The Arthur of Medieval Latin Literature

Description

King Arthur is arguably the most recognizable literary hero of the European Middle Ages. His stories survive in many genres and many languages, but while scholars and enthusiasts alike know something of his roots in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin History of the Kings of Britain, most are unaware that there was a Latin Arthurian tradition which extended beyond Geoffrey. This collection of essays will highlight different aspects of that tradition, allowing readers to see the well-known and the obscure as part of a larger, often coherent whole. These Latin-literate scholars were as interested as their vernacular counterparts in the origins and stories of Britain's greatest heroes, and they made their own significant contributions to his myth.

Sujets

• Literary Criticism
• Medieval
• Latín
• Latin

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 mars 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783168552
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

THE ARTHUR OF MEDIEVAL LATIN LITERATURE

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ARTHURIAN LITERATURE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

VI

THE ARTHUR OF MEDIEVAL LATIN LITERATURE

THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF THE ARTHURIAN LEGEND IN MEDIEVAL LATIN

edited by

Siân Echard

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS

© The Vinaver Trust, 2011

Reprinted 2012 (twice) Printed in paperback 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to The University of Wales Press, 10 Columbus Walk, Brigantine Place, Cardiff, CF10 4UP.

www.uwp.co.uk

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-78316-856-9 e-ISBN 978-1-78316-855-2

7KH ULJKW RI WKH &RQWULEXWRUV WR EH LGHQWL¿HG VHSDUDWHO\ DV DXWKRUV RI WKLV ZRUN KDV EHHQ asserted by them in accordance with sections 77, 78 and 79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Typeset by Mark Heslington Ltd, Scarborough, North Yorkshire Printed by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wiltshire

PUBLISHED IN COOPERATION WITH

THE VINAVER TRUST

The Vinaver Trust was established by the British Branch of the International Arthurian Society to commemorate a greatly respected colleague and a distinguished scholar

Eugène Vinaver

the editor of Malory’sMorte Darthur. The Trust aims to advance study of Arthurian literature in all languages by SODQQLQJ DQG HQFRXUDJLQJ UHVHDUFK SURMHFWV LQ WKH ¿HOG and by aiding publication of the resultant studies.

ARTHURIAN LITERATURE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

I

II

III

Series Editor

Ad Putter

The Arthur of the Welsh, edited by Rachel Bromwich, A. O. H. Jarman and Brynley F. Roberts (Cardiff, 1991)

The Arthur of the English, edited by W. R. J. Barron (Cardiff, 1999)

The Arthur of the Germans, edited by W. H. Jackson and S. A. Ranawake (Cardiff, 2000)

IVThe Arthur of the French, edited by Glyn S. Burgess and Karen Pratt (Cardiff, 2006)

V

VI

The Arthur of the North, edited by Marianne E. Kalinke (Cardiff, 2011)

The Arthur of Medieval Latin Literature, edited by Siân Echard (Cardiff, 2011)

VIIThe Arthur of the Italians, edited by Gloria Allaire and F. Regina Psaki (Cardiff, 2014)

VIIIThe Arthur of the Iberians, edited by David Hook (Cardiff, 2015)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

CONTENTS

Preface Ad Putter Abbreviations Introduction: The Arthur of Medieval Latin Literature Siân Echard

Section One The Seeds of History and Legend The Chroniclers of Early Britain Nick Higham

Arthur in Early Saints’ Lives Andrew Breeze

Section Two Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey of Monmouth Siân Echard Geoffrey and the Prophetic Tradition Julia Crick

Section Three Chronicles and Romances Latin Historiography after Geoffrey of Monmouth Ad Putter Glastonbury Edward Donald Kennedy Arthurian Latin Romance Elizabeth Archibald

ix

xi 1

9

26

4

5

67

8

5

109

132

viii

8

THE ARTHUR OF MEDIEVAL LATIN LITERATURE

Section Four After the Middle Ages Arthur and the Antiquaries James P. Carley Bibliography Index of Manuscripts General Index

149

179 185 187

PREFACE

This book forms part of the ongoing series Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages. The purpose of the series is to provide a comprehensive and reliable survey of Arthurian writings in all their cultural and generic variety. For some time, the single- volumeArthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History(ed. R.S. Loomis, Oxford, 1959) served the needs of students and scholars of Arthurian liter- ature admirably, but it has now been overtaken by advances in scholarship and by changes in critical perspectives and methodologies. The Vinaver Trust recognized the need for a fresh and up-to-date survey, and decided that several volumes were required to do justice to the distinctive contributions made to Arthurian literature by the vari- ous cultures of medieval Europe.TheArthur of Medieval Latin Literatureis primarily devoted to medieval Arthurian texts composed in Latin, from all across Europe, but it also takes account of the interplay between Latin and vernacular traditions and of the LQÀXHQFH RI PHGLHYDO /DWLQ $UWKXULDQ ZULWLQJV RQ WKH OLWHUDWXUH RI ODWHU SHULRGV SDU- ticularly that of the Early Modern period. The series is mainly aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students and at VFKRODUV ZRUNLQJ LQ WKH ¿HOGV FRYHUHG E\ HDFK RI WKH YROXPHV 7KH VHULHV KDV however, also been designed to be accessible to general readers and to students and VFKRODUV IURP GLIIHUHQW ¿HOGV ZKR ZDQW WR OHDUQ ZKDW IRUPV $UWKXULDQ QDUUDWLYHV WRRN LQ ODQJXDJHV DQG OLWHUDWXUHV WKDW WKH\ PD\ QRW NQRZ DQG KRZ WKRVH QDUUDWLYHV LQÀX- enced the cultures that they do know. Within these parameters the editors have had control over the shape and content of their individual volumes.

Ad Putter, University of Bristol (General Editor)