The World of King Arthur

King Arthur, Camelot, Excalibur, Merlin, the Holy Grail, Lancelot and Guinevere — these names are some of the most recognizable and evocative in the cultural heritage of the West. They conjure up vibrant images of medieval Europe, of chivalry and of romance. But did Arthur really exist, or is Camelot only a dream?

In this lavishly illustrated survey, Christopher Snyder examines the realities and the impact of the Arthurian legends on history and the arts. Medieval texts and the latest archaeological discoveries are used to piece together a picture of the fifth and sixth centuries, when Arthur was believed to have reigned as champion of the Britons. The stories of Arthur — the so-called “Matter of Britain” — took shape as Welsh and Briton bards sang of the exploits of Arthur and his knights, in turn inspiring French poets like Chrétien de Troyes to compose the first chivalric romances of the Middle Ages. Snyder traces the development of Arthurian literature in medieval Europe, showing how writers brought the stories of the Grail and Tristan into association with Arthur.

The nineteenth-century revival of interset in Arthur reached its height in the poetry of Alfred Tennyson, the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites and the operas of Richard Wagner, while in the twentieth century Camelot found new adherents through novels, movies and computer games. The account of recent developments includes recommendations of Arthurian Internet sites.

Never before has one book attempted such a thorough exploration of King Arthur’s world.