Just like the fellowship of the Round Table, our time here with Arthur and his knights must come to an end. We have a lot more to talk about this summer, and I didn’t expect so much to come out of the Arthurian texts. We haven’t even made it to Hardy and Hopkins yet!
But before we go, let’s look at a few Arthurian resources that can help getting through Malory’s running commentary on tournaments. Hey, I love Malory–he’s great–but every so often I felt like I was awkwardly pretending to listen to a guy wearing a Palomides jersey.
The Camelot Project: Want to read more Arthurian lore, then this site is the place for you. The Robins Library has digitized a large amount of texts. You can read quite a bit of Victorian rewritings of the Arthurian story, like the works of Tennyson and Morrison.
List of Arthurian Characters: Having trouble keeping track of all the different knights and ladies and fairies and knaves? Trying to remember whether you’re supposed to hate Gawain or think he’s the best example of chivalry? Then this is the wikipage for you.
“Taliessin Through Logres”: Gone through the Camelot Project and still want more? Over at the Oddest Inkling, there is a guide through Charles Williams’s Arthurian poems.
Sarum Missal: Wonder what liturgy Malory might be imagining whenever he mentions a knight hearing Mass before a long day of chivalric adventure? There were many different local uses when he wrote in the 1400s, but the Use of Salisbury, or Sarum, was one of the most widely spread.
And in case you missed them, here are the posts on Arthurian topics:
Arthurian Time
Imagine Arthur pulling the sword from the stone. What season is it? Do you see snow? Does a crisp winter light play over the stone? Now be honest…is Arthur wearing a scarf? I apologize for channeling a Disney scene, but bear with me. The legend of Arthur is very seasonal. It’s cold when the sword is pulled from the stone because it’s Christmas. More Arthurian Time
Father’s Day Reading
Looking for some reading this Father’s Day? Perhaps you need something that rises above the din of bad Disney fathers or maybe you need some me time before opening up some poorly-wrapped black socks. Hey, we all secretly know we need more socks and that we’ll never buy them for ourselves. Here you’ll find some properly festive readings and some fatherly knights of the Round Table. More Father’s Day Reading
Sir Monday and the Monks of the Round Table
So the Grail Cycle is supposed to happen around 454 according to Malory. But there are monks from 1098 who are a reform of an order started by a man who was born in 480. Find out why this anachronism not only works but is actually fridge brilliance in this post. More Sir Monday and the Monks of the Round Table
Lancelot’s Vision of the Trinity
Take a look at Lancelot’s Grail Quest theophany and how it resonates with another legend of the period. In a surprising move, Tennyson retains the Mass of St. Gregory miracle in his version of Arthurian lore. More Lancelot’s Vision of the Trinity
Celebrating Pentecost King Arthur Style
Did you know that Pentecost is an important day in the high order of knighthood? In this post, we begin our exploration of the impact liturgical time has on Arthurian lore. More Celebrating Pentecost King Arthur Style
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4 Responses
Many thanks for a rich reading experience.
Thank you! I’m very glad you enjoyed it. I had your work and your parish in my thoughts the other day when I was reading the Book of Common Prayer for my exam lists.
How very kind. I was about to say, sadly it isn’t my parish but then thought that I am not sad really. I get to have a rich pastoral relationship with the parish without the increasingly onerous task of being its vicar.
What was the relationship between the Book of Common Prayer and exams?
Part of my work is on how liturgy influences literature (as well as acts as literature). I have the 1559 BCP on my exam lists (and have to keep an eye on the 1662 one if I want to make an argument about some of the Victorians I look at). Thomas Hardy references it so much, that I have to have it at hand when reading his novels or poems. It features very prominently in Tess in particular.