“Fiction Piled on Fiction”: The Uses and Abuses of King Arthur
Here we are in 2019 still discussing the possibility of an historical King Arthur. How and why that is the case is a fascinating story told expertly by the historian Nicholas J. Higham in King Arthur: The Making of a Legend,
Worlds of Arthur: Reflections on the fictional world of post-Roman Britain
I would suggest that post-Roman Britain is one of those periods in which there is a particular intimacy to the relationship between history and historical fiction.
Y Gododdin, the Votadini and Arthurian Legend
Chances are good that unless you’re a scholar of Welsh literature, Arthurian legend, or early Scottish history, you’ve never heard of a Welsh poem called “Y Gododdin” (“The Gododdin,” in English).
Knights, Wizards, Enchantresses: The World of Arthurian Fantasy
From Merlin and Morgan le Fay to Here Lies Arthur. Minjie Su covers Here Be Dragons at the University of Oxford.
The Discovery of King Arthur and Guinevere at Glastonbury Abbey
Gerald of Wales tells the story of a remarkable discovery at Glastonbury Abbey in the late twelfth-century. Had the remains of King Arthur been found?
Which Witch?: Morgan le Fay as Shape-Shifter and English Perceptions of Magic Reflected in Arthurian Legend
The name Morgan le Fay holds many meanings and has appeared in various forms throughout the course of medieval and modern history.
Arthur and the Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel: The Creation of a Folktale
The article traces the transformation of history into fiction, in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s story of King Arthur’s attacks on the Romans and his battle against the (Spanish) Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel
Will the Real Guinevere Please Stand Up?
If you’ve ever watched soap operas chances are good you’re familiar with the trope of the evil twin. But did you know it extends even into Arthurian legend?
Masks of the Dark Goddess in Arthurian Literature: Origin and Evolution of Morgan le Fay
The world of Arthurian legend is one steeped in mythology and magic. Such tales often feature perplexing and seemingly contradictory characters: a primary example of such a character is Morgan le Fay.
The Legendary King: How the Figure of King Arthur Shaped a National Identity and the Field of Archaeology in Britain
Drawing from archaeological evidence, historic, and current sources, we can understand King Arthur’s role as a symbol of Britain, which has affected the narrative of Tintagel Castle as the birthplace of King Arthur.
Chretien de Troyes and Arthurian Romance in the Development of the Tournament
How did the joust as an event come to replace the tournament proper? The relationship between art and life is of a cyclical nature, meaning that it does not stop with art’s imitation of life, but continues with the roles reversed. This was the relationship between Chretien de Troyes and the medieval nobility.
Love, Freedom, and Marital Fidelity in Malory’s Morte Darthur
If we examine closely Malory’s representation of courtship and marriage — a sphere of human activity within knightly society where men’s and women’s interests and activities converge — we will realize that he is not at all “misogynistic.”
Medievalists at the Movies: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword premiered May 2017 MAN CANDY ALERT! When I sat down to watch “King Arthur” over this past…
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 3, Issue 9) : The Magic of King Arthur
In this issue: A Man for All Centuries: The Changing Myth of King Arthur, Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur comes to the big screen!, Medieval Minded with author Guy Gavriel Kay, Books: Harold: The King Who Fell at Hastings, Travel: A hidden medieval garden in Southern France
Letters from the Otherworld: Arthur and Henry II in Stephen of Rouen’s Draco Normannicus
The poem Draco Normannicus includes a correspondence between King Arthur, now ruler of the Antipodes, and Henry II.
Book Excerpt: Warriors and Kings The 1500-Year Battle For Celtic Britain by Martin Wall
For those of you looking for something Celtic to read this spring, author Martin Wall brings us Warriors and Kings: The 1500-Year Battle for Celtic Britain.
The Story of the Grail
The Story of the Grail has captivated people for hundreds of years. How is it that a story first written in the 12th century can still be so meaningful in the 21st?
Did Medieval People Believe in King Arthur?
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…
Daughter of Destiny, by Nicole Evelina
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
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
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
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
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
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.
