Arthuriana -- all things King Arthur ! discussion
New Member Introduction
My housemate last year had the same problem when she finished the history course. Good luck!
Thanks :)At least it's a 'practical' course I want to do next so if I don't get the grades I can still get in to most places with 5 years of active volunteering in museums - which I've almost got anyway.
Louise wrote: "Hey, I joined a few days ago but forgot to introduce myself. I'm Louise.I'm from England and have just finished my BA degree in History from Cardiff uni. Unlike almost everyone else apparently, I..."
Hi Louise! Welcome. I haven't studied Medieval history, but I wrote an Arthurian novel. Future King is about the legend that Arthur will return when England needs him.
Larry
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The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
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Greetings and salutations. I'm Vixenne, Lady Victorienne (or Vix for short) from the small and insignificant kingdom of Los Angeles (LOL). I'm an Elizabethan re-enactor, fountain pen diva and big fan of symphonic heavy metal music. Also an avid bibliophile who reads more books in a week than most people do all year, LOL.I'm not quite sure when the legends of Arthur and his knights wormed their way into my consciousness, but from that moment, I've read practically everything--both "fact" and fiction--that I could get my hands on. I love modern retellings of the mythos, as well as those versions in which the women characters play pivotal roles. I've added a series--The Knights of Breton Court--which I think is probably one of the most unusual modern retellings ever.
Michael wrote: "I've had The Crystal Cave sat on my shelf unread since 1981, so give us a shout when you start on it and if I can work it into my packed reading schedule :-) I'll read along with you.Don't know if you're still interested or if this is advance enough warning but will probably start on The Crystal Cave tomorrow. Have a 5 our or so journey back home with nothing to do but read though, so I may be done quite quickly.
Hi mi name is Carolina Whaley, im from México City, im a huge fan of the Arthurian literature, I received my first book (the sword in the stone) at the age of 5 years, and since then my father gave me an annual book about King Arthur, now I have a collection of books, movies, documentaries and everything related to the legendary King. I hope to share with you and enjoy the most greatest books of The once and the future King ^_^
Thalia wrote: "Well, I love love love Mists of Avalon. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea though. Mary Stewarts trilogy is awesome, as are the classics. Recently I've read a few "Modern Day" takes on Arth..."Hi! I love the Mists of Avalon too, I am a practitioner of pagan tradition and in this book I found my two favorite things in the world ^ _ ^
hello my name is Carolina Whaley'm from mexico city, I'm a big fan of Arthurian literature, I am a practitioner of pagan tradition, i received my first book (the sword in the stone) at the age of 5 years, and since then my father gave me an annual book about King Arthur, now I have a collection of books, movies, documentaries and everything related to the legendary King.
Louise wrote: "Don't know if you're still interested or if this is advance enough warning but will probably start on The Crystal Cave tomorrow. Have a 5 our or so journey back home with nothing to do but read though, so I may be done quite quickly."Hi Louise
I'm into a couple of other books right now, so will probably be next month before I can start The Crystal Cave. I hope that you enjoy it now, though, and that you have a safe journey home :-)
Hello, Carolina. Mexico City's a long way from Camelot! It's amazing how the Arthurian legend resonates so strongly around the world. The Arthurian cycle of stories was known as the Matter of Britain in the Middle Ages, but it's truly a tradition of global significance.
Louise wrote: "Don't know if you're still interested or if this is advance enough warning but will probably start on The Crystal Cave tomorrow..."Read it a wee while back, will happily join any discussion. Enjoyed it.
Hi Michael, if indeed the stories of King Arthur have crossed borders, although I must admit that years ago was very difficult to find books on the subject, thanks to the internet today I could learn more ^_^
Bob wrote: "Welcome Jennifer. I'm also a fan of "The Mists of Avalon". I've always wondered about the follow up books and if they were any good. Did you read any? Has anyone? I think I've kept my distance from..."LOVE MZB - and the ones after MOA aren't GREAT, but they are in the same style of writing. I love how she delves into the characters, I love seeing a picture through words!
Btw, I'm Jennifer too! And I used T.H. White's "Once and Future King" as well as Chretien de Troy's "Knight of the Cart" in my Master of Arts - English Literature thesis! LOVE this group! :)
Jennifer wrote: "Btw, I'm Jennifer too! And I used T.H. White's "Once and Future King" as well as Chretien de Troy's "Knight of the Cart" in my Master of Arts - English Literature thesis! LOVE this group! :)"What a great Masters. I fondly remember my essay on Knight of the Cart that was three times the required word count (he didn't mind) but I never got to include T.H. White. - Was that about the Ill-Made Knight's history?
Yes! But it was exclusive of content from TH White. I actually used 3 separate papers in my thesis...I was seriously intimidated by 60+ pages, so broke it down into 3.
Hello! I thought I'd better come out of hiding...My name is Julie, and I love Arthuriana, though I come at it as an avid reader (not as a scholar). I read whatever Arthurian novels I could lay my hands on as a teen and into my early twenties, though gave it a rest for a while after that.
My formative influences were 'The Once and Future King' novels by TH White, along with the films 'Camelot' and 'Excalibur'. Way back then, if you'd asked me what I wanted to be, I would have said a writer, and that I wanted to write my own Arthurian novel. But I had no confidence at all in my writing back then, so that was more wistful day-dream than reality!
The current BBC show 'Merlin' reawoke my Arthurian interests. I think it's cleverer than most give it credit for, but importantly it's a lot of fun, and is lifted from the mediocre by an excellent cast and excellent cinematography. I have to say that I just adore the musical theatre show 'Spamalot' as well. I've also been discovering and revisiting more serious works, though!
Arthuriana is a passion I share with my sister Bryn, who's also loitering around here. I can never thank her enough for introducing me to 'The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis' by Clemence Housman. An obscure novel that I think is one of the very very best.
I was a bit of a late bloomer, and finally started writing seriously at 29 - and here I am 20 years later with some very clear ideas about what my Arthurian novel is going to be. I've even written the first scene, though I suspect it will be some while before I undertake it properly!
And now I had better sign off on what is really far too lengthy for an introduction!
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The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
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The current BBC show 'Merlin' reawoke my Arthurian interests. I think it's cleverer than most give it credit for, but importantly it's a lot of fun, and is lifted from the mediocre by an excellent cast and excellent cinematography. I have to say that I just adore the musical theatre show 'Spamalot' as well. I've also been discovering and revisiting more serious works, though! There was a 'Merlin' marathon a couple of weeks ago on Sci-Fi and I found myself utterly riveted to the television. I'd seen the ads for it, but I thought it came off as rather juvenile (wrong). I liked the fact that the characters are all young adults who make mistakes, especially Merlin. Of course, Anthony Head as Uther is just icing on the cake.
Sadly there's been a LOT of fail with the fandom because *gasp* Guinevere is portrayed by a young woman of color. I don't know why it's such a huge deal--after all, none of these characters existed in real life and so there's plenty of room for artistic freedom. Though from my past research in Arthuriana, two of the round table knights were of African descent.
Yeaaah, just ignore the fandom wank. In fact in general I find it easier to just enjoy it myself with a couple of friends and ignore the fandom altogether. Merlin has pleeeeenty of problems, but that's really not one of them.Guinevere is absolutely beautiful and I love her - though they need to start giving her more to do. The 'historical acccuracy' people can piss off and do some research: as well as black people within the myths there were also black people in the UK since at least the Roman times (and not 'just as slaves').
Hello, Vixenne and Louise!Vixenne, I love that you like how the characters, even the lead, make mistakes. I am very fond of Gaius, and I love how his sage advice is sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and always says a lot about his character. The compare-and-contrast between him and Merlin is illuminating, as it is between Uther and Arthur.
I've also really enjoyed Gwen, and the casting of Angel Coulby. As you say, there have been been characters of colour in many retellings of the myth, such as Sir Palomides and his brothers. And as Louise points out, the Roman Empire being what it was led to a somewhat more multicultural society (in a small way) than many people seem to think.
I like the show for taking an idea from the legends and putting their own spin on it. I don't know if casting Angel was deliberate or an example of 'color-blindness'. But it strikes me as being very apt. It's taking the Palomides idea - of him being accepted as a knight, and a darned good one, and thereby helping prove the inclusiveness of the Round Table - and applying it to a different character. Arthur first really starts noticing Gwen when she stands up for issues of fairness, equality and respect (in 'The Moment of Truth'). Her stand is about gender (the women being allowed to fight in defence of their homes) and class (advising Arthur not to dismiss the efforts and generosity of Hunith and other villagers), but the fact she has a different racial background helps to drive her points home - and helps to illustrate Arthur's own growth into someone more accepting and eventually welcoming of people in all their diversity.
Actually, I've just talked myself into thinking it was somewhat deliberate casting! If not, I think the producers have run with it, and it's really added something to the show.
Thank you both for the discussion!
Hi NERDS! Just joined this group today. I don't know why I never checked before. I'm glad you exist!
Hi there,my name is Anny and I'm new here.
*looks around at people sitting in a cirkle*
I haven't actually read much Arthurian literature at all, but have read a lot of fantasy in the past and I've always felt a bit "left out" as I don't know much about the legend of King Arthur. Am currently reading Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy :)
Welcome folks.Been a bit quiet round here recently.
Hi, my name is Mike. I grew up in San Rafael, California and have loved Arthurian stories since I was a kid. I majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University and got a master’s in film production and another master's in Special Education. Back in the day I partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several films, most notably “Fatal Images,” “Dead Girls,” “Hell Spa” (later re-edited and titled “Club Dead”), “Things” and “Things II.”
”A Boy and His Dragon,” my first novel, was originally written in the 1980’s before fantasy stories enjoyed a major renaissance, but not released until 2011. It is intended as the first of a trilogy.
"A Matter of Time," 2012 Silver Medal Winner from Reader's Favorite, was published in March. It is a real-world-grounded story of an almost impossible loop in time that leads to undying love and unforgettable heartache.
I've also been a volunteer Big Brother to seven different boys over 29 years with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles for 28 years. I am a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, something that is sorely lacking in this state.
In that vein, my newest book, "Children of the Knight,” might appeal to members of this group as it involves King Arthur gathering an army of discarded children in Los Angeles to take on our dysfunctional modern society. Those kids our society tends to reject or ignore or abuse or marginalize, who come in all shapes and sizes - black and white and brown and Asian and Pacific Islander and gang affiliated and gay and straight and those who are confused about their sexuality - are the subject of this book, and the story depicts the sad reality of an adult society that tells these kids they are of no value and are best hidden away or tossed into prison. Arthur and his youthful army hope to jump-start a revolution to change these attitudes.
Anyway, check out a preview of this as yet unpublished novel on my profile page, which includes an excerpt from chapter one, and please offer me comments and feedback. Feedback from this group could be invaluable to me as I make final tweaks to the story prior to seeking a publisher. Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from some of you and to being a part of your group.
Hi, I'm James Hockey and please don't think I'm spamming but I have an interest because the second of my two books has an Arthur as an ancilliary character. I have tried to anchor him securely in historical fact. My Arthur is a Frisian Cavalry commander, stationed on the wall when the Romans left. He forms a self defence militia against Pictish incursions. His nickname is the Flying Bear a play on the evolution of his birth name and that of Arthur given him by those he protects. His story is a sub-plot within the Novel and he finds that that which he must do for his troop to survive enmeshes him into more and more complicated treaties until he is the keeper of the peace for all the South West.The first book The Axe the Shield and the Triton has nothing at all of Arthur in it being concerned with the Vandals in Africa, the sack of Rome and the migration of the Gewissae to Durnovaria. The second book which follows tightly on from the first concerns the founding of Wessex and includes Arthur the Decurion and his Turma at Moridunum, Baddun and eventually Camllan. Please be aware though that this is a Dark Age but not an Arthurian book. He and his Turma are supporting players. The book, although second in the series can stand alone.The Axe the Shield and the Halig Rood
Hi all,My name is Diana and and I just joined the group. The tiny publishing company I own just published The Never King by George Tyson. It is the first book in The Keeper of the Wood Trilogy. While one of the themes of The Never King is the Arthurian Legend, the remaining books in the trilogy focus on other things, although Arthur may make an appearance or two :-)
Anyway, working on this book renewed my interest in all things Arthur which was kindled in High School when I received The Mists of Avalon as a gift. Then I got distracted by other things such as college, marriage and kids, but have now found my way back to Arthur.
I just finished reading Finding Camlann and I highly recommend it if you don't mind more modern Arthurian fiction. It focuses on the search for physical evidence for the historical arthur rather than the myths and legend surrounding him. I thought it was a fresh take on the subject. It inspired me to read The Quest for Arthur's Britain which I just ordered from amazon.
Looking forward to "meeting" you all!
My King Arthur novel, "Children of the Knight," will be published by Harmony Ink Press, hopefully around June. Publishing and availability updates will be posted here on Goodreads, as well as my website: michaeljbowler.com and FB page: michael j bowler author. Here is a brief description:
According to legend, King Arthur was slated to return at a time when Britain needed him most. So why does a man claiming to be the once and future king appear in modern-day Los Angeles? And why is he recruiting and training children as knights for his new Round Table? This charismatic young leader leads these cast-off and unwanted kids on a crusade to establish a new Camelot within the City of Angels, a crusade to reject, revise and rebuild the adult society that has marginalized them. He unites the homeless, the abused, the rejected, and the gang-affiliated under a single banner, a banner that unfurls over every needy child regardless of race, creed, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Over a period of months, Arthur and his chosen First Knight, an extraordinary fourteen-year-old discarded Latino boy named Lance, transform these societal-misfit children of the night into a well-trained and formidable army – the powerful and resolute Children of the Knight. He offers them a true purpose in life, something these kids have never had, a purpose that will win the hearts and minds of the populace at large, but will also pit them squarely against the rich, the powerful, and the self-satisfied power brokers who want nothing more than to maintain the city's status quo. Can right truly overcome might? Arthur’s hopeful young charges are about to find out.
Children of the Knight, populated with unforgettable characters, is exciting, funny, joyous and tragic, yet always thought-provoking in its explorations of right and wrong, the value of children in our society, and the use and abuse of power. Mostly, however, it is a moving story of lost kids in desperate need of adult love and guidance who, through the intervention of one determined man, ultimately gain a truer understanding of themselves and their own worth.
Diana wrote: "Hi all,My name is Diana and and I just joined the group. The tiny publishing company I own just published The Never King by George Tyson. It is the first book in The Keeper of the Wood Trilogy. W..."
Hi Diana
Thanks for ordering my 'Quest for King Arthur' - hope you enjoy it - I think you will particularly like Alan Lee's Arthurian illustrations which are really stunning. - All the best - David Day
Diana wrote: "Hi all,My name is Diana and and I just joined the group. The tiny publishing company I own just published The Never King by George Tyson. It is the first book in The Keeper of the Wood Trilogy. W..."
Dear Diana
Whoops! - this is embarrassing. 'Good Reads' notified me that you had ordered a copy of my 'Quest for King Arthur' from Amazon - hence my note to you. However, as I re-read your e-mail I realize you had actually ordered a Geoffrey Ashe's book with a very similar title. Sorry about that - however, on the plus side, this mixup has brought my attention to 'Arthuriana' which I intend to join. - Best wishes - David Day.
LOL! No worries - I'll check out your book, too!
Hey! Hi everyone Welcome to our new members!!! I just got Arthurian Legend Studies by John Rhys and Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur's England by Francis Pryor, and want to start reading now!!!
Diana wrote: "Hi all,Diana,
I just started "Finding Camlann" and so far am enjoying it. I've been an "Arthurian" fan for many years and have read many books on the topic. I need to check yours out.
Welcome to the group.
Dave
Julie wrote: "Hello! I thought I'd better come out of hiding...My name is Julie, and I love Arthuriana, though I come at it as an avid reader (not as a scholar). I read whatever Arthurian novels I could lay my..."
Jennifer wrote: "Yes! But it was exclusive of content from TH White. I actually used 3 separate papers in my thesis...I was seriously intimidated by 60+ pages, so broke it down into 3.
"
Julie: you mght enjoy my novel, Future King, based upon the legend
from The Once and Future King that when England needs them most Merlin and Arthur will return. It's available on Amazon in papeerback and Kindle.
David wrote: "Diana wrote: "Hi all,Diana,
I just started "Finding Camlann" and so far am enjoying it. I've been an "Arthurian" fan for many years and have read many books on the topic. I need to check yours ou..."
David - I'd be interested as to what you think of
Finding Camlann. The reviews from other Goodreads members aren't as enthusiastic as mine so I'd be curious as to your take on it as someone who has thoroughly studied the historical Arthur.
And thanks for checking out The Never King!
I hope you don't mind but I downloaded the ebook version of The Never King. I didn't see anyplace on the link for payment so I assumed it was free. Just from the synopsis it looks like my kind of read. So far, Finding Camlann is a slick read. I love speculative history, especially from the Early Middle Ages (the Arthurian Era). And I don't know that I would categorize myself as having thoroughly studied the historical Arthur as I haven't read all the literature on the subject. I've read enough to develop my own theories as to a historical Arthur. One of my pet theories is that the historical Arthur is composed of different versions of sagas and tales told by soldiers around campfires, stories of actual people who performed heroic deeds in battle and became the stuff of legends. I do like the idea in Finding Camlonn that Arthur is of Welsh background.
David wrote: "I hope you don't mind but I downloaded the ebook version of The Never King. I didn't see anyplace on the link for payment so I assumed it was free. Just from the synopsis it looks like my kind of r..."I don't mind that you downloaded it at all - I just hope it's only the first 20% as that's all I authorized Goodreads to post!
Given what you've just said about your pet theory on the historical Arthur, I can't wait to hear what you think of the ending to Finding Camlann :-)
If you can get it on Barnes and Noble in nook (epub) format, I will be more than happy to purchase it. I maintain a gift card account there so all those charges don't show up on my credit card.
David wrote: "If you can get it on Barnes and Noble in nook (epub) format, I will be more than happy to purchase it. I maintain a gift card account there so all those charges don't show up on my credit card."It is available in Nook form. Interesting theory hiding the book charges on a gift card - must try that!
I am a recovering book addict. Reading is my drug of choice. My wife was giving me grief about all those charges to B&N on the credit statements, so I get around it by buying myself a gift card when I need one and since there is nothing coming to the house by mail, she never knows. I know it's a bit devious, but when you are married to someone who thinks reading anything that doesn't make you money is a waste of time, you are left with few choices.I did go to the B&N website and could not find it listed there. I'll keep looking.
Update. I did find it on B&N using a link on your website. It also shows a page count of 319 pages. I will see if what I downloaded is the complete book and if not, I will buy it.
I totally understand as I am a reading addict, too :-)
Hi Becca - welcome to the group! I love the T.H. White books too...so many years later and still some of my favorites in the genre! There's so many to read these days though.I need to get my hands on the Tolkien that recently came out...that looks good.
Hi everyone! I just joined yesterday. I first became addicted to Arthuriana when I was 5 and my mom showed me "Camelot." Later, she introduced me to "The Once and Future King," and when a teacher saw me reading that she told me about "Mists of Avalon." Things just sort of spiraled from there. ;-) I loved "Mists" so much I named my dog (whom I no longer have) Nimue. I took one summer class at New York University on Arthuriana, but am not by any means a "scholar." Just obsessed. I've started and stopped a lot of modern takes on the tale, and finally fell in love most recently with Helen Hollick's "Pendragon's Banner" trilogy.
As a writer, my novels have nothing to do with King Arthur himself, but I have one short story I'm trying to market called "Knightly Tales for a Rainy Day," which is actually 6 flash-fiction pieces combined into one store, each from the POV of a different Arthurian tertiary character.
Glad to be amongst friends!
Meredith
Hello everyone! I just joined today! I love reading and I am simply fascinated by the Arthurian tales and the knights and Merlin's magic and all! Hope to join in the fun here!
Hi guys. Just joining! I got bit by the Arthurian bug a couple years ago, and find that there really is no end to researching this tale. It seems like every direction I go down just branches off into more and stories. Lookin' forward to eavesdropping on your conversations!
Hi. I'm new to this discussion group but a long time fan of the legends. I've written 5 novels plus 2 more in progress, and they all involve some facet of the story. 4 take place in modern times, and that's been a bit challenging. Currently working on the story of Sir Kay, who I feel has never had his story told at all. He's the butt of a lot of jokes, but who is he, really? Just had one of my novels published; Return From Avalon. Check it out and see what you think.
Rusty -- I'll be very interested in your story about Sir Kay. I wrote my Master's dissertation on how he's been portrayed over the centuries -- what are your sources? I found his character very interesting, especially because a lot of the negative points of his character are misreadings of the Welsh Cei. You might be interested in Linda Gowans' book, Cei and the Arthurian Legend: I found it expensive to get hold of, but very much worth it. She did excellent work on looking at his original heroic character.
I don't really write heavy historical treatments, I write humor. I mean, there are stories, plots, etc., but the main character drives the book with his offbeat outlook on life. So Sir Kay was a natural choice. No sources per se: In this book, Kay is his very own special hero, who he ought to be rather than who the romantics say he is, straight out of my head. For example, he's Arthur's seneschal because he's the only person in Britain who can do long division (Merlin taught him). It's a romp. If you have interest in previews, I'll send you a few chapters (I'm about 20,000 words into it; my books tend to run around 100,000).
Well, by sources I meant what kind of precedent do you look to with Kay? E.g. my immediate reaction to your example of long division is to thonk of Phyllis Ann Karr's version of the character, which in turn looks to Malory and so can hardly be free of T.H. White.I'm almost worried you'll invalidate my hard work and research, haha. I'd definitely be interested in some snippets if you don't mind an overly trained academic mind seeing them -- you would have to let me know, of course, what level of feedback you'd appreciate.
Arthuriana -- all things King Arthur !
Books mentioned in this topic
Return From Avalon (other topics)Finding Camlann (other topics)
The Never King (other topics)
The Quest for Arthur's Britain (other topics)
The Never King (other topics)
More...
Michael, I'll let you know when I get onto the Crystal Cave :)