The Welsh Arthur and His Afterlives in Medieval England, Scotland, and Wales
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Dept. of Celtic Languages and Literatures, Harvard Univ.
Organizer Name
Georgia Henley
Organizer Affiliation
Harvard Univ.
Presider Name
Georgia Henley
Paper Title 1
Whom Does "Arthur’s Letter" Serve? A Diplomatic Analysis of a Mock Letter Attributed to King Arthur
Presenter 1 Name
Christopher Berard
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Centre for Medieval Studies, Univ. of Toronto
Paper Title 2
The Changing Face of Arthur in Trioedd Ynys Prydain
Presenter 2 Name
Rebecca Shercliff
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Univ. of Cambridge
Paper Title 3
The Fall of the Mighty: Gawain, Geoffrey, and Layamon's Redemption
Presenter 3 Name
Kara Larson Maloney
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Binghamton Univ.
Paper Title 4
Rewriting Identity and the Figure of Arthur in Peredur vab Efrawg
Presenter 4 Name
Jenny Tan
Presenter 4 Affiliation
Univ. of California-Berkeley
Start Date
14-5-2015 1:30 PM
Session Location
Schneider 1140
Description
This session reexamines the trajectory of medieval Arthurian legend from its earliest roots in Welsh literature and history. From the Welsh vernacular folktale Culhwch ac Olwen and the well-known pseudo-historical work Historia regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth, the diaspora of the figure of Arthur into the literary traditions external to Wales was a rapid one, as Arthurian material circulated throughout England and Scotland, in languages as diverse as Middle English, Scots, and Anglo-Norman French, as well as Welsh itself. The figure of Arthur was repurposed by different, related cultures for very different reasons, and remained popular for a very long time. Yet his Welsh roots, and the significance of these roots, are little understood, and the overall message of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s work often misinterpreted. This session invites any papers dedicated to a reassessment of the Welsh Arthur and his reception in the literary traditions of medieval Britain, whether in Laȝamon, Wace, Brut y Brenhinedd, or other writings, with special focus on the connotations of his Welshness in the politics of medieval Britain and the formation of British and English national identity. A focus on Arthur’s Welsh origins in particular allows for an increased understanding of the usage of Arthur for political and propagandistic purposes in the literature and political climate of medieval Britain, and the significance of this usage in literature.
Georgia Henley
The Welsh Arthur and His Afterlives in Medieval England, Scotland, and Wales
Schneider 1140
This session reexamines the trajectory of medieval Arthurian legend from its earliest roots in Welsh literature and history. From the Welsh vernacular folktale Culhwch ac Olwen and the well-known pseudo-historical work Historia regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth, the diaspora of the figure of Arthur into the literary traditions external to Wales was a rapid one, as Arthurian material circulated throughout England and Scotland, in languages as diverse as Middle English, Scots, and Anglo-Norman French, as well as Welsh itself. The figure of Arthur was repurposed by different, related cultures for very different reasons, and remained popular for a very long time. Yet his Welsh roots, and the significance of these roots, are little understood, and the overall message of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s work often misinterpreted. This session invites any papers dedicated to a reassessment of the Welsh Arthur and his reception in the literary traditions of medieval Britain, whether in Laȝamon, Wace, Brut y Brenhinedd, or other writings, with special focus on the connotations of his Welshness in the politics of medieval Britain and the formation of British and English national identity. A focus on Arthur’s Welsh origins in particular allows for an increased understanding of the usage of Arthur for political and propagandistic purposes in the literature and political climate of medieval Britain, and the significance of this usage in literature.
Georgia Henley