The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend (Alan Lupack)

The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is just that. Starting with the earliest references to Arthur, Alan Lupack investigates every known scrap of material (from historical to fictional) of the once and future king, from mentions in the sixth century to the present.

Structurally, "this guide is designed so that the book as a whole may serve as a critical history of the Arthurian legend. By selecting one chapter, a reader may follow some of the main traditions from their origins to the present." Since different traditions (and threads or components within them) "intersect and diverge frequently," there are a lot of intratextual references within the volume (and thus some repetition).

Lupack looks at the following themes:

• Early Accounts of Arthur, Chronicles, and Historical Literature
• One emphasis: Geoffrey of Monmouth
• The Romance Tradition
• One emphasis: Chretien de Troyes
• Malory, his Inflence, and the Continuing Romance Tradition
• One emphasis: Thomas Malory
• The Holy Grail
• Gawain
• Merlin
• Tristan and Isolt

Though the focus is writing, Lupack also looks at dramas, music, art, and more.

So was Arthur real? "While the question of Arthur's historicity is critical to the historian and intriguing to anyone interested in the legends, there is a sense in which it does not matter. Real or not, Arthur has inspired a vast cultural tradition, which is manifested in poetry, fiction, drama, music, art, film, and popular culture, and has been adapted to the concerns of eaach succeeding age that reintprets the tradition." Indeed, "each succeeding age continues to discover innovative ways of interpreting the legend and drawing on its remarkable diversity to comment on contemporary fears and values." 

Why does Arthur endure? "The stories of Arthur and the knights and ladies of his court are so enduring because their themes are universeal and therefore remain important, even in this century. The essence . . . involves olove and hate; honour and duty; religion and rependance; freidnship and betrayal; war and peace; leaderslp; the relationship between weak and powerful individuals or nations; values and ideals, and codes by which to live; the struggle to overcome baser instincts and to do what is right despite the cost; the choice between conflicting ideals."

-------------

This work is impressive in scope and detail. I skimmed or read sections only, as it is too much to ingest in anything other than small doses. Each work (be it historical or romantic) is evaluated and explained in some depth—Lupack will give synopses and other insights as he deems fit. That is great (for the dedicated) and too much (for the novice wanting more of an overview).

Having dabbled in Arthur for years, I enjoyed this work. I learned of a few works I had no idea existed, earmarked several I'd like to read one day, and will keep this as a nice (and compact) reference for Arthurian studies.

Rating: A