Margaret Denslow Kissam the Characterlzation of MERLIN

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Margaret Denslow Kissam the Characterlzation of MERLIN Margaret Denslow Kissam THE CHARACTERlZATION OF MERLIN IN THE MIDDLE AGES Submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Arts Department of English McGill University August l, 1967 :: (ê) Margaret Dens10w Kissam 1968 Margaret Denslow Kissam THE CHARACTERlZATION OF MERLIN IN THE MIDDLE AGES Submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Arts Department of English MeGill University August l, 1967 Merlin is an dien character who helps Arthur and the fellowship of the Round Table towards a great achievement, in which he will never partake, when they would not have seen the possibility or succeeded in the undertaking without his direction. A study of the development of the legend of Merlin from the ~ ~ of Carmarthen and certain chronicles through the Arthurian romances shows that Merlin is a significant archetypal figure who is able to survive and benefit from the conceptual transitions through which he passes in the Middle Ages. CONTENTS Table of Contents i 1. Before the Romances 1 2. Robert de Boron 15 3. The Vulgate Continuations 21 4. The Huth Continuation 36 5. Sir Thomas Ma10ry 48 6. Conclusion 54 Bibliography 59 CHAPTER ONE Before the Romances In this study l should like to examine the development of Merlin as he is known in Medieval literature, his character as distinct from the prophecies attributed to him. l shall not attempt to speculate . on who Merlin really was, but on what he became through tradition, imagination, and rhetoric. Merlin has been warrior, madman, prophet, Antichrist, shape-changer, counsellor, enchanter, and foolish lover. It was he who made possible a noble reign and a sacred quest, attempts to fulfil man's highest ideals. By examining him in these different lights, l hope to show how Merlin was developed into his rnost noted form, in Malory, and to suggest why. To this end, l am going to review the accounts of Merlin which existed before the character found its way into the Medieval romances, and then go on to consider at greater length his r6le in the French and English versions of the early history of King Arthur, and in Malory's ~ Morte Darthur. To begin with, it will be useful to give an outline of the story of Merlin as it appears in the Huth Merlin,l which will serve as a point of reference. After the death of Christ the devils decide that in order to reconquer mankind they must create a man endowed with their powers. Merlin is duly engendered by an incubus on a virgin, lGaston Paris and Jacob Ulrich, editors, Merlin, edi ted from the Huth manuscript, Paris 1886. Two volumes. 2 but he is saved from evil by Blaise, the girl's confessor, who baptizes· him immediately after birth. Because he is the son of a devil, he knows aIl that is past, and to reward his mother for her repentance, God bestows on him knowledge of the future. At this time, there is a king in England named Constant, who has three sons, Moine, Pendragon, anù Uther. Moine succeeds his father, but is a weak ruler, and his senechal Vortigern (Vertigier)2 usurps the throne. Vortigern makes an alliance with the Saisnes, a pagan enemy, that includes marrying the daughter of their leader Hengist (Hangus), and allowing them to come to England. Understandably, Vortigern tries to build a strong tower, but the walls will not stand. His advisors read in the stars that a fatherless boy will be responsible for their ruin, so they tell Vortigern that his problem will be solved if he has such a boy killed without seeing him, and his blood sprinkled on the foundations. Merlin is able to convince the men sent to kill him that he can help the king, so they take him back to cou~t. On the way, he impresses the guards by laughing at a man bargaining for a pair of shoes, because he knows he will not live to wear them. This prophecy is confirmed. Merlin explains to Vortigern that under the tower site is a body of water, and under it are two dragons, one red, one white. When the stones of the foundation are laid, they disturb the dragons, and when the dragons stir, the foundation collapses. Merlin predicts that once the dragons are brought to light they will fight, and the white dragon will kill the red one, which he afterwards interprets to Mean that Vortigern 2To lessen the confusion of the multiple spellings of each name, the Most prevalent English spelling of the name is used throughout. Alternatives are given in parentheses. 3 will be destroyed by the sons of Constant. This also comes true. Alter visiting Blaise in Northumberland, Me~lin helps Pen dragon and Uther to rid the country of the Saisnes. The Saisnes return, and Pendragon is killed. Merlin imports huge stones (Stonehenge) from Ireland for his sepulchre. Uther becomes king under the name Uther Pendragon. Merlin rev~Rls to him the great secret of the two sacred tables of Christ and Joseph off Ârimathea, and is charged with making a third, at which there is an empty seat for the Grail knight. Merlin brings about the conception of Arthur by changing Uther to look like the Duke of Tintagel, so that he can visit the duke's wife, Igraine (Ygerne), with whom he is very much in love. Once the duke has been killed in e raid, Uther is able tG marry Igraine. When Arthur (Artus) is bOirn, Merlin ghes him to Ector (Auctor) to bring up with his own son Kay (Keu). On Uther's death, Merlin tells the nobles that they should wait until Christmas, when God will reveal the rightful heir to the throne. The sword-in-the-stone episode puts Arthur on the throne by Pentecost, and aU rejoice when Merlin later reveals Arthur's parentage. Merlin arranges for Arthur to get his sword and scabbard from a magic lake. From then on, Merlin serves chiefly as a counsellor, both in his natural and assumed forms, helping Arthur and his knights with their first wars and adventures until Arthur is able to manage without him. During this time,Merlin witnesses Arthur's marriage to Gwenivere (Gonnore) and the establishment of the Round Table at Arthur's court. At last Merlin is ensnared by Niviene (Viviane, Nimiane, Nimue) and disappears, as she uses the enchantments he has taught her to shut him in a tomb in the forest. This is the basic plot of the two fully developed versions of the tale. 4 There has been a good de al of speculation about Merlin as a descendant from pre-Christian tradition. Mucb ofthis speculation has been of an imaginary or wishful stamp. Nevertheless, there are attributes and circumstances involved of a distinctly archetypal nature, testified to by the many analogues to episodes in the story from the Orient, continental Europe, Scotland, and Ireland. The beginning of the version in the Ruth manuscript is derived from the legend of the Antichrist. The Vortigern episode reflects a very old worldwide tradition in which a king, attempting but failing to construct an important building, is aided by a supernatural being who discovers the source of the trouble in floods or dragons beneath the foundations. The supernatural being's foreknowledge is vindicated by future events. 3 4 The laughter motif is also widespread. Merlin's control of nature, as seen in his shape-shifting, supernatural knowledge, and prophetie ability have filtered down from analogues in Scotland (Lailoken), Ireland (Suibhne Ge ilt), and Wales (Myrddin). S The r81e of an old man or magician with both good and evil potential helping a young man to start a meaningful career is, according to Jung, an archetype for the spirit that induces self-reflection and moral force, and gives the necessary talisman for later success.6 The Welsh tradition is ~1. Gaster, "The Lege.nd of Merlin", ~ ~ XVI (1905), page 424. 4For a discussion of the laughter motif, see A.H. Krappe, "Le Rire du Prophète", in Studies ~ English Philology ~ ~ ot:, E. Klaeber, edited by K. Malone and M.B. Ruud (Minneapolis, 1929), pages 340 - 361. SFor a resumé of these analogues, see John J. Parry, "Celtic Tradi tion in the Vi ta Merlini", Philological Quarterly IV (192S), 193 - 207. 6 C.G. Jung, ~ ArchetYpes ~~ Collective Unconscious (New York, 1959), page 220. 5 responsible for Merlin's association with the north and for the theme of Merlin as a rejected lover. These ancient roots help to explain the aura of mystery that surrounds Merlin everywhere. In medieval literary history, before he is taken up by the romancers, Merlin appears in Welsh poetry and in various chronicles, at first separately as two distinct characters, and later on with some of the attributes of both these early figures. The earlier character is found in the chronicles in connection with Vox-tigern, who was active around 450 A.D. The second figure is the Myrddin of Welsh tradition. He is supposed to have fought with the North Welsh against a pagan faction in the Battle of Ardderyd in 573, and fifty years later he speaks of wandering mad in the woods. It must be emphasized, as usual, that the distinction between history and legend was not an important one in the Middle Ages, and that, in consequence, the information surrounding t,hese dates is chiefly important in sofar as it backs up the analogues, which suggest that Merlin was not the creation of a single man. In the Welsh tradition two poems survive in the ~ ~ of Carmarthen, parts of which seem to date from a much earlier period than the manuscript itself, written down about 1200.
Recommended publications
  • Models of Time Travel
    MODELS OF TIME TRAVEL A COMPARATIVE STUDY USING FILMS Guy Roland Micklethwait A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The Australian National University July 2012 National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences APPENDIX I: FILMS REVIEWED Each of the following film reviews has been reduced to two pages. The first page of each of each review is objective; it includes factual information about the film and a synopsis not of the plot, but of how temporal phenomena were treated in the plot. The second page of the review is subjective; it includes the genre where I placed the film, my general comments and then a brief discussion about which model of time I felt was being used and why. It finishes with a diagrammatic representation of the timeline used in the film. Note that if a film has only one diagram, it is because the different journeys are using the same model of time in the same way. Sometimes several journeys are made. The present moment on any timeline is always taken at the start point of the first time travel journey, which is placed at the origin of the graph. The blue lines with arrows show where the time traveller’s trip began and ended. They can also be used to show how information is transmitted from one point on the timeline to another. When choosing a model of time for a particular film, I am not looking at what happened in the plot, but rather the type of timeline used in the film to describe the possible outcomes, as opposed to what happened.
    [Show full text]
  • The Statement
    THE STATEMENT A Robert Lantos Production A Norman Jewison Film Written by Ronald Harwood Starring Michael Caine Tilda Swinton Jeremy Northam Based on the Novel by Brian Moore A Sony Pictures Classics Release 120 minutes EAST COAST: WEST COAST: EXHIBITOR CONTACTS: FALCO INK BLOCK-KORENBROT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS SHANNON TREUSCH MELODY KORENBROT CARMELO PIRRONE ERIN BRUCE ZIGGY KOZLOWSKI ANGELA GRESHAM 850 SEVENTH AVENUE, 8271 MELROSE AVENUE, 550 MADISON AVENUE, SUITE 1005 SUITE 200 8TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10024 LOS ANGELES, CA 90046 NEW YORK, NY 10022 PHONE: (212) 445-7100 PHONE: (323) 655-0593 PHONE: (212) 833-8833 FAX: (212) 445-0623 FAX: (323) 655-7302 FAX: (212) 833-8844 Visit the Sony Pictures Classics Internet site at: http:/www.sonyclassics.com THE STATEMENT A ROBERT LANTOS PRODUCTION A NORMAN JEWISON FILM Directed by NORMAN JEWISON Produced by ROBERT LANTOS NORMAN JEWISON Screenplay by RONALD HARWOOD Based on the novel by BRIAN MOORE Director of Photography KEVIN JEWISON Production Designer JEAN RABASSE Edited by STEPHEN RIVKIN, A.C.E. ANDREW S. EISEN Music by NORMAND CORBEIL Costume Designer CARINE SARFATI Casting by NINA GOLD Co-Producers SANDRA CUNNINGHAM YANNICK BERNARD ROBYN SLOVO Executive Producers DAVID M. THOMPSON MARK MUSSELMAN JASON PIETTE MICHAEL COWAN Associate Producer JULIA ROSENBERG a SERENDIPITY POINT FILMS ODESSA FILMS COMPANY PICTURES co-production in association with ASTRAL MEDIA in association with TELEFILM CANADA in association with CORUS ENTERTAINMENT in association with MOVISION in association with SONY PICTURES
    [Show full text]
  • Innocent ITV Wylie Interviews
    Contents Press Release 3 - 4 Foreword by writer and creator Chris Lang 5 Cast Interviews 6 - 11 Episode Synopses 12 - 15 Cast and Production Credits 16 - 17 Back Page 18 2 Lee Ingleby and Hermione Norris lead the cast of new ITV drama serial Innocent Innocent is a new four-part contemporary drama series written by acclaimed writers Chris Lang and Matt Arlidge starring Hermione Norris and Lee Ingleby and produced by TXTV. They are joined by an exciting ensemble cast including Daniel Ryan (Home Fires, Mount Pleasant), Angel Coulby (Merlin, The Tunnel), Nigel Lindsay (Victoria, Foyle’s War), Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons, Frankenstein Chronicles) and Adrian Rowlins (Harry Potter, Dickensian). The drama series tells the compelling story of David Collins (Lee Ingleby) who is living a nightmare. Convicted of murdering his wife Tara, David has served seven years in prison. He’s lost everything he held dear: his wife, his two children and even the house he owned. He’s always protested his innocence and faces the rest of his life behind bars. His situation couldn’t be more desperate. Despised by his wife’s family and friends, his only support has been his faithful brother Phil (Daniel Ryan) who has stood by him, sacrificing his own career and livelihood to mount a tireless campaign to prove his brother’s innocence. Convinced of his guilt, Tara’s childless sister Alice (Hermione Norris) and her husband Rob (Adrian Rowlins) are now parents to David’s children. They’ve become a successful family unit and thanks to the proceeds of David’s estate enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, which is very different to when Tara was alive.
    [Show full text]
  • The Arthurian Legend Now and Then a Comparative Thesis on Malory's Le Morte D'arthur and BBC's Merlin Bachelor Thesis Engl
    The Arthurian Legend Now and Then A Comparative Thesis on Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and BBC’s Merlin Bachelor Thesis English Language and Culture, Utrecht University Student: Saskia van Beek Student Number: 3953440 Supervisor: Dr. Marcelle Cole Second Reader: Dr. Roselinde Supheert Date of Completion: February 2016 Total Word Count: 6000 Index page Introduction 1 Adaptation Theories 4 Adaptation of Male Characters 7 Adaptation of Female Characters 13 Conclusion 21 Bibliography 23 van Beek 1 Introduction In Britain’s literary history there is one figure who looms largest: Arthur. Many different stories have been written about the quests of the legendary king of Britain and his Knights of the Round Table, and as a result many modern adaptations have been made from varying perspectives. The Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian Legend traces the evolution of the story and begins by asking the question “whether or not there ever was an Arthur, and if so, who, what, where and when.” (Archibald and Putter, 1). The victory over the Anglo-Saxons at Mount Badon in the fifth century was attributed to Arthur by Geoffrey of Monmouth (Monmouth), but according to the sixth century monk Gildas, this victory belonged to Ambrosius Aurelianus, a fifth century Romano-British soldier, and the figure of Arthur was merely inspired by this warrior (Giles). Despite this, more events have been attributed to Arthur and he remains popular to write about to date, and because of that there is scope for analytic and comparative research on all these stories (Archibald and Putter). The legend of Arthur, king of the Britains, flourished with Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain (Monmouth).
    [Show full text]
  • Merlin Season One Trivia Quiz
    MERLIN SEASON ONE TRIVIA QUIZ ( www.TriviaChamp.com ) 1> In season one, Merlin arrives in Camelot and is the apprentice to the town's physician. What was his name? a. Uther b. John c. Elyan d. Gaius 2> In episode two, Valiant, what creature is painted on the shield of the knight that is facing Arthur? Hint - The creature(s) come to life. a. Gargoyles b. Demons c. Dragons d. Serpents 3> What is the name of Morgana's servant? a. Hunith b. Morgose c. Nimueh d. Gwen 4> Who was the sorceress responsible for the plaque/sickness that swept Camelot as the result of a dragon egg? a. Morgose b. Sophia c. Mordred d. Nimueh 5> What creature is half eagle and half lion that was seen in episode 5 of Season 1? a. Griffin b. Cyclops c. Hippogriff d. Narvick 6> Which character suffers extreme and terrible nightmares? a. Morgana b. Uther c. Gaius d. Arthur 7> Who tried to replace Gaius as court physician by tricking everyone into thinking he had a "cure all" for any form of sickness? a. Edwin b. Cenred c. Mardan d. Aulfric 8> Who warns Merlin of Mordred? a. Sir Percival b. Morgana c. Gaius d. The Dragon 9> Who killed a unicorn? a. Guinevere b. Merlin c. Uther d. Arthur 10> Which "knight" of Camelot had a forged nobility statement? a. Euan b. Percival c. Lancelot d. Davis 11> Which actor plays the role of Merlin? a. Bradley James b. Richard Wilson c. Rupert Young d. Colin Morgan 12> Which of the following practices is banned by King Uther Pendragon in Camelot? a.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Modern Views of Merlin
    Volume 16 Number 4 Article 3 Summer 7-15-1990 Three Modern Views of Merlin Gwyneth Evans Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation Evans, Gwyneth (1990) "Three Modern Views of Merlin," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 16 : No. 4 , Article 3. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol16/iss4/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mythopoeic Society at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature by an authorized editor of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To join the Mythopoeic Society go to: http://www.mythsoc.org/join.htm Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON July 31 - August 1, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien Albuquerque, New Mexico; July 29 - August 1, 2022 http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-52.htm Abstract Examines the use of Merlin as a character in Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, two novels by J.C. Powys, and Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series. Notes parallels and differences in Merlin’s power, role, prophetic ability, link with the divine, and vulnerability. Additional Keywords Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising (series)—Characters—Merlin; Merlin; Powys, J.C.
    [Show full text]
  • King Arthur and His Knights
    King Arthur and his Knights by George Gibson 1/23 Contents Chapter One: Young Arthur............................................................................3 Chapter Two: The sword in the stone............................................................. 4 Chapter Three: Britain has a King...................................................................5 Chapter Four: Excalibur.................................................................................. 6 Chapter Five: Arthur meets Guinevere........................................................... 7 Chapter Six: The five Kings............................................................................8 Chapter Seven: Lancelot............................................................................... 10 Chapter Eight: The Holy Grail...................................................................... 12 Chapter Nine: King Arthur goes to Aralon................................................... 14 Track 1: Was King Arthur Only a Legend?.................................................. 16 Track 2: Before Arthur's Time...................................................................... 17 Track 3: Knight............................................................................................. 18 Track 4: Page, Squire, Knight....................................................................... 19 Track 5: Castles.............................................................................................20 Track 6: Old Castle of Great Interest...........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Colorblind" Visibility, and the Narrative Marginalization of Black Female Protagonists in Mainstream Fantasy Media
    BUT WE DREAM IN THE DARK FOR THE MOST PART: FANTASIES OF RACE, "COLORBLIND" VISIBILITY, AND THE NARRATIVE MARGINALIZATION OF BLACK FEMALE PROTAGONISTS IN MAINSTREAM FANTASY MEDIA A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in English By Bezawit Elsabet Yohannes, B.A. Washington, D.C. March 23, 2020 Copyright 2020 by Bezawit Elsabet Yohannes All Rights Reserved ii BUT WE DREAM IN THE DARK FOR THE MOST PART: FANTASIES OF RACE, "COLORBLIND" VISIBILITY, AND THE NARRATIVE MARGINALIZATION OF BLACK FEMALE PROTAGONISTS IN MAINSTREAM FANTASY MEDIA Bezawit Elsabet Yohannes, B.A. Thesis Advisor: Angelyn L. Mitchell, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Fantastic stories offer new ways of dreaming, yet even in magical worlds race remains the “unspeakable thing unspoken.” My project analyzes the racialization of Black female characters positioned as protagonists in early 2000s mainstream fantasy media, looking primarily at Gwen from BBC’s Merlin, Tiana from Disney’s Princess and the Frog, and Cinderella from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. By only incorporating Black female actors through “colorblind” casting, writers and producers make Black female characters visible but fail to incorporate the necessary cultural specificity of representation. Consequently, the adaptation of fantasies defined by white cultural values resist the new centrality of the “Dark Other” and instead re-inscribe oppressions of the racial past. These supposedly colorblind narratives of “worlds-that-never-were” cannot divorce historical settings and archetypes from their temporal connotations when applied to a Black female protagonist.
    [Show full text]
  • P0433-P0437.Pdf
    TheCondor 93z433-431 0 The Cooper OmithologicaJSociety 199 1 PAIR COPULATIONS, EXTRA-PAIR COPULATIONS, AND INTRASPECIFIC NEST INTRUSIONS IN MERLIN ’ NAVJOT S. SODHI Department of Biology, Universityof Saskatchewan,Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0 WO, Canada Abstract. This paper reports three extra-pair copulations(EPCs) and two EPC attempts in Merlin (Falco columbarius). Three hypotheses of frequency of pair copulations were evaluated. The Merlins copulated both during fertile and non-fertile periods, providing support for the social bond hypothesis. Sixty copulations per pair were estimated for the whole breeding season.This copulation rate is high compared to other solo breeding non- raptorial birds and to that necessaryto fertilize a clutch of four or five. As male Merlins cannot guard their mates continuously and there are possibilities of extra-pair copulations in the study area, this high copulation rate may be an insurancefor genetic paternity, thus providing support for the sperm competition hypothesis.The majority of intraspecificnest intruders were chased from the vicinity of the nests during the fertile period. Key words: Merlin; Falco columbarius;copulations; extra-pair copulations;intraspe&c nestintruders; sperm competitionhypothesis. INTRODUCTION According to the copulation trading hypothesis, Like most other birds (Birkhead et al. 1987, Birk- males decrease the risk of EPCs by feeding the head 1988), little is known about the copulation females, thus limiting their need to visit other behavior of the Merlin (Falco columbarius). males for food (Birkhead and Lessells 1988) and Feldsine and Oliphant (1985) however, de- the females, in turn, trade copulations for food scribed displays associated with copulations in to ensure a continuous food supply (Poole 1985).
    [Show full text]
  • Camelot Forever Transcript
    1 You’re listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about how we create them and why we suspend our disbelief. I’m Eric Molinsky. When the lockdown began last March, I was desperate to delve into the most pleasant escapist fantasy I could think of. And I found that place in Camelot. You probably know the story: As a boy, Arthur is tutored by Merlin. Then Arthur pull a sword out of a stone, which proves he is going to be king. At Camelot, he creates a round table of knights, including Lancelot – who has an affair with Queen Guinevere. And the knights go on a quest to find the Holy Grail. It’s all very glorious -- until the end. I actually hadn’t read any Arthurian tales since I was a kid. But I did grow up in Massachusetts where the myth of JFK as Camelot was still alive and well. In fact, I was surprised to learn recently that the word Camelot wasn’t associated with Kennedy in his lifetime. It was something Jackie said to a reporter about the musical Camelot, after he died. In fact, that was a scene in the Natalie Portman movie Jackie. JACKIE: And that last song, that last side of Camelot, is all that keeps running through my mind. “Don’t let it be forgot, that for one brief, shining moment there was a Camelot.” Ingrid Nelson teaches Arthurian literature at Amherst College. She says Kennedy was not the first leader who was tied to Camelot. In fact, almost 700 years ago, King Edward the Third did everything he could to associated himself with King Arthur.
    [Show full text]
  • King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table Then Sir Bedivere Carried the Helpless King, Walking Ruled in the Land
    Conditions and Terms of Use Copyright © Heritage History 2009 Some rights reserved This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public domain and PREFACE are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may therefore be reproduced within the United States without paying a royalty to the author. This reading-book is designed primarily for pupils of the The text and pictures used to produce this version of the work, however, are fifth and sixth grades, although it is believed that those of other the property of Heritage History and are licensed to individual users with some grades can read it with profit. The stories have been collected restrictions. These restrictions are imposed for the purpose of protecting the integrity from Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d' Arthur and Tennyson's Idyls of the work itself, for preventing plagiarism, and for helping to assure that compromised or incomplete versions of the work are not widely disseminated. of the King. The material taken from the former source has been chosen with the view of presenting strictly suitable reading, and In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a copyright has also at times been slightly altered for the purpose of giving by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are included at the foot of greater unity and continuity to the stories. In the tales taken from every page of text.
    [Show full text]
  • Legends of King Arthur
    Legends of King Arthur King Arthur King Arthur and his knights are the most famous characters from British history. They are well-known all over the world. There are poems, paintings, novels, films and musicals about the knights of the Round Table. Even a Disney cartoon about King Arthur, ‘The Sword in the Stone’, was produced. Nowadays he has become the symbol of courage, strength and goodness. The story about King Arthur and his knights is very old. They say that there was a king in Britain between the years of400 and 600. He fought the Saxons successfully and perhaps he was Arthur. It is quite possible that he lived in Whies or in the west of England. In fact, nobody exactly knows who he was. According to legend, King Arthur ruled Britain with his beautiful queen Guinevere. He had about 150 knights at his court at Camelot. He chose them for their goodness and bravery. An old magician Merlin was his close friend and adviser. Arthur was a good king and his reign was a time of peace for the British. There are many legends about him and few facts. Many poems were written about them in the Middle Ages and later. Not every book about King Arthur and his knights has the same people and stories in it. Writers tried to make the stories more interesting and more exciting. At that time people were interested in magic, knights and their ladies. So people fight with swords and use magic in these stories. The stories of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table are full of heroic deeds, adventure, love and hate.
    [Show full text]