WebSlave
2011-09-14 00:57:48 UTC
I've been back into Arthurian matters lately (after a long gap). Just
the other night I came up with an idea...
Some years ago there was in Finland a radio documentary series about
the Viking era. Two guys were visiting places of signifigance while
discussing different aspects of that era and the Viking culture - and
how the myth about Vikings came about.
I started to think how the same would work on King Arthur. The subject
is quite a bit more complicated and blurry, so there should be lots of
different angles to approach it. Now how could it sensibly be
separated to episodes?
So far I've come up with these:
THE GRAIL MYTH
What is the Grail and how it got connected with Arthur? The Joseph of
Arimathea story. (The rest is left for later.)
THE EARLY ARTHUR
Welsh tradition, Gildas, Nennius leading to Geoffrey.
BRITAIN IN ARTHUR'S TIME
Leaving of the Romans, power vacuum, small Briton kingdoms and the
Saxon threat.
MERLIN
Myrddin and Lailoken, Geoffrey and Boron. Connecting to Arthur.
CAMELOT
Introduction to the Cycle and the candidates. Historicity.
THE ROUND TABLE
Introduction to the Cycle, size and history, Siege Perilous?
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEGEND
Geoffrey's translators and developers, Chretien and Vulgate Cycle. The
medieval success.
LANCELOT
Blurry origins, Melegant-story, from Chretien to Vulgate Cycle.
TRISTAN
Independent development, connecting it to Arthur.
THE REAL ARTHUR
The name, Riothamus and other candidates
ADVENTUS SAXONUM
The real and fictional coming of the Saxons.
LE MORTE D'ARTHUR
Malory deserves an episodes. Sources, influence.
MODERN RETELLINGS
How modern retellings have departed from the traditional image.
THE GRAIL QUEST
Development of the Perceval story and Galahad version. Symbolism?
THE FALL OF ARTHUR
Events leading to the fall of the Kingdom
AFTER ARTHUR
Historical look at Britain in 550's.
There probably should be takes on Avalon, Morgan le Fay, Gawain (and
the Greene Knight) and from the historical side, religion (St.
Germain, St. Patrick, Pelagianism and Saxon and Briton paganism.)
Have I forgotten something essential? Should the "Northern Arthur"
theories have an episode? Any suggestions?
-Webs-
the other night I came up with an idea...
Some years ago there was in Finland a radio documentary series about
the Viking era. Two guys were visiting places of signifigance while
discussing different aspects of that era and the Viking culture - and
how the myth about Vikings came about.
I started to think how the same would work on King Arthur. The subject
is quite a bit more complicated and blurry, so there should be lots of
different angles to approach it. Now how could it sensibly be
separated to episodes?
So far I've come up with these:
THE GRAIL MYTH
What is the Grail and how it got connected with Arthur? The Joseph of
Arimathea story. (The rest is left for later.)
THE EARLY ARTHUR
Welsh tradition, Gildas, Nennius leading to Geoffrey.
BRITAIN IN ARTHUR'S TIME
Leaving of the Romans, power vacuum, small Briton kingdoms and the
Saxon threat.
MERLIN
Myrddin and Lailoken, Geoffrey and Boron. Connecting to Arthur.
CAMELOT
Introduction to the Cycle and the candidates. Historicity.
THE ROUND TABLE
Introduction to the Cycle, size and history, Siege Perilous?
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEGEND
Geoffrey's translators and developers, Chretien and Vulgate Cycle. The
medieval success.
LANCELOT
Blurry origins, Melegant-story, from Chretien to Vulgate Cycle.
TRISTAN
Independent development, connecting it to Arthur.
THE REAL ARTHUR
The name, Riothamus and other candidates
ADVENTUS SAXONUM
The real and fictional coming of the Saxons.
LE MORTE D'ARTHUR
Malory deserves an episodes. Sources, influence.
MODERN RETELLINGS
How modern retellings have departed from the traditional image.
THE GRAIL QUEST
Development of the Perceval story and Galahad version. Symbolism?
THE FALL OF ARTHUR
Events leading to the fall of the Kingdom
AFTER ARTHUR
Historical look at Britain in 550's.
There probably should be takes on Avalon, Morgan le Fay, Gawain (and
the Greene Knight) and from the historical side, religion (St.
Germain, St. Patrick, Pelagianism and Saxon and Briton paganism.)
Have I forgotten something essential? Should the "Northern Arthur"
theories have an episode? Any suggestions?
-Webs-