The Matter of Britain The Mythological and Philosophical Significance of the British Legends by John J. Davenport Department of Philosophy Fordham University
[email protected] In honor of Stephen R. Donaldson Originally composed in 1997 for relatives and friends from the UK, this work has been shared with others since. I make it available to all for any pleasure and insight it may bring. last revised November, 2004 Contents Introduction : The Mystery Part I: The Cycle of Britain 1. Historical Context 2. Archetypal Background 3. Brutus and the Founding of Britain 4. The Paradigmatic Language of Myth and Legend 5. The Development of Arthurian Legend 6. The British Cycle Part II: Themes of the British Legend 7. Spenser's Paean to Arthur 8. The Arthurian Vision 9. The Island Kingdom 10. Impregnable Wierd and the Human Will 11. The Tragic Poignance of Humanity 12. Poignance and the Mark of Mortality 13. The Phenomenology of Poignance Conclusion: Resentiment or Eucatastrophe -- 1 -- The Matter of Britain Introduction Oh England my Lionheart I'm in your garden fading fast in your arms The soldiers soften, the war is over. The air raid shelters are blooming clover; Flapping umbrellas fill the lanes, My London Bridge in rain again... This first stanza of Kate Bush's song, “Lionheart,” evokes a legendary image of ‘Britain' only to relate it to modern imagery, specifically the legacy of World War II. The nostalgic mood, as we learn in the last stanza, reflects a dying soldier’s last vision of the spirit of his country—the desires and symbols native to this land for which he would give his life.