The Matter of Britain

matter of britain

various stories about ancient britain; the most popular were about king arthur and the knights of the round table

when was it so popular

later medieval period, written in romance

Geoffrey of Monmouth

,,The History of the Kings of Britain’’

style of The History of the Kings of Britain

written in Latin prose, in a style of chronologically structured records: chronicles, annals; he expanded genealogies, portraits of rulers and battle scenes into long narratives

events included in The History of the Kings of Britain

the founding of London, moving Stonehenge from Salisbury Plain by Merlin; the coming of st. Augustine to Britain; invented a long line of British Kings: Lear, Cymbeline, prophecies of Merlin and the story of Arthur

Geoffrey of Monmouth and his approach to history

he preceeded Britain’s known history described by historians, with an imagined history. His history is neither fiction nor facts, it’s pseudohistory

The Story of Brutus (The History of the Kings of Britain)

Britain’s founding myth; after the Trojan war, a Trojan bastard GRANDSON OF Aeneas is banished from Rome after accidentally killing his father

2. Liberates a group of Trojans in Greece

3. Was guided by Diana to an island in the ocean; on his way there he stopped at Gaul where he founded a city of Tours; was joined by Corineus, anoher exhile of Troy

4. Finally Trojans reach Britain where they fight giants driving them off to mountain caves

5. The chief giant Gogmagog is hurled off a cliff by Corineus near Plymouth; Corineus becomes a founder of Cornwall, named after him on the banks of Thames where they build their principal city New Troy (London)

similarity of Aenus and Brutus

the story of Brutus parallels the story of Aenus

connecting England to Brutus and ancient Troy

it is based on Geoffrey’s work; it became the most widely known historical tradition, circulated in versified chronicles of England (reference to the Brutus frame Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: reference to the Troy)

Chronicles of Robert Mannyng

before Brutus, Britain was called Albion, after Albin/Albina (one of 30 daughters of a Greek king who had been exiled for murdering their husbands; they settled on the island but allowed the devil to get to their heads and endangered the race of giants

story of King Arthur by Geoffrey Monmouth

a long and rich narrative, presents Arthur as the greatest king to rule Britain since it was founded.

what’s in the story of King Arthur by Geoffrey Monmouth

marriage to Guenevire, treason of Mordred, Arthur’s departure to Avalon, exploits of Gawain, Bedevere, Cadon and Kay (Lancelot doesn’t appear yet)

King Arthur’s accomplishments

His rise and fall as a king: victory over Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Gaul. His role as a conqueror of Roman Empire like Alexander the Great

the Story of King Arthur by Geoffrey Monmouth

biography and prophecies of wizard Merlin

Le Roman de Brut

written by Wace, written under the patronage of King Charles II

What is Le Roman de Brut by Wace about

translation of Geoffry’s History from Latin to Anglo-Norman octosyllabic couplets. Bases on Geoffrey’s work but elaborate on it and adds elements like Round table, omits Merlin, adds courtly aura, emphasizes knighthood and courtesy, like in romance

what did Le Roman de Brut by Wace do

Milestone between Arthurian chronicles and Arthurian romance, and introduced the work to continental Europe

Chretien de Troyes

wrote 5 Arthurian romances: Lancelot, Yvain and Perceval; they tell a unified love story exploring the psychology of love

Sir Perceval of Galles

associated with Chretien’s character, with the quest of seeking a Holy Grail. In the English version Percival is brought up in the forest by his mother, he seeks knighthood at King Arthur’s court.

Ywain and Gawain

a condensed version of Chretien de Troyes’ Ywain; colloquial vocabulary, omits the descriptive parts of the story

Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

gave rise to a number of Gawain romances in England

Thomas of Britain

Tristan and Iseult, Tristan escorts Iseult by command of his uncle Mark of Cornwall

Sir Tristrem

based on the one of Thomas of Britain, making the story condensed and a love affair banal

Arthur and Merlin

possibly the earliest English Arthurian romance; based on the French Estoire de Merlin. A story about the early years of King Arthur’s reign where Merlin plays a crucial part

Holy Grail

hidden by the fisher king in the hidden grail castle

first apears in Chretien’s Perceval, which inspired many continuations

Holy Grail in Robert de Boron’s ,,Joseph D’Arimathie’’

vessel from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper, used by Joseph to catch the drops of Jesus’ blood during his crucifixion

Avalon

a mythical island in the Arthurian legends

First mentioned by Geoffrey Monmouth as a place of magic (associated with Arthur’s half-sister Morgan and other enchantresses who rule Avalon, and with the Lady of Lake)

According to Geoffrey Excalibur was made there (Arthur’s sword) and Arthur was taken there to recover from the battle of Camlann

according to some Celtic traditions King Arthur is the eternal king who will return and now he’s resting with Merlin in Avalon

identified as the former island of Glastonbury Tor

Apparently Arthur might have died in his last battle and his body was ceremonically buried in Glastonbury

Layamon=Lawman

The first to translate Le Roman de Brut by Wace to English, he was a Worcestershire parish preist

How is Layamon’s work called

Layamon’s Brut

Layamon’s style

alliteration, epic simile, understatements, descriptions of feasting

Alliterate Revival in English literarure

2nd half of the 14th c. Produced 2 great Arthurian alliterative romances in English

One of the work produced during the Alliterate Revival in English literature

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Second work produced during the Alliterate Revival in English literature

The Alliterative Morte Arthure

The Alliterative Morte Arthure

Arthur’s early victories: his overseas military campaign and defeat of Roman emperor

Stanzaic Morte Arthur

an English adptation of French Mort Artu; ends with Arthur’s death and concentrates on love, adventure, mystery, magic

Arthur is a leader without real authority and Lancelot is surrounded by love, adultery

Retells the story in a typical romance style, moving without digression towards the social destruction of Round Table

Alliterative Morte Arthure

New Year’s Day festivities of the Round Table are interrupted by ambassador from the Roman Emperor Lucius demanding taxes;

Arthur refuses and envades the Emperor’s lands with support of his knights leaving his kingdom to Mordred

His team embarks on a journey almost to the gates of Rome; Arthur fights with a cannibalistic monster occupying Mont St Michel on the French coast

Then we have fights and Arthur deafeats Lucius in a single combat; there’s also Gawain there

Then it is revealed that Mordred betrayed Arthur and made a revolt in his kingdom during his absence; Arthur has to prepare for the next battle with Mordred

Gawain dies and Arthur is mortally wounded by Mordred; he is transported to Glastonbury Abbey where he dies; a huge ceremony is held

Arthur’s nightmares in Alliterative Morte Arthure

1st prophetic nightmare: a monstrous bear from the East fights with a dragon from the west and in a second Arthur is wooed and turned upon a powerful lady who spins a fortune wheel: these dreams contrast with external battles, allowing us to see Arthur as a human being

Death of Arthur in Allterative Morte Arthure

If Arthur falls ill, the whole Round Table and the kingdom will fall with him

Moral dimension in Alliterative Morte Arthure

At first his decisions seem right and are a rebellion against injustice but as the story unfolds he believes in being immortal, undefeatable, his forces become violent and his only goal is the sheer personal glory

Stanzaic Morte Arthur

A tournament is announced where Lancelot appears in disguise, gets seriously wounded

He stays at the castle of Astolat, where the host’s daughter The Fair Maid of Astolat falls in love with him. When he appears at king Arthur’s court jealous Guinevre accuses him of infidelity and he departs. Maid commits suicide because of unreciprocal love and it convinces Guinevre of his innocence

Guinevre is falsely accused of poisoning a knight; Lancelot returns and defends her. Their love affair continues displeasing the knights associated with Gawain. Agravain (Gawain’s brother) betrays Lancelot and reveals his love affair to king Arthur, he gets killed by Lancelot

Arthur and Gawain besiege Guinevre and Lancelot. She is sentenced to death and Lancelot is sent to Brittany. However Gawain and Arthur have to return to Britain to fight against Mordred where they die. Arthur’s body is carried to Avalon

Lancelot dies as a hermit-priest and Guinevre as a nun.

Morte D’Arthur

Sir Thomas Malory; retells the whole Arthurian legend in prose (culmination of medieval Arthurian literature); uses the technique of interlacing (intertwinning of plots)

uses chronicle prose style which is paratactic (consisting of short statements joined by ,,and’’)