Arthurian legend

[Dominus Atheos]

How do I learn about it? Amazon.com has some dense public domain books written in Old English, but are there any readable versions available?

[Ahriman238]

Only a thousand or so.

If you want it quick and simple, I'd say TH White's Sword in the Stone, or one of the following: King Arthur and his Knights, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur and his Knights: selected tales. These are mostly kid's books, keeping the basic story while greatly simplifying the context. I'd particularly recommend Arthur and his Knights.

If you want more liberal adaptations, there's Sword of the Rightful King, the Road to Camlan, the Merlin Conspiracy, and I've heard good things about In the Court of King Arthur, but that may be getting back to the technical stuff you aren't interested in. The Winter King is a pretty good Arthurian myth in a modern setting story.

There's a 'historical' (meaning less fantastical/mythic) recent film called simply King Arthur. On the other end of the spectrum the BBCs recent show Merlin is as liberal an adaptation as I've encountered, with enough of the story to make fanboys of the myth squeal when a character or item appears.

[Stark]

It depends what you mean by 'Authurian legend'. The old stories are obviously readily available, but they changed and were changed by different cultures and times. I have a reference book in the library somewhere that explores common themes as they were shaped over time and how different elements of the myth were emphasised by different groups, if that's the sort of thing you're looking for.

On the other hand, the core elements of the story have been remixed and re-written by everyone from literary giants to absolute hacks, if you want to read some 'man gets stabbed and it is very sad' fiction. I've even read some hilarious 'realistic' 'historical' 'reimaginings' of the myth.

[Thanas]

Such as?

[Stofsk]

It depends what you mean by 'Authurian legend'. The old stories are obviously readily available, but they changed and were changed by different cultures and times. I have a reference book in the library somewhere that explores common themes as they were shaped over time and how different elements of the myth were emphasised by different groups, if that's the sort of thing you're looking for.

This would be pretty cool.

[Spoonist]

How serious are you? what is the purpose? Is it for school or hobby? etc Explain the context and we could give you better tips.


Chretien de Troyes
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/831

le morte d'artur

the camelot project

Culture, Myths and Legends of Cornwall

Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Arthurian legend at Encyclopedia Mythica

Arthurian source texts - only useful for background

Chevaliers de la table ronde - really heavy so only for broadband users

http://fred.wheatonma.edu/wordpressmu/mdrout
Readings of Anglo-Saxon literature, including, of course, Beowulf. My favorite is The Ruin http://fred.wheatonma.edu/wordpressmu/m ... gory/ruin/


All from here:
http://nocturnal-media.com/forum/index.php?topic=561.0

[Stark]

Such as?

I'm thinking of a series that recast the drama in 535 and had shield walls galore and Cymru oh my. It's like that was supposed to improve the power of the narrative by being 'more' 'historically' 'accurate'.

[Majin Gojira]

Such as?

I'm thinking of a series that recast the drama in 535 and had shield walls galore and Cymru oh my. It's like that was supposed to improve the power of the narrative by being 'more' 'historically' 'accurate'.

Oh lord, I remember two of those coming out in the last decade IIRC.

That said, for me the most 'faithful' of the retellings is Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail. Sure, it uses them as a springboard for comedy, but it's truer to the oldest material last time I checked.

[madd0ct0r]

Such as?

I'm thinking of a series that recast the drama in 535 and had shield walls galore and Cymru oh my. It's like that was supposed to improve the power of the narrative by being 'more' 'historically' 'accurate'.

The Warlord Chronicles, starting with The Winter King. http://books.google.com/books/about/The ... sNyIl7DlgC

I loved them, a good dense historical read. Knowing the legend before hand helps though.

[Thanas]

Ugh. That guy again.


There is a pretty decent one which placed it right in Chlodewigs time and is told from the perspective of a simple warrior. Can't remember the title though.....

[madd0ct0r]

well, maybe I should have put 'historical' in quotation marks, but his version is a damn sight better then the branching around on a white horse with glittery armour version of the myth.*


* in his version Arthur does still do both, but in a cool 'historical' way

[Stofsk]

That's funny; I have the complete opposite reaction. I much prefer the knights in shining armour version of the myth than attempts at telling the 'truthiness' that 'historical' versions try to do.

[Ahriman238]

I'm with Stofsk on this one. If you're going to tell a mythic story, tell a mythic story. I've never heard of anyone doing the Odyssey without gods and monsters. Ok, I lie. Joyce did it, but that was enforced by the style of writing he wanted to do, the story he wanted to tell.

If I'm going to read/watch King Arthur, let it be the Arthur of my childhood, with giants and dragons, fairies and sorceresses, kitchen boys who become knights, the whole thing. Most of all, have being a knight mean something, instead of being a slightly better armed thug with a title.

[LadyTevar]

Chretian de Troyes' "Erec et Enide"

Composed 1170, this is the first known Arthurian Romance, a chanson du geste, and the first of Troyes' own Arthurian Cycle, which included Cliges; Yvain (The Knight with the Lion); Lancelot (The Knight of the Cart); and Perceval (the Story of the Grail)
Troyes' romances influenced many of the better known poets, such as Robert de Boron, Hartmann von Aue; each expounded on Troyes' vision of Arthur's Knights. "Mort Artu", Mallory's chief source for "Morte de Artur", borrowed much of Troyes' style and story.

[Ahriman238]

Chretian de Troyes' "Erec et Enide"

Composed 1170, this is the first known Arthurian Romance, a chanson du geste, and the first of Troyes' own Arthurian Cycle, which included Cliges; Yvain (The Knight with the Lion); Lancelot (The Knight of the Cart); and Perceval (the Story of the Grail)
Troyes' romances influenced many of the better known poets, such as Robert de Boron, Hartmann von Aue; each expounded on Troyes' vision of Arthur's Knights. "Mort Artu", Mallory's chief source for "Morte de Artur", borrowed much of Troyes' style and story.

Does a 12th Century text count as a readable version? I'm pretty sure the OP was looking for something in modern English at least, and perhaps a simpler version even there.

[Spoonist]

Chretian de Troyes' "Erec et Enide"

Composed 1170, this is the first known Arthurian Romance, a chanson du geste, and the first of Troyes' own Arthurian Cycle, which included Cliges; Yvain (The Knight with the Lion); Lancelot (The Knight of the Cart); and Perceval (the Story of the Grail)
Troyes' romances influenced many of the better known poets, such as Robert de Boron, Hartmann von Aue; each expounded on Troyes' vision of Arthur's Knights. "Mort Artu", Mallory's chief source for "Morte de Artur", borrowed much of Troyes' style and story.

Does a 12th Century text count as a readable version? I'm pretty sure the OP was looking for something in modern English at least, and perhaps a simpler version even there.

>I linked to it above if you want to try. >Yes it is "readable".

[LadyTevar]

Chretian de Troyes' "Erec et Enide"

Does a 12th Century text count as a readable version? I'm pretty sure the OP was looking for something in modern English at least, and perhaps a simpler version even there.

>I linked to it above if you want to try.
>Yes it is "readable".

I'm sorry, I did not click the links, so I did not know that it was included.
Yes, Spoonist, it's been translated into English from Early French, and it's kept much of the rythym & rhyme of the original. The problem is that it was meant to be chanted/sang aloud, so I at least have trouble simply reading it like prose. For me, it's much more understandable when I read it aloud (much like Shakespeare), but that's me. I mentioned it merely because I am still fighting my way through it after it was gifted to me two years back.