The study of the Arthurian legend in the 1600s has revealed almost no romance; the stories are more about the truth of Arthur’s existence and his exploits, with influence due to political bearing of the royalty versus parliament at the time. This fascinating study elucidates the differences between the stories of the seventeenth century and those more well-known now and looks at the development of the literature in line with the political climate and its links with Arthurian prophecy and lineage. Originally published 1932 and again in 1967.

First Published in 1967. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The story of King Arthur - probably the most famous and certainly the most legendary of medieval kings.

A medieval historian examines what we really know about the man who was “Merlin the Magician” and his impact on Britain. Merlin has remained an enthralling and curious individual since he was first introduced in the twelfth century in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. But although the Merlin of literature and Arthurian myth is well known, his “historical” figure and his relation to medieval magic are less familiar. In this book Anne Lawrence-Mathers explores just who he was and what he has meant to Britain. The historical Merlin was no rough magician: he was a learned figure from the cutting edge of medieval science and adept in astrology, cosmology, prophecy, and natural magic, as well as being a seer and a proto-alchemist. His powers were convincingly real—and useful, for they helped to add credibility to the “long-lost” history of Britain which first revealed them to a European public. Merlin’s prophecies reassuringly foretold Britain’s path, establishing an ancient ancestral line and linking biblical prophecy with more recent times. Merlin helped to put British history into world history. Lawrence-Mathers also explores the meaning of Merlin’s magic across the centuries, arguing that he embodied ancient Christian and pagan magical traditions, recreated for a medieval court and shaped to fit a new moral framework. Linking Merlin’s reality and power with the culture of the Middle Ages, this remarkable book reveals the true impact of the most famous magician of all time. “The story of how the image of Merlin as political prophet, magician and half-demon evolved in the Middle Ages is as fascinating as any romance.”—Euan Cameron

"Between these two extremes, the main body of the book deals largely with opera, from Wagner's 'Tristan' and 'Parsifal' to Harrison Birtwistle's 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'. Some works have never been performed, such as Hubert Parry's 'Guenever' and Rutland Boughton's Arthurian cycle, while others have only recently been staged or revived, such as Isaac Albeniz's 'Merlin' and Ernest Chausson's 'Le roi Artus', both striking post-Wagnerian works in very different styles - 'Merlin', for instance, beginning with a passage based on Gregorian chant. The range of music is wider than one might at first suspect."--BOOK JACKET.

This volume of essays is aimed at advancing the appreciation of Malory, an author who has always been enjoyed by the common reader, but is still sometimes underestimated by the critics. Despite an increasing number of articles on Malory, there is a need for a general survey of recent research, which l> Aspects of Malory /l> provides. The volume opens with a note by the late Professor Vinaver on Malory's prose, and three essays on Malory's Englishness and his English sources, including an essay by P. J. C. Field which argues for an English rather than a French origin for the l>Tale of Gareth/l>. This is followed by two essays on Malory's French sources, by Jill Mann and Mary Hynes-Berry. Terence McCarthy re-exasmines the sequence of the tales, and three further essays look at the scribal and textual tradition of Malory's work, in particular the relationship between the Winchester MS, Caxton's printed version, and the history of the MS. Finally, Richard R. Griffith reconsiders the authorship question, and proposes a long-forgotten Thomas Malory as the most likely candidate. There is a bibliography of recent research compiled by Professor Takamiya. .`Full of sound scholarship'. TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT