Hi Veeky Forums
I'm writing a piece of fiction based on the legends of King Arthur and I'm looking to brush up on my arthurian lore so that I have a decent knowledge base to draw from. So, apart from 'Le Morte D'Arthur' and T. H. White's 'Once and Future King', what would be the essential arthurian texts that I should look into?
Essential Arthurian Texts
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Anything on this page, but also check out Idylls of the King and Howard Pyle's four Arthurian books.
Faerie Queene
De Troyes' romances
Parzival
Sir Gawain & The Greene Knight
Idylls is best, Morte D'Arthur is shit and only noteworthy for compiling the stories
You're right about Morte, reading it at the moment and I'm finding some of it unapproachable. It's a slog, but I want to make sure I'm read up enough for this piece. I wrote the first few chapters with only a passing knowledge in arthurian lore, and it shows.
I was a bit harsh for the sake of shit posting but it is the most boring book ive ever read and i wonder if more than a handful of people in history have read it cover to cover
I'm worried I'll die from disinterest if I continue, it's only my commitment and determination as a writer that keeps me reading
I actually found Morte really engaging, and not in the Veeky Forums pretentious "I am smart I read big books" sort of way.
I fucking dig knights and their legends more than anyone I know, and it's a ton of fun to read between the lines and interject a modern interpretation into the prose that very matter-of-factly discribes completely absurd deeds. Realizing every knight is some dudebro chad ready to start a fight that might kill them over who gets to be the first to cross a bridge, or that the entire legend is bookended by a man cucking another so hard that it leads to both the creation and destruction of the Golden Age of Chivalry.
Knights are great.
I enjoyed it as well. You have to kind of get in the mood or something, but the Sangreal section gives a nice change of pace from the constant absurdity and men beating each other up for random women
It's not Arthurian but have you read Ivanhoe?
No, any good?
yes
Hmm, tell me more
Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Launfal, Ywain and Gawain, Percival, all one's you should check out.
I used to like this until I found out the author was a pedophile who diddled her own daughter
looks like im not the only user working on something like this, good luck to you!
You're kidding, right?
God speed and good luck to you too, user. What's yours about?
I'm taking a class on Arthurian Lit this semester, and every day I have to keep myself from shouting "GUINEVERE YOU FUCKING WHOOOORRREEEE."
Also, could i get a quick rundown on why Arthur is always a depressive little shit? We haven't gotten to Morte yet, but we've read GoM and Chretien de Troyes. Would appreciate it.
Anyways yes my list would be Geoffrey of Monmouth, CdT, the Mabinogian, and Gawain's shit.
The Natural by Malamud
Culhuch and Olwyn
Parsifal
Mallory (don't be a pussy)
Tennyson
Spenser
Ariosto (not Arthurian but GOAT)
Mabinogion
Brut (both Layamon and Wace)
Which version of Morte should I get, Pic related or Penguin? The Oxford says that it's abridged but represents what Malory wrote more closely in modern English.
Is the Penguin Edition in Middle English?
OP here, own penguin malory. It's middle English for the most part, especially the dialogue. Non dialogue is structured like middle English but with modern spelling
>nobody mentioning Tristan
should we be?