King Arthur and His Knights: A Survey of Arthurian Romance —— A Survey of Arthurian Romance

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ISBN: 9781333625375 出版年：2018 页码：47 Jessie Laidlay Weston Forgotten Books

The. Evolution of Arthur as a national hero, indeed, is a very curious and striking example of the unconquerable vitality and power of impressing itself characteristic of the Celtic genius. We reject, and very reasonably, the tradition which represents the British King as carrying his arms triumphantly through France and Italy, and Van (pushing even the power of Rome; but what the historical Arthur did not do, the legendary Arthur assuredly achieved. Not only did the English people (representative of the Saxon, Danish, and Norman invaders of British soil) take him to their heart, and as they became welded into one folk accept him as the traditionary embodiment of the spirit of their land, but he took captive the imagin ation alike of France and of Italy. He is immer talised in French verse and in Italian architecture; Sicily claims to be his resting-place; and there is no European literature of any importance which does not contribute its quota to the great mass of Arthurian romance. Yet a comparatively small proportion only of this literature is in the English tongue. When the Arthurian legend was at the height of its popularity the dominant language was French, and it was in the form of French romance that the literary legend became popularised in this land.