosure of Secrets in Selected Arthurian Illuminated Manuscripts and Arthurian Films
August 29, 2015 By
This paper explores visual language and iconic systems central to the representation of the Arthurian cycle in thirteenth and fifteenth century Gothic illuminated manuscripts and in two Arthurian films; its focus is the theme of courtly love and crucial revelations of the secret or hidden.
Malory’s Arthur and the Politics of Chivalry
August 27, 2015 By
The jury is back and the verdict is in. In Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, a major reason the Round Table falls is that its political apparatus and the chivalric ethos in which that apparatus is grounded are inadequate for maintaining a stable kingdom.
Five Ways Gawain Kicks Lancelot’s Ass
July 23, 2015 By
Here are five ways in which Gawain shows Lancelot who’s boss!
The Evolution of Arthur
June 25, 2015 By
What really makes Arthurian legends so different from other heroic epics is its dynamic ability to evolve.
Magna Carta Conference Offers New Insights Into The 800-year-old Document
June 22, 2015 By
Magna Carta just celebrated its 800th birthday this past Monday. In honour of this incredible milestone, King’s College London, and the Magna Carta Project, hosted a 3 day conference dedicated to this historic document.
The Medieval Sleeping Beauty
June 18, 2015 By
I’ve since read an early version of the Sleeping Beauty story from the actual fourteenth century, and it’s much darker than the modern version, although it does hold an interesting secret for those who love the stories of the Round Table.
Genre Medievalisms: Geek Goes Chic!
June 4, 2015 By
Is Cersei a collection of bad medieval stereotypes? Have nerds gone mainstream? Were American cowboys a modern retelling of the medieval knight? Put down that comic, put away your bag of dice, and indulge your inner nerd.
Courtly Magic in the Middle Ages
May 31, 2015 By
The possibility of the everyday use of magic by courtiers is emphasized by the employment of magic advisors and, very frequently, astrologists. The medieval court was a place for the elite, and thus the educated sector of society at this time.
Epic (and Not-So-Epic) Names from Mallory
May 7, 2015 By
Looking for a name for your avatar? Look no further! Everyone knows Lancelot and Gawain, but here are some lesser-known names from one of my favourite books: Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur.
Merlin: The Medieval Embodiment of Overcoming the Devil
May 5, 2015 By
Merlin, child of a demon and pious woman, first appears in late twelfth century literature and develops uncanny prophetic abilities and unnatural powers rooted in his supernatural heritage, transforming him into a mysterious figure empowered by knowledge and cloaked in dichotomies resulting from his mixed parentage.
’I’m gonna git Medieval on your ass’: Pulp Fiction for the 90s – the 1190s
April 17, 2015 By
We feel confident in asserting that there are any number of telling informative analogies between Pulp Fiction and medieval chivalric literature, particularly Arthurian romance.
Caliburn: Merlin’s Tale
April 14, 2015 By
The best way to describe Virgil Renzulli’s Caliburn: Merlin’s Tale is as a King Arthur origin story, set in an alternate universe.
Lancelot and His Upcoming Reboot: Forgiven or Unforgiven?
March 26, 2015 By
Remakes can be a really interesting way to get at the heart of a story, as long as they don’t misplace that heart in the retelling.
Henry II and Arthurian Legend
March 19, 2015 By
For several decades now, a number of medievalists have directly linked this new fashion in Arthurian literature to the patronage of Henry II.
The Figure of King Arthur as a Mirror of Political and Religious Views
March 16, 2015 By
I want to point out that hardly any other figure in literature has been as controversial and as ambivalent as that of Arthur.
Which ‘Merlin’ Character Are You?
March 15, 2015 By
Are you as magical as Merlin as clever as Morgana? Find out now!
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