Arthurian Legends

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Arthurian Legends

• Note these slides in your notebook

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Arthurian Legends

• Set in Britain
• Fictional Legends -- many versions
• Sir Thomas Malory assembled first collection
• 12th and 13th Century

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Camelot

• Castle

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Round Table

• Mystical Table in Camelot
• Symbol of Unity
• Given to Arthur by King Lodegreaunce (Guinevere's
  Father)

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Holy Grail

• Cup used by Jesus during the last supper.
• In Arthurian legends the hero must prove himself
  worthy to be in its presence

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Siege Perilous

• Seat reserved at Round Table for knight destined
  to quest for the Holy Grail
• Sir Galahad - only knight who sits in it.
• Fatal to anyone else who sat in it.

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Excalibur

• King Arthur's mythical sword
• Sword in the stone only drawn by real king.

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King Arthur

• Drew the sword in the stone
• Married to Guinevere

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Chivalry

• Ideas associated with medieval knighthood
• Examples
• Honor
• Courtly love
• Bravery
• Loyalty to King

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Page, Squire, Knight

• Age 7-Page
• Servant in a household
• Learns weaponry, courtesy, religion, etc.
• Age 14- Squire
• Personal aide to a knight
• Age 18-21- Knight
• If he can master the skills he is then knighted

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Sir Lancelot

• Greatest of King Arthurs Knights
• One of the most trusted
• Has an affair with Guinevere

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Sir Galahad

• Son of Lancelot Elaine
• Seat was siege perilous
• Quest for the Holy Grail

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Sir Gawain

• King Arthurs nephew
• Defender of the poor
• Ladies man

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Sir Mordred

• Illegitimate son of Arthur
• Traitor
• Takes over Kingdom while Arthur is away

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REVIEW SLIDES
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3 Classes of Medieval Society

• Nobility

• Commoners

• Clergy

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The Ideal of Courtly Love

• This relationship was modeled on the feudal
  relationship between a knight and his liege lord.
  
• The knight serves his courtly lady with the same
  obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege
  lord.
• She is in complete control he owes her obedience
  and submission

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• The knight's love for the lady inspires him to do
  great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or
  to win her favor.

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• Courtly love" was not between husband and wife
  because it was an idealized sort of relationship
  that could not exist within the context of "real
  life" medieval marriages.
• In the middle ages, marriages amongst the
  nobility were typically based on practical and
  dynastic concerns rather than on love.

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• Courtly love" provided a model of behavior for a
  class of unmarried young men who might otherwise
  have threatened social stability.
• Knights were typically younger brothers without
  land of their own (hence unable to support a
  wife).
• They became members of the household of the
  feudal lords whom they served.

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Illustrator Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)
Created 500 black white drawings for J. M.
Dent's Le Morte D'Arthur, 1893-94. Art Nouveau
style. Victorians were not enthusiastic about
his tendency to portray men as passive,
androgynous, unheroic beings often reclining,
asleep, or naked, while his women and feys were
more active.
How Sir Lancelot Was Known by Dame Elaine.
How Sir Bedivere Cast the Sword Excalibur into
the Water