Arthuriana Early Arthurian Tradition And The Origins Of The Legend

This book collects together the academic and popular articles which have been published on the author's 'Arthurian Resources' website -- www.arthuriana.co.uk -- between 1998 and 2009.Praise for Thomas Green's 'Concepts of Arthur' (Tempus, 2007)'Valuable to anyone studying the Arthurian legend... vigorous and comprehensive' [Speculum, the Journal of the Medieval Academy of America]'Concepts of Arthur is that rare thing: a book that offers an original and refocused view of the nature of Arthur... I cannot fault or praise highly enough his respectful handling of British myth' [Arthuriana, the Journal of Arthurian Studies]'Demanding but very important' [Simon Young, author of 'AD 500']

The first in-depth study of Arthurian places in late medieval and early modern England and Wales. Places have the power to suspend disbelief, even concerning unbelievable subjects. The many locations associated with King Arthur show this to be true, from Tintagel in Cornwall to Caerleon in Wales. But how and why did Arthurian sites come to proliferate across the English and Welsh landscape? What role did the medieval custodians of Arthurian abbeys, churches, cathedrals, and castles play in "placing" Arthur? How did visitors experience Arthur in situ, and how did their experiences permeate into wider Arthurian tradition? And why, in history and even today, have particular places proven so powerful in defending the impression of Arthur's reality? This book, the first in-depth study of Arthurian places in late medieval and early modern England and Wales, provides an answer to these questions. Beginning with an examination of on-site experiences of Arthur, at locations including Glastonbury, York, Dover, and Cirencester, it traces the impact that they had on visitors, among them John Hardyng, John Leland, William Camden, who subsequently used them as justification for the existence of Arthur in their writings. It shows how the local Arthur was manifested through textual and material culture: in chronicles, notebooks, and antiquarian works; in stained glass windows, earthworks, and display tablets. Via a careful piecing together of the evidence, the volume argues that a new history of Arthur begins to emerge: a local history.

Tracing the development of the King Arthur story in the late Middle Ages, this book explores Arthur's depiction as a wilderness figure, the descendant of the northern Romano-British hunter/warrior god. The earliest Arthur was a warrior but in the 11th century Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, he is less a warrior and more a leader of a band of rogue heroes. The story of Arthur was popularized by Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his Latin History of the Kings of Britain, and was translated into Middle English in Layamon's Brut and the later alliterative Alliterative Morte Arthure. Both owed much to the epic poem "Beowulf," which draws on the Anglo-Saxon fascination with the wilderness. The most famous Arthurian tale is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which the wilderness and themes from Beowulf play a leading role. Three Arthurian tales set in Inglewood Forest place Arthur and Gawain in a wilderness setting, and link Arthur to medieval Robin Hood tales.

'Trade, Gift-giving and Romanitas' is a short but detailed study of the way in which elites outside of the Roman Empire used and imported Roman luxury items, focussing on Southern Scandinavia and Western Britain as case studies.It can be argued that these items were being used in the same manner in both regions, with local elites consciously trying to appear Roman in order to secure and legitimise their rule. Furthermore the distribution of these artefacts can tell us a significant amount about the internal structures of these 'barbarian' polities, their economic sophistication, and the role played by gift-giving in both societies.

“A leading medievalist takes a clear-eyed look at the evidence for the existence of the legendary Arthur.” —The Sunday Times “Best Paperbacks of 2021” According to legend, King Arthur saved Britain from the Saxons and reigned over it gloriously sometime around A.D. 500. Whether or not there was a “real” King Arthur has all too often been neglected by scholars; most period specialists today declare themselves agnostic on this important matter. In this erudite volume, Nick Higham sets out to solve the puzzle, drawing on his original research and expertise to determine precisely when, and why, the legend began. Higham surveys all the major attempts to prove the origins of Arthur, weighing up and debunking hitherto claimed connections with classical Greece, Roman Dalmatia, Sarmatia, and the Caucasus. He then explores Arthur’s emergence in Wales—up to his rise to fame at the hands of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Certain to arouse heated debate among those committed to defending any particular Arthur, Higham’s book is an essential study for anyone seeking to understand how Arthur’s story began. “Likely to be the definitive text on the legendary warrior for the foreseeable future. With his profound knowledge of the rules of historical narrative and patient but forensic analysis of the evidence, Higham’s riveting book brings the historical Arthur to what may be his last, decisive battle.” —Max Adams, author of The First Kingdom “Fascinating, authoritative analysis.” —P. D. Smith, The Guardian “Intelligent and eminently readable . . . For fans of a fascinating story that is wonderfully well told, this is the perfect book to take you back to King Arthur’s time.” —All About History

This new book examines all of the available source materials, dating from the ninth century to the present, that have associated Arthur with sites in Wales. The material ranges from Medieval Latin chronicles, French romances and Welsh poetry through to the earliest printed works, antiquarian notebooks, periodicals, academic publications and finally books, written by both amateur and professional historians alike, in the modern period that have made various claims about the identity of Arthur and his kingdom. All of these sources are here placed in context, with the issues of dating and authorship discussed, and their impact and influence assessed. This book also contains a gazetteer of all the sites mentioned, including those yet to be identified, and traces their Arthurian associations back to their original source.

Every culture has in its folklore and mythology beings of immense size and strength, as well as other preternatural humanoids great or small who walk among us, serving the divine or fulfilling their own agendas. This book catalogs the lore and legends of more than 1,000 different humanoid species and individual beings, including the Titans, Valkyries, Jotnar, yōkai, biblical giants, elves, ogres, trolls and many more.

In this tribute to Anthony Grafton, fifty-eight contributors present new research across the many areas in which Grafton has been active in the history of scholarship and learned culture.