Arthurian Literature & Art

Part I: Celtic/Medieval

Part II: Victorian/Modern

Part I Celtic/Medieval Index

Arthurian Resources--General
Celtic/Pagan Origins and Contexts
Chivalry & Courtly Love
More Gender/Sexuality Issues
Arthurian Texts/Authors

Arthurian Resources--General

Image of King Arthur from the
Christian Heroes Tapestry

King Arthur from the Christian
Heroes Tapestry, c. 1385

Arthurian Legends Illustrated--the King Arthur tales told through famous artworks.

A Simplified Medieval Britain Timeline --covers 5th through 15th centuries.
Early British Timeline --more detailed timeline; browse to 537 A.D. (death of Arthur).
An Arthurian Chronology --lists many of the earlier works about King Arthur.
Britannia's King Arthur --many links; one of the best historical sites, by a recognized Arthurian scholar.
The Historicity and Historicisation of Arthur --scholarly article by Thomas Green.
Lincolnshire and the Arthurian Legend --scholarly article by Thomas Greed arguing for an historical Arthur.
A Bibliographic Guide to the Characters of the Pre-Galfridian Arthurian Legend --scholarly article by Thomas Green on the ancient folkloric origins of Arthur, his band of heroes, and other significant characters in the Arthurian legends.
King Arthur: The Once and Future King --condensed summary of the "facts" of Arthurian history.
C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor's From Scythia to Camelot--scholarly review of this book about the Iranian origins of the Arthur legend (except for Guinevere whose origins are Celtic).
Artorius, Ambrosius, Arthur: Questing for the Historical Arthur, King of Britons --helpful exploration of the "evidence."
An Archeological Quest for the 'real' King Arthur --a look at the places associated with King Arthur.
Arthur: King of the Britons --summarizes the evidence for the various claims about who the real Arthur was.
Myrddin & Merlin: A Guide to the Early Evolution of the Merlin Legend --scholarly article by Thomas Green.
Sub-Roman Britain: An Introduction --history of the age of Arthur (5th and 6th centuries).
Vortigern Studies: Index--many links to information on Vortigern (and Merlin).
Merlin-- development of Merlin's character over time.
Merlin the Magician --overview of Merlin's background and life.
Some Notes on Merlin--scholarly article on Merlin as male version of Dame du Lac.

King of England
15th century armorial
(artist unknown)

Middle Ages Knights--many links.
Knight Life--series of essays on many aspects of the life of a knight.
Life in the Middles Age--many links.
Camelot Village--helpful overview of daily life in the middle ages.
Les très riches heures du Duc de Berry--famous art images of everyday life, divided by the months of the year.
Feudalism and Daily Life--many links.
Knights Templar--good history.
Notes on Middle English Romance--helpful definitions of Medieval Romance as a literary form. Includes notes on Northrup Frye's definition of the mode of romance.
Celtic Romances--importance of Celtic sources and themes in the Romance form.
Romance--detailed introduction to the history of the romance as genre
King Arthur and the Holy Grail--many links on everything pertaining to the subject.

Celtic/Pagan Origins & Contexts

Celtic Combat (artist unknown)

Tradition of the Northern Celts --good introduction.
The Celtic Origins of Arthurian Legends --good overview.
Ancient Echoes: Transformations of Celtic Mythology in Arthurian Legend --good student paper.
The Celtic Origins of Arthurian Legends --helpful introduction.
From Ritual to Romance--Jessie Weston's complete book (14 chapters) interpreting the pagan motifs of the Percival legends. Recommended: Chapters VI The Symbols; IX Fisher King; XIII Periolous Chapel; and perhaps II Task of the Hero.
Celtic Women: Myth and Symbol --helpful summary.
Queen of Air and Darkness: The Power of the Dark Goddess --summary of origins of the "loathly lady" and other characters.
The Enduring Popularity of Courtly Love --based on worship of the Celtic goddess.
Lady of the Depths: Primal Goddess of Celtic Shamanism --detailed discussion of the goddess ancestry of those Arthurian Ladies of the Lake.
Morgan le Fey --good introduction to her Celtic background.
The Female Spellcaster in Middle English Romances--scholarly article on spellcasters like Morgan le Fay; women, sorcery , heresy--refers to a number of texts, including Sir Gawain.
The Lady of the Lake --Vivienne as the Celtic water goddess Coventina.
Brigantia, Cartimandua and Gwenhwyfar --scholarly article on Guinevere's origins as a sovereignty goddess.
Guinevere --early Celtic to modern conceptions of this character.
The Abduction and Rescue of Guinevere --the pagan seasonal myth on which Guinevere's story is based.
Wedded to the Land --Celtic sovereignty goddesses and the Arthurian legend.
Powerful Dwarves in Arthurian Literature --unusual study (Arthurian dwarves as solar gods).
Sir Gawain --the rise and fall of Gawain as the "perfect knight."
Gawain and Lancelot--good summaries/comments on the evolution of these two important knights from ancient literature to their modern manifestations. Make sure you follow all the links at the end of each section.
Solar Aspects of Arthurian knights --Arthur, Gawain, and Lancelot as related to the Sun/Sky god.
Avalon: Gateway to Annwn--Celtic otherworld.
Magical Glastonbury--article.
Glastonbury--good photos and summaries of "magical" qualities of Glastonbury.
Glastonbury Tor: Introduction and Magical Mystery Tor and Glastonbury Tor Maze and The Tor Goddess.
The Goddess of Avalon--article by Kathy Jones.
At the Tomb of King Arthur--scholarly article.
Arthurian Places Grid-- links to famous Arthurian landmarks.

Grail appears at the Round
Table (artist unknown)

The Celtic Cauldron --Celtic origins of the Grail story.
The Holy Grail: From Romance Motif to Modern Genre --scholarly folklore study summarizing popular (as opposed to academic) grail materials, medieval through modern.
The Priory of Sion Hoax-- debunks the thesis of Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
The Fisher King--good discussion of his role in the grail myth.
Houses of the Grail Keeper and the Grail Hero --the grail heroes.
The Fisher King--good discussion of Fisher King role from Chretien to modern film.
Cathars, Celtic Solar Heroes and the Holy Grail --scholarly survey of the grail from Celtic to Christian sources.
Hitler's Quest for the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant --Nazis as Arthurian heroes?
Parsifal and the Naziis--Hitler and Wagner's grail opera.
Wagner, Hitler and Anti-Semitism Is Wagner's grail opera anti-semitic?

Chivalry and Courtly Love

Courtly Love (artist unknown)

Backgrounds to Romance: Courtly Love --good introduction.
Notes on Courtly Love --another helpful introduction
Courtly Love Study Guide --analyzes courtly love "rules" in several medieval texts. Includes good background.
An Interpretation of Courtly Love --a Jungian approach.
Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love --good introduction
A Treatise on Courtly Love --excerpts from Andreas Capellanus' famous text.
Art of Courtly Love, Book II--another selection of "rules" from Andreas Capellanus' famous text.
Courtly Love and Chivalry in the Later Middle Ages --excellent scholarly essay contesting the popular definitions of "courtly love."
A Little Bit of Love in the Middle Ages --medieval anti-woman attitudes vs courtly love attitudes; Abelard and Heloise story.
A Medieval Love Story: True-life Romance in the 12th-Century --this love story of Abelard and Heloise contrasts with the fictions of courtly love.
Medieval View of Love: The Chain of Being and Caritas --a different take on the topic.
The Enduring Popularity of Courtly Love --based on worship of the Celtic goddess.
Did Women Have a Renaissance? --see the long section on "Love and the Medieval Lady."
Introduction: The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree --good introduction to "courtly love" and to the major lais of Marie de France and others.
The Role of Female Troubadours and Trobairitz in the Middle Ages --female troubadours singing of courtly love from the female perspective.
Chivalric Ideas of Love and Knighthood --good use of examples from the well-known Arthurian texts. Real-life vs literary convention.
The Code of Chivalry --a list of "rules."
Ethical Notions and Conceptions of Chivalry --shorter helpful article.
Heroes of the Middle Ages --good definition of epic and chivalric heroes.
Chretien De Troyes' Yvain: Grey Knights --includes good general discussion of chivalry and knights. (NOTE: Make sure you click "next page" at bottom of each webpage. This is a longer essay.)
Medieval Knights --very informative essay; knights as less than chivalrous.

More Gender/Sexuality Issues

Tournament (artist unknown)

Notions of Gender in the Middle Ages: Myth vs Reality--good introductory essay.
Introductory Lecture on Women in Arthurian Romances --good survey.
Dominion and Domination of the Gentle Sex: The Lives of Medieval Women--series of links to women's lives in a wide variety of roles.
Gender, Heterosexuality, and Life Cycles of Medieval Women--interesting student essay.
Female Heterosexuality in Late Medieval Europe--links on female sexuality issues (contraception, etc.).
Welcome to the Beastiary--relates the basic Arthurian monsters--beasts, dragons, giants and Loathly Ladies--to gender roles and power. Covers Celtic through The Fairie Queen.
Female Heroes--Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Crusades.
Consort of Love and Letters--Eleanor of Aquitaine.
The Great Crusades: A Woman's Role--interesting essay on female independence.
Women Knights in the Middle Ages--interesting essay!
The Beguines--Medieval "women's movement"
Gender and the Medieval Beguines--scholarly article.
Sisters between Gender and the Medieval Beguines scholarly article.
The Use of Courtly Language in Le Mirouer des simples ames anienties --Babinsky's scholarly article on Porete's use of courtly love language to describe love of soul for God.
Unhappy Choices: Factors That Contributed to the Decline and Condemnation of the Beguines --scholarly article.
Medieval Masculinities--scholarly article
From Wild Man to King --masculinity.

Ambros [Young Merlin] Prophesies to Vortigern, 15th century.
Learn more about various Arthurian dragons

"Alas for the Red Dragon, for its end is near. Its cavernous dens
shall be occupied by the White Dragon, which stands for the
Saxons which you have invited over. The Red Dragon represents
the people of Britain, who will be overrun by the White One."

Young Merlin's first prophecy, to King Vortigern
(from Geoffrey of Monmouth)

Arthurian Texts/Authors

General
Geoffrey Chaucer
Chrétien de Troyes
Culhwch and Olwen
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Lancelot-Graal Cycle
The Mabinogian
Sir Thomas Malory
Marie de France
Pa gur: Dialogue between Arthur and Glewlwyd Mighty-grasp
Preiddeu Annwn: The Spoils of Annwn
Sir Gawain & Green Knight
The Triads of the Isle of Britain
Wace, Roman de Brut
Sir Gawain & Dame Ragnelle

General

Camelot Project: Author Menu--many links to Arthurian texts; excellent site
Celtic Twilight Main Page--see links to "poetry" and "plays" and "art."
Anthology of Middle English Literature--Chaucer, Gawain, Malory, etc.
A Bibliographic Guide to Arthurian Literature --guide to the medieval Welsh manuscripts concerning the Arthurian legend.

Geoffrey Chaucer

Alisoun, the Wife of Bath,
Ellesmere Manuscript

Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale --modern English version
Geoffrey Chaucer --excellent site, with many links.
Geoffrey Chaucer --excellent site; links to biography, texts, essays, and more.
Loathly Lady-- encyclopedia definition.
The Loathly Lady --women and sovereignty tradition.
Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale: A Study Guide --detailed discussion.
The Worthiness of Chaucer's Worthy Knight-- scholarly reading based on Chaucer's real-life experiences in medieval contexts.
Chaucer: Love, Sex and Marriage --scholarly selection from Chaucer, Langland, and the Creative Imagination about the Wife's rebellion and conformism.
The Wife of Bath and the Painting of Lions --scholarly article
Chaucer the Pilgrim --Donaldson's earlier scholarly article
The Wife of Bath and the Mediation of 'Privitee' --Chapter 11 from Shoaf's scholarly book (Dante, Chaucer, and Currency of the Word).
Chaucer's Discussion of Marriage --Kittredge's classic article on the marriage tales.
Reading the Wife of Bath by the Light of Madonna --Hagen's unusual post-modern reading in a conference paper.
The Problem of Defining Sovereynetee in the "Wife of Bath's Tale" --scholarly article.
Exploitation and Excommunication in The Wife of Bath's Tale --scholarly article.
The Wife of Bath: Stand-up Comic --scholarly article.

Chrétien de Troyes

Image: 'Sir Percival and two other knights
with the Holy Grail' (artist unknown)

Sir Percival and two other
knights with the Holy Grail
(Percival manuscript, 1286)

Chrétien de Troyes' Arthurian Romances --e-texts of Erec and Enide; Clíges; Yvain, or the Knight of the Lion; and Lancelot, or The Knight of the Cart.
Chrétian de Troyes' Le Chavalier de la Charrete --helpful instructor's notes.
Chrétian de Troyes' Yvain --another helpful set of instructor's notes.
A Portrait of Love in the Middle Ages --good student paper critiquing courtly love in Yvain.
Chretien De Troyes' Yvain: Grey Knights --Groenewold's interesting thesis on the ambiguity and irony of the chivalry theme; good background information on "real" knight. (NOTE: Make sure you click "next page" at the bottom of each webpage.)
Research Portfolio-- detailed summary/review of three Chaucer articles, including "Love that Dares Not Speak Its Name."
Background Information on Chrétien's Le Chevalier de la Charrette --scholarly introduction of the "narrative coupling" of Le Chevalier de la Charrettes (Lancelot) and Le Chevalier au Lion (Yvain) and on Chrétien's dynamic use of sources.
Chrétien de Troyes's Knight of the Cart --an instructor's helpful commentary.
Background Information on Chrétien de Troyes's Le Chevalier de la Charrette --excellent scholarly introduction; Chrétien's revision of the Tristan tradition.
Masoch/Lancelotism --sophisticated post-modern approach to "masochism" in Chrétien's Lancelot; scholarly paper. See also the "Comments" link at end of the paper.
The Tournament in the Romances of Chrétien de Troyes and L'Histoire de Guillaume Le Maréchal--scholarly paper.
"The Horror of Culture" --scholarly post-modern approach to the "incest taboo" in Chrétien's Cliges.
True Lies: From Speaking Courtly to Courtspeak --Runte's scholarly article.
The Forest of Medieval Romance --helpful review of Saunder's scholarly book; Marlory, Chretien, and Marie de France covered.
Criminal Naivety: Blind Resistance and the Pain of Knowing in Chretien de Troyes's 'Conte du Graal' --scholarly article.
'A la guise de Gales l'atorna': Maternal Influence in Chrétien's Conte du Graal --scholarly article.
X Marks the Spot: The Place of the Father in Chretien de Troyes's "Conte du Graal" --scholarly article.
Criminal Naivety: Blind Resistance and the Pain of Knowing in Chretien de Troyes's "Conte du Graal" --scholarly article.

Culhwch and Olwen

Discussion of the Court List in Culhwch and Olwen --helpful comments on the "court list" convention in Culhwch and in "Spoils of Annwn."

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Arthur and His Knights Riding
(artist unknown)

Arthurian Passages from The Kings of Britain --very readable selections; Geoffrey's version of the Vortigern, Uther, Arthur "history."
Geoffrey of Monmouth, 'Historia Regum Brittaniae,' The History of the Kings of Britain --selections on Merlin's prophecies and Arthur's coronation. Complete table of contents.
Geoffrey of Monmouth --biography.
Geoffrey of Monmouth and the History of the Kings of Britain --detailed discussion of Geoffrey's methods and goals; some biography.
Geoffrey of Monmouth biography; commentary; selections from his History of the Kings of Britain.
Merlin-- Geoffrey's changing concept of Merlin.

Lancelot-Graal Cycle

Psychology of a King: Arthur in the 'Lancelot-Graal' Cycle --scholarly article. Compare-contrast this reading of Arthur with Malory's.

The Mabinogi

The Mabinogian and Mabinogian Introduction.
Mabinogian --introduction
Winning the Hand of the Fair Woman --Celtic goddess themes in Welsh literature, including the Mabinogian.
Many Monsters to Destroy--covers this motif in the Mabinogion, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and other Arthur tales. See the links to "Beasts," "Dragons," and "Giants" at the bottom of the page for more information on the significance of the boar Twrch Trwyth and the giant Ysbaddaden in Culhwch and Olwen.