King Arthur: History and Legend

Overview

Course No. 2376
Uncover the richness of the Arthurian tradition from the Middle Ages to the 21st century in this wide-ranging survey of Arthurian literature and art.

For over 1,500 years, the Arthurian narrative has enthralled audiences worldwide. These 24 lectures trace the legend’s evolution from its possible historical roots in post-Roman Britain to its modern cinematic adaptations. Professor Armstrong, a leading Arthurian scholar, guides you through:

• Archaeological evidence and early chronicles
• Medieval literary masterpieces like Malory’s Le Morte Darthur
• The Holy Grail’s symbolic transformations
• Arthur’s resurgence in Victorian art and 20th-century media

Video Lectures

1. The Origins of King Arthur (32 min)
   Examine historical evidence for Arthur’s existence in post-Roman Britain.
2. An Arthur-Like Figure in Cornwall (30 min)
   Archaeological insights from Cadbury Castle and Arthur’s supposed tomb.
3. King Arthur in the Latin Chronicles (30 min)
   Early accounts in Gildas, Nennius, and Welsh Annales Cambriae.
4. King Arthur in Wales-The Mabinogion (31 min)
   Arthur’s portrayal in Welsh texts like the Black Book of Carmarthen.
5. Monmouth, Merlin, and Courtly Love (30 min)
   Geoffrey of Monmouth’s foundational History of the Kings of Britain.
6. The Round Table-Arthur in Wace and Layamon (30 min)
   Anglo-Norman and English adaptations of the legend.
7. Chretien de Troyes and Sir Lancelot (31 min)
   Introduction of courtly love and Lancelot’s adulterous romance.
8. Arthurian Tales in Brittany and Burgundy (30 min)
   Marie de France’s works and Robert de Boron’s Holy Grail.
9. The Lancelot-Grail Cycle (30 min)
   The 13th-century Prose Lancelot and its theological dimensions.
10. The Early German Arthurian Tradition (31 min)
    Hartmann von Aue and Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival.
11. King Arthur’s Other German Adaptations (30 min)
    Gottfried von Strassburg’s Tristan and other German variants.
12. The Arthurian Sagas of Scandinavia (30 min)
    Old Norse adaptations commissioned by King Hákon.
13. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (32 min)
    Analyzing this sophisticated 14th-century chivalric romance.
14. The Alliterative Morte Arthure (29 min)
    Arthur’s military campaigns and moral decline.
15. Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur (31 min)
    Malory’s definitive 15th-century compilation.
16. Enriching the Legend-Tristan and Isolde (29 min)
    The Celtic love story’s assimilation into Arthurian lore.
17. The Holy Grail from Chretien to Dan Brown (30 min)
    The Grail’s evolving symbolism across centuries.
18. Arthuriana in Medieval Art (29 min)
    Arthurian scenes in cathedrals and the “Round Table” artifact.
19. Spenser, Milton, and the Renaissance Arthur (30 min)
    Arthur’s presence in Renaissance literature and popular culture.
20. Idylls of the King-The Victorian Arthur (28 min)
    Tennyson’s poetic revival and pre-Raphaelite artworks.
21. Wagner and Twain-King Arthur in the Late 1800s (30 min)
    German operas and Mark Twain’s satirical Connecticut Yankee.
22. Once and Future-The 20th-Century Arthur (30 min)
    T.H. White, Mary Stewart, and feminist reinterpretations.
23. Camelot Comes to Hollywood (29 min)
    Analyzing Excalibur, Monty Python, and other film adaptations.
24. King Arthur in the 21st Century and Beyond (32 min)
    The legend’s modern commercial and cultural manifestations.