2. KNIGHTLY ROMANCE
AND LITERARY
HISTORY

3. CRUSADES WARS OVER RELIGION 8 CRUSADES WERE FOUGHT 11TH-13TH CENTURY
NONE AS IMPORTANT AS THE FIRST—A FLUKE WIN
CALLED BY POPE URBAN II
5000 KNIGHTS_IT IS GOD’S WILL
11TH-13TH CENTURY

4. KNIGHTS
PROTECTORS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS

5. ADVANCES IN MEDICINE
KNIGHTS SAW IMPROVEMENTS IN ARAB AND PERSIAN OPPONENTS

6. REBIRTH REBIRTH IN LITERATURE HANDCOPIED AND ILLUSTRATED BY MONKS
PAPER WAS RARE
VELLUM_CALF’S SKIN
PARCHMENT_LAMB’S SKIN
BOOKS BOUND WITH BOARDS OR SIMPLE TOOLED LEATHER

7. CRUSADES
WANDERING SCHOLARS/POETS TRAVELED THROUGH CRUSADES FINDING DIFFERENT/ NEW WRITING STYLES

8. TROUBADORS SANG IN MEDIEVAL COURTYARDS EPIC BATTLES CHARLEMAGNE ROLAND
ARTHUR

9. WRITING CAPITAL AND LOWERCASE LETTERS WITH RULES FOR USAGE
LIFE REVOLVED AROUND AN AGRARIAN CALENDAR
FAIRS-GROWING FOOD
ENTIRE COMMUNITY EVENTS_WEDDINGS, FUNERALS, PARTIES

10. EDUCATION FELL TO THE CHURCH
CHARLEMAGNE REALIZED HE NEEDED EDUCATED PEOPLE
CATHEDRAL/MONASTERY WAS TO ESTABLISH A SCHOOL FREE TO EVERY BOY WHO COULD HANDLE A DEMANDING COURSE OF STUDY

11. GRAMMAR, RHETORIC, LOGIC, LATIN, ASTRONOMY, PHILOSOPHY, MATH
ANIMALS COULD CHANGE THEIR SEX AT WILL
ELEPHANT’S FEAR DRAGONS
GIRLS WERE VIRTUALLY IGNORED
CAP AND GOWN RESTS IN MEDIEVAL HISTORY

12. GAMES
CHESS, DICE, CHECKERS, BOWLING, BACKGAMMAON

13. MEDICINE/ ODD RELIGION
PUSS DRINKING/SCAB EATING
FLAGELLANTS
STYLITE MONKS
IRISH SAILING MONKS
ANCHORHOLD

14. Romance" originally referred not to a specific literary genre but to the vernacularFrench language which was called romanz (meaning that it was derived from the language spoken by the Romans, i.e. Latin).

15. Gradually, the term "romance" began to refer not to any narrative written in the French vernacular, but to the specific sort of narrative that was most popular among the French-speaking court audiences of France and Anglo-Norman England: stories of the chivalric adventures of knights and their ladies, often set at the court of King Arthur

16. The audience for these early vernacular narratives was largely made up of women--the queen, duchess or countess and the other ladies of her court. These women naturally tended to be interested in stories in which women played more central roles than was true in Germanic epics such as Beowulf (which centered almost exclusively on the exploits of male warriors).

17. tended to focus on other plot developments than the fighting and male-bonding emphasized in epic poetry. The narratives still concern the deeds of brave warriors, but the Middle English knight (unlike the Old English thane) is motivated by love for his lady.

18. The "courtly love" relationship is modelled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord.
The knight serves his courtly lady (love service) with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord.
She is in complete control of the love relationship, while he owes her obedience and submission (a literary convention that did not correspond to actual practice!)

19. The knight's love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor.

20. The "courtly love" relationship typically was not between husband and wife, not because the poets and the audience were inherently immoral, but because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of "real life" medieval marriages.

21. the literary model of the courtly love relationship may have been invented in part to provide these young men with a model for appropriate behavior, teaching them to sublimate their desires and to channel their energy into socially useful behavior (love service rather than wandering around the countryside, stealing or raping women like the knight in the "Wife of Bath's" tale).

22. The behavior of the knight and lady in love was drawn partly from troubadour poetry and partly from a set of literary conventions derived from the Latin poet Ovid, who described the "symptoms" of love as if it were a sickness.
The "lovesick" knight became a conventional figure in medieval romance.
Typical symptoms: sighing, turning pale, turning red, fever, inability to sleep, eat or drink. Romances often contained long interior monologues in which the lovers describe their feelings.

31. Tintagel: birthplace of King Arthur

32. Tintagel Castle

33. King Arthur obtaining the sword from the stone.

34. King Arthur obtaining the sword from the lady of the lake.

35. King Arthur

42. What did Arthur look like?

43. Is there a real man behind the myth?
King Arthur
Is there a real man
behind the myth?

44. What did Arthur look like?

45. Who was King Arthur?
Despite, or perhaps because of, so many authors’ accounts of King Arthur, it is impossible to discern which Arthur is the real Arthur, or if in fact there is one at all. Some works are considered historical, and some literature, though this distinction is hardly credible since it is based on the author’s societal position during his lifetime. The Authors were rarely specific about Arthur’s life: most did not discuss the time or place of Arthur’s reign. Therefore, much of our information is not factual. With that in mind, Here are the accounts of some of the more Prominent contributors to the Arthurian Myth.

46. Arthurian England

47. Historia Brittonum Nennius
Nennius wrote his histories in Bangor in the 9th century. He was the first to write about King Arthur and focused mainly on his battles. His writings are important because, while they may not be entirely true, they Allow us to place Arthur’s story in a verifiable time in history. He mentions Arthur’s battles in the midst of other historical battles with which we are familiar. It is probable, though, that Nennius was writing about a man who is not the Arthur with whom we are most familiar.

48. Arthur of Britain Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey’s account of Arthur is included in his History of the Kings of Britain (12th century), and is considered historical. However, this does not make it entirely reliable. He placed Arthur in the 5th century, but He incorporated many Welsh legends into his writings and invented many himself. For example, only in his History is Arthur’s sword known as Caliburn and the character of Mordred is his nephew.

49. The Knight of the Cart Chretien de Troyes
Chretien De Troyes was a french writer in the mid-12th century; he was born when Geoffrey of Monmouth was published. His literature can be held accountable for the introduction of Lancelot, Camelot, and the Holy Grail into Arthurian Legend. His stories did not focus directly on Arthur, but used his court as a backdrop. The Knight of the Cart tells the story of Lancelot’s rescue of Guinevere from Melegeant. He tells nothing of Merlin, Excalibur, or any of the knights of the Round Table.

50. Joseph d’Arimathia Merlin Robert de Boron
Robert De Boron lived in Burgundy and wrote his Poems in His works are considered to be literature as well. He elaborates on the presence of the Holy Grail, but Arthur is hardly mentioned. At the time He was writing, The supposed bones of the real Arthur and Guinevere were found at Glastonbury. This refuted the belief that Glastonbury was previously Aval0n, the burial site of the Holy grail, because Arthur never found the Grail.

51. The Vulgate Cycle various authors
The Vulgate Cycle is a medieval collection of eight volumes telling the most detailed story of Arthur. This account involved every central character found in all Arthurian literature, including Nimue, Merlin’s true love. It defines Lancelot’s and Guinevere’s affair as the central cause for the breakdown of Arthur’s Round Table. This text adopts much of its plot from Robert De Boron and Chretien De Troyes.

52. The Death of Arthur Sir Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory wrote during the reign of King Henry V (to whom Malory’s Arthur looks very similar). He places Arthur’s Court in Winchester, where Arthur is the reigning leader of all men. The title of his book is misleading, and was given by a mistaken editor at the printing press. In his later works, Lancelot becomes the dynamic protagonist of Malory’s stories. In fact, he was the Hero of his own novel, called the tale of Sir Lancelot Du Lake.

53. The Coming Of Arthur Alfred Lord Tennyson
Tennyson wrote a series of poems and novelettes about most of the characters found throughout Arthurian history, focusing on no one in particular. His book The Coming of Arthur focuses on Arthur’s conquests and his marriage to Guinevere, but does not mention Lancelot or Merlin (who appears five poems later).

54. The Once And Future King The Book of Merlyn T.H. White
White’s classic work is a beloved combination of four previous ones: The Sword In The Stone, The Queen Of Air and Darkness, The Ill-Made Knight, and The Candle In The Wind. These four stories tell of the King Arthur with which everyone today is most familiar. This story was made into a made-for-tv movie in T.H. White then continued the story in his Book of Merlyn, which colors and completes Merlin’s life.

55. Where does History point?
Though we don’t know the exact history of Arthur, it is safe to assume that he was a leader forced to defend his land from many different invaders. Geoffrey of Monmouth probably came closest to giving us a reliable history, because He wrote Arthur as a Celtic chieftain fighting the Saxons. This account is likely to be factual because history tells us that after the 5th century, the Celts were forced into Cornwall, Wales, and Scotland by the Saxons.

56. Will we ever know?
Over the years, Arthur’s story has been edited, elaborated, and artistically altered by dozens of authors; It would be impossible today to distill the facts from the fiction. Is there a real man behind the myth? However solid our evidence may be, and whoever claims to know the “Correct” story, we will probably never know the answer to this question. However, there is no doubt that his legacy as a true Mystical hero will endure for generations to come.

57. Bibliography
Rise, Brian Edward. Arthurian Legend. Encyclopedia Mythica. April 27,
Nennius. Historia Brittonium. April 27,
Geoffrey of Monmouth. The history of the kings of Britain. Penguin USA: 1977.
King Arthur: A Man For the Ages.
The Legends of King Arthur. San Francisco University. April 22, 2004.
The Prose Vulgae Cycle. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. May 1,
King Arthur and the Matter of Britain. May 3,

58. KING ARTHUR

59. INTRODUCING KING ARTHUR
Historical Arthur
Dark Ages
Literary Arthur
Medieval

60. Arthur as presented in the legends was NOT a real person.
There was, however, a chieftan named Arthur.
Historical Arthur lived in the Dark Ages, at the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th centuries.
Literary Arthur comes from medieval times, during the 12th century.

61. ____________________ Arthurian Legend
History of Arthur
Celtic mythology
Romantic themes
+ Fairylike elements
____________________
Arthurian Legend

62. IMPORTANT CHARACTERS Uther Pendragon – Arthur’s biological father.
Igraine – Arthur’s biological mother
Sir Ector - Arthur’s adoptive father
Merlin – Arthur’s counselor, prophet, magician, & wizard; he placed Arthur with Sir Ector.
Morgan le Fay – Arthur’s half sister; healer & shape-changer; an adversary of both Arthur & Guinevere; she took Arthur to the barge that would take him to Avalon to be healed.
Morgause – Arthur’s half sister; married to King Lot; mother of Gawain, Gaheris, Agravain, Gareth, & Mordred.

63. Sir Kay – son of Sir Ector; raised as Arthur’s step-brother.
Mordred – Arthur’s nephew; seized Guinevere & rebelled against Arthur; killed by Lancelot after the last battle.
Guinevere – Arthur’s wife; Lancelot’s lover.
Lancelot – Arthur’s chief knight & rival for Guinevere’s love.
The Lady of the Lake – aka Vivienne; gave Excalibur to Arthur; enchanted & imprisoned Merlin.
Joseph of Arimathea – soldier of Pontius Pilate who was given the cup (Holy Grail) from the Last Supper; settled in Glastonbury.

64. IMPORTANT PLACES Camelot – King Arthur’s kingdom.
Tintagel Castle – conception place of Arthur.
Isle of Avalon – island to which Arthur is sent to recover from the last battle.
Glastonbury – claimed by some to be the actual Isle of Avalon, as it was once surrounded by marshes.

65. IMPORTANT OBJECTS
Excalibur – Arthur’s magical sword; given to him by The Lady of the Lake.
The Holy Grail – the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper; used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch Christ’s blood when he was on the cross.
The Round Table – the table given as part of Guinevere’s dowry & used by Arthur and his knights. Each knight’s name was magically inscribed on the table. Everybody was equal.

66. Knights of the Round Table
Sir Palomedes
Sir Lamorak
Sir Bors de Ganis
Sir Safer
Sir Pelleas
Sir Ector de Maris
Sir Dagonet
Sir Degore
Sir Brunor le Noir
Sir Le Bel Desconneu
Sir Alymere
Sir Mordred
Sir Galahad
Sir Lancelot du Lac
Sir Gawain
Sir Percivale
Sir Lionell
Sir Tristram de Lyones
Sir Gareth
Sir Bedivere
Sir Bleoberis
Sir La Cote Male Taile
Sir Lucan
Sir Kay

67. Chivalry knighthood & its code of honor
Invincible strength
Valor
Justice
Modesty
Loyalty to superiors
Courtesy to equals
Compassion to weakness
Devotedness to the church

68. Knight
Mounted warrior
Man of rank, or in service of a man of rank
Generally possesses some independent means of support, but relies on the gratitude of those he has served
Knights errant -- wandering knights who traveled the country in quest of adventure

69. Knight Training

70. AGE 7  Become a page or varlet
Taken from home to the court or castle
Taught first articles of religion, respect, and reverence for their lords
Initiated in ceremonies of the court
Carve, wait at table, and perform menial tasks
Taught falconry, dancing, harp playing, hunting, fishing, wrestling, tilting with spears, & performing military exercises on horseback

71. AGE 14  Become a squire
Taught to vault on a horse, to run, to scale walls, to spring over ditches – all in heavy armor
Taught to wrestle, to wield the battle-axe without raising the visor or taking a breath
Taught to perform gracefully on horseback
Taught courtesy or refinements of civilization
Encouraged to bestow his attentions on a young lady of the court

72. AGE 21  Initiation to the Knighthood
Preparation for the Ceremony:
Fast and spend whole nights in prayer
Confession and communion
Clothed in snow-white garment
Go to church or hall where the ceremony is to be held
Wear a knightly sword suspended from neck

73. Ceremony:
Officiating priest takes the sword, blesses it, and returns it
Candidate folds arms, kneels before presiding knight and answers questions about motives for becoming a knight
Takes an oath
Receives armor and sword
Kneels before presiding knight who administers the accolade (3 strokes of a flat sword on the neck or shoulder) and says, “In the name of God, of St. Michael, and of St. George, I make thee a knight; be valiant, courteous, and loyal.”
Receives helmet, shield, and spear

74. The emblem of the Knights of the Round Table worn round the necks of all the Knights was given to them by King Arthur as part of the ceremony of their being made a knight.
The Order's dominant idea was the love of God, people, and noble deeds.
The cross in the emblem was to remind them that they were to live pure and stainless lives, to strive after perfection and thus attain the Holy Grail.
The Red Dragon of King Arthur represented their allegiance to the King.
The Round Table was illustrative of the Eternity of God, the equality, unity, and comradeship of the Order, and singleness of purpose of all the Knights.

75. RULES/CODES for KNIGHTS
To never do outrage nor murder
Always to flee treason
To by no means be cruel but to give mercy unto him who asks for mercy
To always do ladies, gentlewomen and widows succor (to go to the aid of one in distress; to help)
To never force ladies, gentlewomen or widows
Not to take up battles in wrongful quarrels for love or worldly goods
To never lay down arms
To seek after wonders

76. When called upon, to defend the rights of the weak with all one's strength
To injure no one
Not to attack one another
To fight for the safety of one's country
To give one's life for one's country
To seek nothing before honour
Never to break faith for any reason
To practice religion most diligently
To grant hospitality to anyone, each according to his ability
Whether in honour or disgrace, to make a report with the greatest fidelity to truth to those who keep the annals

77. Famous Works which include Arthur
Historia Regum Brittaniae written by Geoffrey of Monmouth. ALL LATER VERSIONS OF THE LEGEND ARE BASED ON THIS WORK.
Roman de Brut by Layamon (1st English Arthurian story)
1370 – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight anonymous
1485 – Morte d’ Arthur (Death of Arthur) by Sir Thomas Malory
– The Faeire Queene by Edmund Spenser
– Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
1880 – A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
1882 – Parsifal an opera by Richard Wagner
– The Once and Future King by T.H. White
1960 – Camelot a musical by Lerner & Loewe