"The few full-length studies of the Morte D'Arthur and other Arthurian texts published in the past 15 years have rarely reached and sustained the level of theoretical and interpretive sophistication found here. King Arthur and the Myth of History ought to have quite an impact on Arthurian studies, in part because Finke and Shichtman take medieval Arthurian literature--particularly what passes for history and chronicle--very seriously, on its own terms, in its different cultural contexts."--Kathleen Kelly, Northeastern University King Arthur and the Myth of History considers why, in the 12th century, tales of a 6th-century British king who achieved immortality in an apparently hopeless struggle to repel Saxon invaders, suddenly emerged full blown, virtually from nowhere. Further, why did this figure from the margins of the Norman empire suddenly become an important subject of historical writing at the center of that empire, and why has he since continued to be an enduring cultural icon? Laurie Finke and Martin Shichtman contend that Arthur has been employed by historians as a potent but empty symbol to legitimize institutional political ambitions during times of social stress. The study focuses on three periods of cultural crisis: the Norman colonization of England in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Warsof the Roses in the 15th century, and the rise and resurgence of fascism in 20th-century Europe. It examines four English chronicles of the Norman period--those of William of Malmesbury, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, and Layamon. Other chapters investigate John Hardyng's Chronicle and Malory's Morte D'Arthur, both produced during the tumult of the Wars of the Roses. Finally, it considers more contemporary texts that offer the history of Adolf Hitler's acquisition of the Holy Grail: Jean-Michel Angebert's The Occult and the Third Reich: The Mystical Origins of Nazism and the Search for the Holy Grail and Trevor Ravenscroft's Spear of Destiny. Finke and Shichtman argue that these texts reveal tensions between the claims that history makes about objectivity or referentiality and particular social, political, and ideological agendas. They demonstrate that at historical moments of great stress, the turn to antiquarianism, in an effort to bypass traumas of the recent past in favor of archaic origins, offers a unique opportunity for the literary and cultural theorists to investigate the aims and uses of history itself. Laurie A. Finke is chair of the Women and Gender Studies Program at Kenyon College. Martin B. Shichtman is professor of English at Eastern Michigan University.

This seminal new study explores how and why historians and writers from the Middle Ages to the present day have constructed different accounts of this well-loved figure. N. J Higham offers an in-depth examintaion of the first two Arthurian texts: the History of the Britons and the Welsh Annals. He argues that historians have often been more influenced by what the idea of Arthur means in their present context than by such primary sources King Arthur: Myth-making and History illuminates and discusses some central points of debate: * What role was Arthur intended to perform in the political and cultural worlds that constructed him? * How did the idea of King Arthur evolve? * What did the myth of Arthur mean to both authors and their audiences? King Arthur: Myth-making and History is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the origins and evolution of the Arthurian legend.

An investigation of the evidence for King Arthur based on the earliest written sources rather than later myths and legends. This book differs from the usual Arthur theories in that it favors no particular conjecture simply analyses and clarifies the evidence presenting it all in chronological order. Starting from Roman Britain, the evidence shows how the legend evolved and at what point concepts such as Camelot, Excalibur and Merlin were added. It covers the historical records from the end of Roman Britain using contemporary sources such as they are, from 400-800, including Gallic Chronicles, Gildas and Bede. It details the first written reference to Arthur in the Historia Brittonum c.800 and the later Annales Cambriae in the tenth century showing the evolution of the legend in later Welsh and French stories. While not starting from or aiming at a specific person, the book compares the possibility of Arthur being purely fictional with a historical figure alongside a list of possible suspects. The evidence is presented and the reader is invited to make up their own mind before a discussion of the author’s own assessment. “What impressed me about this book is Sullivan’s passion for this subject and his willingness to go the extra mile to show both sides of the argument . . . It was extremely fascinating to see how he treated this book like a criminal investigation, using different fields of study to figure out the origins of the legend, how it evolved, and whether or not there was a king named Arthur.” —Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

King Arthur is a legendary British ruler who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. This Ultimate Collection contains the most important 10 books about King Arthur, The Holy Grail, Sir Lancelot, Sorcerer Merlin, the Excalibur, the Legendary Camelot, Adventures of the Noble Knights of the Round Table, as well as other connected British Celtic Legends and Myths: King Arthur – An Introduction by H. W. Mabie Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles King Arthur and His Knights by Maude L. Radford The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Richard Morris The Mabinogion Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race

This ebook collection has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. King Arthur is a legendary British ruler who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. This Ultimate Collection contains the most important 10 books about King Arthur, The Holy Grail, Sir Lancelot, Sorcerer Merlin, the Excalibur, the Legendary Camelot, Adventures of the Noble Knights of the Round Table, as well as other connected British Celtic Legends and Myths: King Arthur – An Introduction by H. W. Mabie Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles King Arthur and His Knights by Maude L. Radford The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Richard Morris The Mabinogion Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race

The author offers convincing proof that King Arthur existed by tracing the legend of King Arthur to its roots in the 12th century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

King Arthur is a legendary British ruler who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. This Ultimate Collection contains the most important 10 books about King Arthur, The Holy Grail, Sir Lancelot, Sorcerer Merlin, the Excalibur, the Legendary Camelot, Adventures of the Noble Knights of the Round Table, as well as other connected British Celtic Legends and Myths:_x000D_ King Arthur – An Introduction by H. W. Mabie_x000D_ Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory_x000D_ The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles_x000D_ King Arthur and His Knights by Maude L. Radford_x000D_ The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle_x000D_ The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle_x000D_ The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle_x000D_ Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson_x000D_ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Richard Morris_x000D_ The Mabinogion_x000D_ Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race