Effect of Arthurian legend on sense of English/Welsh national identity?

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

Hi, this is my first time posting in this comm, and I haven't been a member all that long, so if I'm breaking any rules, please tell me and I'll be glad to delete this. :)

I'm writing a 5000 word essay for school and I want to explore either:

a) the effect which Arthurian mythology had on the sense of national identity, both in the medieval era and beyond or

b) how Arthurian mythology affected concepts of kingship (perhaps mainly focusing on the period of the Wars of the Roses).

Of course, the first is a far broader topic, and by 'Arthurian mythology', I would really be cheifly focusing on Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur more than anything else.

This is kind of a large thing to ask, but I'm really stuck at where to begin, so I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what I could research, where I could find good information or how to tackle this - frankly rather daunting - question. Or really anything that you think could help.

Thanks so much.
 

Comments

[scarfman]

I know there was a king of England who, as part of establishing his line, built an actual round table for his knights in emulation of Arthur and as an aide to claiming Arthur's lineage. The first Plantagenet, maybe?

[custodianiseed.livejournal.com]

The round table in Winchester, which is probably this, was used as target practice by Cromwell's soldiers, if memory serves!

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I can remember vising that when I was little - thanks!

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

I have read that the Plantagenets were very eager to stress their Arthurian lineage, as was Henry VII.

[custodianiseed.livejournal.com]

Malory created his book after assimilating many sources, from all over England and France. Unifying into a national myth - very much the sort of thing that nationalism aims to do. Although I doubt he did it on purpose.

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

That's a very interesting point, thanks.

[gwalchmai2007.livejournal.com]

There is much on this topic at numerous university libraries. King Edward III had an order of knights in emulation of King Arthur's Round Table - I believe called the Order of the Green Garter. This would speak to item b.

For item a, you should look into the national identity views of the Welsh during this time and research the acts of Henry II against the Welsh in his expansion of English power over Wales and Scotland. Upon conquering the Welsh, he had a campaign of slaughtering the bards because they kept all the cultural heritage going in the country.

Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur was really only a literary relic of the period and not nearly as impacting as the oral tradition that the bards kept alive. Squelching the oral tradition was Henry II's goal.

Later, the Tudor's used the Arthurian tradition to legitimize their claim to rule the Welsh by claiming lineage to King Arthur. You must locate a book entitled Arthurian Propaganda - which is, sadly, more then 30 years old and likely difficult to find (and I cannot remember the name of the author). It deals specifically with this.

So, yes, there is a lot of impact of the Arthurian myth cycle on the course of English history and national identity. It is strange that although the English overtook the Welsh for power in Britain, culturally, the Arthur legend endures to this day - a legend that has a Welsh king fighting the culture that conquered the Welsh culture and yet is revered by the conquerors. That's an interesting topic to pursue as well. How did it happen that the conquerors adopted a hero from the culture they conquered and not their own?

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

Fantastic - thank you so much. I Googled the book - are you referring to Arthurian Propaganda: Le Morte d'Arthur as an Historical Ideal of Life by Elizabeth T. Pochoda? It sounds perfect for what I'm looking at.