A Companion to Arthurian Literature

This Companion is a complete guide to the canon of Arthurian literature, from its earliest beginnings to contemporary manifestations of Arthur in film and media. Leading scholars review Arthurian legends and their transformations across time, from language to language, text to film, medieval to modern.

 

Beginning with the debate about the ‘historical’ Arthur and his Celtic origins, this volume chronicles the transmission and reception of the legend throughout Britain and Europe. Arthurian legends from medieval to Victorian literature are surveyed and the iconography of Arthurian themes in art is explored. The symbolic role of Arthur in modernist literature ushers in the twentieth century, while feminist and fantasy fiction bring Arthur into post-imperial contexts. Finally, the Companion highlights the rebirth and legacy of the Arthurian legend in contemporary film and digital media.

 

Part of Wiley-Blackwell’s popular Companions to Literature and Culture series, this expansive volume enables a rich understanding of the many forms of Arthurian literature and why the legend lives on.