History of Children’s Literature - EDU12HCLWeek 7 Lecture 2

Arthur and the

Chivalric Hero

© La Trobe University, David Beagley, 2005

References

• Jokinen, A. (1996) Heroes of the Middle Ages. [online] Available: http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/medheroes.htm

Tolkien and Beowulf

Saw his work on Beowulf as his major achievement

Key problems of interpretation - • Monsters

– are they symbols and allegories in our own psychologies, or just monsters?

• Literature or History?- Tolkien's point: treat it as a poem, not an archeological dig

• Can we understand a poem so far out of its social context?- We are not A-S society with the assumed understandings of values, references to other stories, visual images etc.

• That is the challenge of literature - can it tell a/its story to many audiences?

Influences on modern epic fantasy

Lord of the Rings:• Various groups – Riders of Rohan (AS society), orcs (Grendel), elves, dwarves, wizards (druids)

• Languages and poetry• Demonized, externalized threat to society• Duty-bound heroes doing what is needed

Genre:• Medievalism – swords’n’sorcery, wizards’n’warriors

• Lonely hero on epic quest to save the world• Languages and literate emphases – runes, inscriptions

• Objects of power – rings, swords, magic• Whole worlds and cosmologies

The epic hero

• Undertakes role as duty to others, not as a personal achievement

• Strong sense of social morality, including code of behaviour to enemies

• Only becomes hero when needed, may be unwilling

• Does not necessarily have social status prior to heroics, but may achieve it. Considers it a consequence, not an aim, in heroics.

• If mistakes are made, community suffers.• Wyrd and comitatus as code of behaviour

The chivalric hero

Change over 500 years from c. 800s to c. 1300s

• Undertakes role as personal challenge, to achieve redemption, reputation, ultimate standards

• Strong sense of social morality, including code of behaviour to enemies

• Strives hard to attain hero status in the eyes of peers and society

• If mistakes are made, learn the lesson and try harder next time

• Chivalry as code of behaviour

Changes in these social attitudes

• Christianity as strong moral code• More stable communities and nations, and communication between them

• Less threat to community, more focus on individual

• Chivalry• Respect for others, courtesy and charity• Courtly Love• Romantic devotion to idealised lover • Often unconsummated, even secret from lover

Arthur’s origins

Possibilities:• Celtic–Welsh hero resisting Romans (c. 1st century)• Romanised Celt resisting Saxons (c. 4th-5th century)• Saxon resisting Vikings (c. 7th-9th century)• Alternative to French Charlemagne romances (c. 8th-10th century)

• English nation resisting Normans (c.11th-12th century)

• Various English kings wanting to be identified with him – (c. 12th-15th century)

• Elements that can be traced from Wales, Cornwall, Celtic myths, Saxon kingdoms, Norse sagas, Brittany, France, Christian legends etc. etc. etc.

Arthur’s origins

Main sources and variants:• Geoffrey of Monmouth / Nennius / William of Malmesbury / Wace / Layamon - early writers (History or literature?)

• Chretien de Troyes - medieval romances (French)

• Thomas Malory - first printed collection (English)

• Tennyson - Idylls of the King - Pre-Raphaelites

• TH White - modern novelists

Arthurian cycles

Groups of stories around specific themes:

• Arthur the King – Right vs Might, the nation builder

• Merlin – Celtic and pre-Christian magic• Courtly Love – the trials and tragedies of romance

• Individual heroes – Lancelot, Gawain• The Grail – Christian redemption

Arthur as history

Literature or History?

• C.f. Tolkien's point about Beowulf: treat it as literature, not an archeological dig

• Trouble is:a) The stories contains so much everyday

social detail not available elsewhere

b) The Arthurian tales have gone through so much adaptation, evolution, interpretation, that there is no single or standard version

Arthur versions

The sword in the stone• TH White - heavily influenced by current

politics on the eve of WW2 - war, totalitarian states, might vs right

• Part of 5 book series (The Once and Future King & The book of Merlyn) telling the major Malory story.

Arthur – at the crossing places• Kevin Crossley-Holland - expert in British

folklore and history• Uses those two aspects to emphasise

Arthur’s humanity, and chivalric choices