Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, and the Legend of King Arthur

King Arthur Legend’s Beginnings 6th cent. – Celtic chieftain and his warrior in southwestern England 7th cent. – Name first appears in long Welsh poem 9th cent. – Referred to by Welsh chronicler Nennius 10th cent. – Figures prominently in British historical annals

Can I have that in writing? In 1138, Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote the “semi-historical” History of the Kings of Britain. Half of this work is devoted to the exploits of Arthur. Blending & embellishing many strands of oral tradition, Geoffrey forged the first written account of Arthur’s life. Manuscripts were translated from Latin into Anglo-Saxon and Norman French and widely distributed throughout Britain.

The Legend Grows End of the 12th century – French poet Chretien de Troyes adds new tales of chivalrous knights as well as the tragic romance of Lancelot and Guinevere. A decade later, Robert de Borron reintroduced the theme of the grail from early Celtic folklore and the stories took on greater Christian overtones. 13th century – first appearance of Galahad, the son of Lancelot and Elaine who becomes the perfect knight, in medieval romance

Sir Thomas Malory’s Arthur 15th century – Sir Thomas Malory reworked the collection of tales into a long, unified epic entitled Le Morte d’Arthur. Written in English prose rather than Latin Considered the definitive version of the story of King Arthur

The Legend Continues 19th cent. – Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson repopularizes Arthurian legend in his long poetic work, Idylls of the King Early 20th cent. – T. H. White created his well-loved adaptation, The Once and Future King From 20th cent. to the present – stage productions and films, such as the musical Camelot and films Excalibur, First Knight, Merlin, and more.

Reference British Library Board. "Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte Darthur.'" The British Library’s Online Gallery. 26 Mar. 2009. Web.