Page 71 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

ILLE-E T-VILAINE  69

Romances of the Round Table

A large number of romances (medieval vernacular tales) make up the cycle of
Arthurian literature. From that of Chrétien de Troyes, writing in the 12th century, to
that of Sir Thomas Malory, in the 15th, there are almost 100 separate accounts. While
the earliest are in verse, later ones are in prose, and they are written either in French,
English or German. They tell of the adventures of Gawain, of the love of Tristan and
Iseult (the queen with the milk-white hands), of Arthur’s unstoppable rise, of Merlin’s
tragic fate, of the creation of the Round Table, of magic and sorcery in Brittany, of the
quest for the Holy Grail and of the epic Battle of Salesbières. A conflation of several
different ideologies, Arthurian literature contains pagan Celtic and Indo-European
elements, and Christian dialectic, giving an insight into the multifaceted culture of
the late Middle Ages. Long neglected, Arthurian literature was rediscovered at the
beginning of the 20th century. It has inspired not only literature but also music
(Wagner’s Parsifal, for example), and film (John Borman’s Excalibur, for instance).

Sir Galahad,
destined to find
the Holy Grail.
Angels support
the Holy Grail, an The Holy Grail,
aspect of Christianity symbol of the
incorporated into mystery of the
The conception of Merlin the Arthurian legend. Eucharist.
wizard took place between the
Devil and a pious mortal.

The Holy Grail
The vessel used by Christ and
his disciples at the Last Supper
appeared before the Knights of
the Round Table. In The Quest
of the Holy Grail, it is said to
have floated in mid-air, giving
the knights divine sustenance
while a heavenly voice invited
them to go in search of it.
King Arthur and the
Knights of the Round
Table are shown in this
depiction in a French
manuscript from the
15th century.

Merlin’s passion
for Vivian led the wizard
to reveal to his pupil the
secrets that were to lead
him to his unhappy fate.
He was imprisoned
forever in a tree.

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