One Sixteenth

Arthuriana

Connor and I are just about to wrap up our study of King Arthur. I thought I'd share some of my resources with y'all, just for fun.

These are not things I used with Connor! For him we read the chapters about Arthur in An Island Story; then we read the Eyewitness Classics - King Arthur. It was okay. I may yet try Tolkien's version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, only because I know he does well with Tolkien's language.

My very very very very very favorite treatment of the Arthur saga is Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy, and the accompanying The Wicked Day (though I like The Wicked Day least of any of them). Mark, have you read these yet??! Stewart's version is a wonderful solution to the vast difference between the popular story of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and any possible historical reality.

Her Trilogy uses Merlin as the main character; in fact the entire first book is concerned with Merlin's growth from young boy to the man who engineers Arthur's birth. She makes Merlin real and believable as an extremely intelligent and resourceful boy who happens to also have unexplainable visions. A far cry from the funky hat, billowing cape and chants of "Annal nathrak ..." etc. that you find elsewhere.

Her versions suit me perfectly, as I love Arthuriana but only to a point; I don't like all the Chretien de Troyes/romance/courtly love stories. The closer you can get your story to a possible historical reality, the happier I am. Just throw out Lancelot and all the rest. (An exception to this is Patricia Kenneally's "Celts in space" series. As ridiculous as the premise is, and as uneven as the writing is, these are fun books! But even she throws out Lancelot and all that.)

When I was in college, I had the privilege of attending a summer term at Oxford (University College). I studied Shakespeare with Harriet Hawkins and Arthuriana with Bonnie Wheeler. (Ooh! Ooh! Jeff, make sure you look at that link!! I could buy the class on video or CD!! Ooh! Ooh!) (Ooh! Ooh! Jeff! Look at this too!) What an amazing experience! We read ALL of the Morte d'Arthur, some of Geoffrey Ashe's and Leslie Alcock's work on the historical Arthur, some of de Troyes work, etc. But the best part was the field trip. Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, the Chalice Well, Winchester, Glastonbury Abbey, Caerleon, Cadbury Hill, and best of all (well, besides the Tor and Chalice Well), Tintagel.

Really, the whole purpose for the above post was to provide you, my dear readers, with resources for Arthurian studies. One resource deserves to be singled out, though: Arthuriana, the Journal of Arthurian studies. You want to know about Arthur? Start there. If you're really serious, you can join Arthurnet. If these people don't know it, it isn't to be known.

I might post more resources later. I'm tired of doing links right now.

Posted by Steph at July 11, 2003 10:10 AM