Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature

Oliver Padel

Description

Although the legends of Arthur have been popular throughout Europe from the Middle Ages onwards, the earliest references to Arthur are to be found in Welsh literature, starting with the Welsh-Latin Historia Brittonum dating from the ninth century. By the twelfth century, Arthur was a renowned figure wherever Welsh and her sister languages were spoken. O. J. Padel now provides an overall survey of medieval Welsh literary references to Arthur and emphasizes the importance of understanding the character and purpose of the texts in which allusions to Arthur occur. Texts from different genres are considered together, and shed new light on the use that different authors make of the multifaceted figure of Arthur – from the folk legend associated with magic and animals to the literary hero, soldier and defender of country and faith. Other figures associated with Arthur, such as Cai, Bedwyr and Gwenhwyfar, are also discussed here.

Sujets

• Medieval
• Histoire
• Idioma galés
• Welsh
• History
• Europe

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 30 mai 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780708326589
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Writers of Wales

Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature

O. J. Padel

University of Wales Press

Writers of Wales

Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature

Editors: Meic Stephens Jane Aaron M. Wynn Thomas

Honorary Series Editor: R. Brinley Jones

Other titles in the Writers of Wales series:

R. S. Thomas(2013),Tony Brown Kate Roberts(2012), Katie Gramich Ruth Bidgood(2012), Matthew Jarvis Geoffrey of Monmouth(2010), Karen Jankulak Herbert Williams(2010), Phil Carradice Rhys Davies(2009), Huw Osborne

Writers of Wales

Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature

O. J. Padel

University of Wales Press Cardiff 2013

© O. J. Padel, 2013

Originally published in 2000

New edition published 2013

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 eISBN

9780708326251 9780708326589

The right of O. J. Padel to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77, 78 and 79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Typeset by Hewer Text UK Ltd, Edinburgh

Preface to the new edition Acknowledgements

Contents

 1 Introduction  2 The Earliest Texts  3 Arthur’s World:Culhwchand ‘Paŵr yw’r porthor?’  4 Other Texts of the Central Middle Ages  5 Three Dialogue Poems  6 The Matter of Britain  7 The Continuing Tradition  8 Some Arthurian Characters  9 Was There an Arthur of the Welsh?

Select Bibliography Supplementary Bibliography (2013) Index

vii viii

1 3 11 26 49 56 72 83 92

99 104 107

Preface to the new edition

This book first appeared twelve years ago and it has been suggested that a reprint would be useful. Naturally further work has been done in the meantime, but it has not significantly affected the discussions given here. So the text has not been altered, but a supplementary bibliography enables readers to take subsequent work into account, and an index has been added. I am grateful to Ceridwen LloydMorgan for her help, and to the University of Wales Press for undertaking the reprint.

O.J.P.

Acknowledgements

Several people have helped by discussion and in other ways. I particularly thank Dr Brian Golding, Dr Nerys Ann Jones, Michael Polkinhorn and Professor Brynley Roberts; also several former students, especially Jonathan Coe, Anna Langford and Barry Lewis; and an anonymous reader for the Press; but none of them should be implicated in the views expressed here.