Syllabus
Round Table
Paper
Useful Links

Medieval Arthurian Literature introduces students to the rich and varied tradition surrounding the figure of King Arthur. Most of our ideas of King Arthur and his court are based on Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur from the fifteenth century and on nineteenth-century renditions of medieval stories. In this course we will explore some of the origins of our conception of Arthur and the ideology connected with his court, and we will examine some of the older sources of Arthurian legend.

The course will begin with a study of the historical background of the legends and early Arthurian documents. From there we will investigate a few representative works of medieval Arthurian literature in roughly chronological order, ending with Malory's Morte d'Arthur. This semester, we will spend part of the semester focusing on tales of the Holy Grail, in particular two very different stories about Sir Percival. The course should help you come to understand and appreciate some of the richness and diversity of the Arthurian tradition and the vitality that has caused it to endure and transform through so many centuries.

Books for Spring 2008

Gantz, trans. The Mabinogion. Penguin, 1976. ISBN 9780140443226
Geoffrey of Monmouth. History of the Kings of Britain. Trans. Lewis Thorpe. Penguin, 1977. ISBN 9780140441703
Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur. Trans. Keith Baines. Penguin, 2001. ISBN 9780451528162
Staines, David, trans. The Complete Romances of Chretien de Troyes. Indiana UP, 1993. ISBN 9780253207876
Wolfram von Eschenbach. Parzival. Trans. A.T. Hatto. Penguin, 1980. ISBN 9780140443615