King Arthur in Legend and History
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KING ARTHUR IN LEGEND AND HISTORY Edited by RICHARD WHITE With a Foreword by ALLAN MASSIE J. M. Dent London CONTENTS Note on the Editor ix Chronology of Key Arthurian Texts Foreword by Allan Massie xiii Introduction xv Note on the Text xxvi Maps xxvii KING ARTHUR IN LEGEND AND HISTORY PART i: EARLY WORKS 3 GILDAS, The Ruin of Britain 3 NENNIUS, History of the Britons 4 The Annals of Wales 6 The Mabinogion: 'Culhwch and Olwen' 7 The Life of St Goeznovius 12 LIFRIC OF LLANCARFAN, The Life of St Cadoc 13 The Life of St Carannog 16 The Life of St Iltud 18 The Life of St Padarn 18 CARADOC OF LLANCARFAN, The Life of St Gildas 19 WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY, The Deeds of the English Kings 22 PART Z: GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH AND THE 'BRUT' CHRONICLE TRADITION 25 GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH, History of the Kings of Britain 25 WILLIAM OF NEWBURGH, History of English Affairs 40 WACE, Brut 45 LAWMAN (LAYAMON), Brut 60 ROBERT OF GLOUCESTER, Metrical Chronicle 78 ROBERT MANNYNG OF BRUNNE, Chronicle 82 The Alliterative Morte Arthure 96 The Parlement of the Thre Ages 125 VI CONTENTS JEHAN DE WAURIN, Chronicles and Ancient Histories of Great Britain 127 SCOTTISH CHRONICLES: JOHN DE FORDUN, Chronicle of the Scottish People 129 ANDREW OF WYNTOUN, Chronicle 131 WILLIAM STEWART, The Buik of the Chronicles of Scotland 134 PART 3: ARTHUR IN EARLY FRENCH ROMANCE I4I CHRETIEN DE TROYES: Erec and Enide 141 Cliges 146 Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart 156 Yvain, or the Knight of the Lion 159 Perceval, or the Story of the Grail 162 The First Perceval Continuation 171 The Second Perceval Continuation 177 GERBERT DE MONTREUIL, Perceval Continuation . 181 MANESSIER, Perceval Continuation 187 The Didot Perceval 188 Perlesvaus, or The High Book of the Grail 194 The Bridleless Mule 209 ROBERT BIKET, The Lay of the Horn 211 BEROUL, The Romance of Tristan 217 RAOUL DE HOUDENC: My Lord Gawain, or the Avenging of Raguidel 221 Meraugis de Portlesguez 234 PSEUDO WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY, Concerning the Ancient Church of Glastonbury 240 Yder 241 GUILLAUME LE CLERC, Fergus of Galloway 248 Gliglois 258 Huth Merlin 261 PART 4: THE VULGATE CYCLE Z7I The Story of Merlin 271 The Prose Lancelot 274 The Grail Quest 286 The Death of Arthur 290 The Book of Arthur 298 PART 5: LATER FRENCH ROMANCE 317 The Knight With Two Swords 317 CONTENTS VU The Perilous Cemetery 326 The Romance of Hunbaut 331 The Romance of Laurin 334 The Rise of Gawain 337 ROBERT DE BLOIS, BiausdoUS 346 The Romance of Claris and Laris 352 GIRART D'AMIENS, Escanor 360 JEHAN, The Marvels of Rigomer 366 The Knight of the Parrot 368 PART 6: GERMAN AND ENGLISH ROMANCES 385 HEINRICH VON DEM TURLIN, The Crown 385 Of Arthour and of Merlin 391 The Fair Unknown (Lybeaus Desconus) 396 Sir Percyvell of Gales 403 Ywain and Gawain 409 The Stanzaic Morte Arthur 419 The Anturs of Arther 426 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 438 Syre Gawene and the Carle of Carelyle 456 THOMAS OF CHESTRE, Syr Launfal 459 The Avowing of King Arthur 465 HENRY LOVELICH, The Romance of Merlin 475 The Weddynge of Sir Gawen and Dame Ragnell 481 SIR THOMAS MALORY, The Works (Le Morte d'Arthur) 490 PART 7: HISTORICAL TEXTS 515 HERMANN OF TOURNAI, Concerning the Miracles of St Mary of Laudun 515 ALAIN DE LILLE, English Prophecies of Merlin Ambrosius 516 PETER OF BLOIS, Confessions 516 RALPH OF COGGESHALL, English Chronicle 517 GERALD OF WALES (GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS): Instruction of a Prince 517 Mirror of the Church 520 The Journey Through Wales 521 The Description of Wales 523 GERVASE OF TILBURY, Imperial Leisure 523 CAESARIUS OF HEISTERBACH, Dialogue of Miracles 524 ETIENNE DE BOURBON, Treatise on Various Prophetic Matters 525 MATTHEW PARIS, History of the English 526 The Song of the Welsh 526 Vlll CONTENTS The Waverly Annals 527 ADAM OF DOMERHAM, History of the Affairs of Glastonbury 528 WALTER OF COVENTRY, The Historical Collections of Walter of Coventry 529 PIERRE DE LANGTOFT, Chronicle 530 WILLIAM RISHANGER, Chronicles 534 MONK OF MALMESBURY, The Life of Edward II 535 RANULPH HIGDEN, Polychronicon 535 ADAM OF MURIMUTH, Continuation of the Chronicles 536 JEAN LE BEL, Chronicle 537 JEAN FROISSART, Chronicles 537 Appendix: Arthurian Courts 539 Notes 543 List of Sources 555 Suggestions for Further Reading 562 Bibliography 564 Acknowledgements 569.