Last week, I wrote about how the Matter of Britain intersects with a number of the Great Books. Certain tales inspire the greatest minds. It’s helpful to know these stories to better appreciate the books that tap into these legends.
With that in mind, this article highlights the works that have told the Legends of King Arthur. As Malcolm Guite highlighted in the last podcast episode, there is not an authoritative work marking the origin of the Arthurian Legends. Instead, there are a number of works that have captured the tale over time.
The History of the Kings of Britain (1136 AD)
Geoffrey of Monmouth
It all started in Troy. While Aeneas was fleeing a Troy in flames and making his way to Italy, Brutus, another Trojan, was doing the same, making his way to Albion (Britain) to found New Troy, what we know today as London. From these lofty beginnings, this book chronicles the kings and legendary figures of Britain. You may have heard of some of them - King Lear, Merlin, and King Arthur.
Roman de Brut (1155)
Wace
Wace took Monmouth’s History that was written in Latin prose and adapted it to Old French poetry. He also added to the story and introduced the Round Table for the first time.
Here are some other important early works:
Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes (1170 to 1191 AD) - introduced Lancelot, Percival, the Holy Grail, and Lancelot’s affair
Brut by Layamon (1200 AD) - the first English retelling
The Vulgate Cycle by Robert de Boron (1200 AD) - tied the Holy Grail to Joseph of Arimathea
The Flowering Hawthorn (1962)
Hugh Ross Williamson
I’m jumping ahead to this story as it connects Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury, where Arthur was buried. This story recounts how Jesus gave Joseph of Arimathea the Holy Grail (the cup from the last supper), the platter from the last supper, and the spear that pierced Jesus’ side on the cross. The Flowering Hawthorn is a staff that Joseph thrust into the ground on Wearyall Hill near Glastonbury Tor. The legend is that the staff flowers each Christmas (January 6th on the old calendar) in England.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Late 1300s)
Anonymous / J.R.R. Tolkien (Translation)
This poem survived in a single document and recounts the story of a large Green Knight and one of the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Gawain.
Le Morte Darthur (1470)
Sir Thomas Malory
This is one of the most famous prose collections of the Legends of Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory used French and English material to compose this work. It is mainly divided into different adventures that tell the stories of the Knights of the Round Table and the kingdom of Arthur.
Idylls of the King (1859)
Lord Tennyson
Tennyson revived the Arthurian Legends by composing a Victorian retelling within twelve narrative poems of blank verse.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
Mark Twain
The story of an American Hank Morgan who winds up in 6th century England.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Roger Lancelyn Green
A friend of C.S. Lewis, Roger Lancelyn Green took the long and sometimes contradictory stories from Malory and compiled them into a version perfect for first-timers or children.
Some other works:
The Once and Future King by T.H. White’s (1958)
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (unfinished)
That Hideous Strength (1945)
C.S. Lewis
A story, the third of a trilogy, that is heavily steeped in the Arthurian legend.
Galahad and the Grail (2026)
Malcolm Guite (illustrated by Stephen Crotts)
The first of a total four volume Epic Poem called The Arthuriad by poet Malcolm Guite. This fresh telling of the Arthurian legend is composed in ballad form that creates a pleasant aftertaste in your mind. I spoke with Malcolm about this work in a recent podcast episode.
The Inklings and King Arthur (2017)
Edited by Sørina Higgins
This is a look at the interactions between The Inklings (C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and others) with the legends of Arthur.
Where Should You Start?
If you are completely new to the Arthur Legends, I recommend starting with Roger Lancelyn Green’s King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. It’s a short and easy to understand review of the main stories. That provides an excellent foundation to approach any of the other works listed above.
Also. The Once and Future king (great generational retelling) and even though it isn’t Arthurian The Song Of Roland is very much a part of the Mythos.
What are your thoughts on Howard Pyle's "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table", T.H. White's "The Once and Future King", and "Here Lies Arthur" by Philip Reeve?