Bibliography of King Arthur

This is a bibliography of works about King Arthur, his related world, family, friends or enemies. This bibliography includes works that are notable or are by notable authors.

6th century

• De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae by Gildas, mentions Battle of Mons Badonicus, but famously neglects to mention Arthur^[1]

9th century

• Historia Britonum attributed to Nennius

10th century

Latin

• Annales Cambriae, Anonymous

Welsh

• Preiddeu Annwfn attributed to Taliesin
• "Pa Gur yv y Porthaur" or "Who is the gatekeeper?" 10th century. (Cei Sir Kay's battle with the Cath Palug is mentioned.)
• Englynion y Beddau or Stanzas of the graves 9th or 10th century. (Arthur's grave site is a mystery)

11th century

Latin

• The Legend of St. Goeznovius c. 1019
  (Saxon resurgence when Arthur is "recalled from the actions of the world" may be reference to his immortality.^[2] Vortigern mentioned)

Welsh

• Trioedd Ynys Prydein (Triads of the Isle of Britain) 11th–14th century. (Twelve triads referring to Arthur.^[3] Others mention (Mabon) and Drystan (Tristan),^[4] etc.)
  • Trioedd y meirch (The Triads of the Horses) (Mentions the horse names of Cei (Sir Kay), Gwalchmai's horse Ceincaled.^[5])
  • Tri Thlws ar Ddeg Ynys Prydain (Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain) 15th-16th century^[6]
  • Pedwar marchog ar hugain llys (Twenty-four Knights of Arthur's Court) 15th-16th century^[6]) Mentions the sword Caledfwlch and the spear Rhongomiant^[7]

12th century

Welsh

• Culhwch and Olwen, Anonymous, c. 1100

Latin

• Vita Sancti Cadoc by Lifris of Llancarfan c. 1061-1104
  (Arthur wants to ravish Gwladys whom Gundliauc elopes with, but aids them by Kay and Bedivere's counsel. St. Cadoc harbors a killer of Arthur's men and pays cattle as recompense, but they transform into bundles of ferns.^[8])
• Vita Sancti Carannog c. 1100 (At Arthur's requests, Carantoc tames a dragon. Cato (=Kay) is depicted as feeding it.^[9])
• Vita Sancti Euflami c. 1100 (Arthur cannot defeat dragon, but Efflam causes it to plunge from a rock through prayer^[10][11])
• Vita Sancti Paternus c. 1120s (Mentions Arthur and Caradoc)
• Gesta Regnum Anglorum by William of Malmesbury 1125 (Arthur wears image of Mary; Discovery of Gawain's tomb.^[12][13])
• Historia Anglorum by Henry of Huntingdon 1129 (Mentions Arthur)
• Vita Santi Gildae by Caradoc of Llancarfan c. 1120-1130 (early version of Malegant-Guenivere abduction narrative.)
• Works of Geoffrey of Monmouth
  • Historia Regum Britanniae c. 1136-8
  • Vita Merlini c. 1140
• Life of Saint Kentigern by Jocelyn of Furness c. 1185 (Contains a version of the legend of Merlin, here called Lailoken^[14])
• Vita Sancti Illtud c. 1190s (Illtud came across from Brittany to visit his cousin Arthur's court.^[15] King Mark mentioned.)

French and Anglo-Norman

• Roman de Brut by Wace c. 1155 (an Anglo-Norman verse reworking of Historia Regum Britanniae)
• Tristan by Thomas of Britain c. 1170s
• Tristan by Béroul c. 1170s
• Folie Tristan d'Oxford, c. 1175–1200
• The Lais of Marie de France c. 1170s
  • Lanval
  • Chevrefoil c. 1170s (an episode of the Tristan and Iseult story)
• The poems of Chrétien de Troyes
  • Erec and Enide c. 1170s
  • Cligés c. 1170s
  • Yvain, the Knight of the Lion c. 1180s
  • Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart c. 1180s
  • Perceval, le Conte du Graal c. 1190
  • Tristan mentioned but non-extant
• The poems of Robert de Boron
  • Joseph d'Arimathie
  • Merlin
  • Perceval

(Robert de Borons verse Josephe d'Arimathie and 300 lines of Merlin are extant. A prose version of Josephe d'Arimathie, Merlin, Perzival trilogy, supposedly by Robert exists in two MSS.)

• Lai du Cor by Robert Biket. (Caradoc succeeds in drinking from horn, proves wife's chastity.)
• La Mantel Mautaillé. (Caradoc's wife passes chastity test by wearing ill-fitting mantel.)

German

• Tristan by Eilhart von Oberge c. 1170s
• Lanzelet by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven late 12th century (a rendering of a lost French tale of Lancelot that likely predates Chrétien de Troyes's famous Lancelot or the Knight of the Cart. Ulrich von Zatzikhoven obtained a copy of the original book in 1194 and translated the work from French into German.)
• The poems of Hartmann von Aue
  • Iwein, late 12th century (German adaptation of Chrétien's Erec and Enide)
  • Erec, late 12th century (expanded reworking of Chrétien's Erec and Enide)

13th century

French, Anglo-Norman or Provençal

• Roman de Fergus by Guillaume le Clerc 1190s/1200s
• Jaufré c. 1180 or 1225 (Occitan verse)
• Vengeance Raguidel c. 1200-1225 by Raoul (sometimes identified as Raoul de Houdenc)^[16]
• Lancelot-Grail, Anonymous c. 1210s-1230s
  • Estoire del Saint Grail
  • Estoire de Merlin
  • Lancelot propre
  • Queste del Saint Graal
  • Mort Artu
• Perlesvaus, Anonymous, c. 1210s
• Prose Tristan by "Luce de Gat" (1230s) and "Helie de Boron" (c. 1240)
• Roman de Silence by Heldrius de Cornwall c. 1260s
• Post-Vulgate Cycle, Anonymous (begun 1230s, finished 1240s)
• L’âtre périlleux, Anonymous (c. 1250)
• Roman de Roi Artus aka Compilation by Rusticiano (Rustichello da Pisa); Franco-Italian, c. 1290s -1300
  • Gyron le courtois (A portion of the Compilation published 1501?)
  • Meliadus de Leonnoys (Another portion, published 1528 by Galliot du Pré, 1532 by Denys Janot)

German

• Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg c. 1210s
• Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach c. 1210s
• Daniel von Blumenthal by Der Stricker c. 1220
• Diu Crône Heinrich von dem Türlin
• The poems of Der Pleier
  • Garel von dem blühenden Tal, c. 1230s or c. 1250-80
  • Tandareis und Flordibel c. 1250-80
  • Meleranz c. 1250-80
• Der Mantel, once attributed to Heinrich von dem Türlin. (The "ill-fitting mantle" chastity test theme)

Norse

• Brother Robert's prose renditions
  • Tristrams saga ok Ísöndar 1226 (Norse reworking Tristan by Thomas of Britain)
  • Ivens Saga 1226 (Norse reworking of Chrétien de Troyes' Yvain, the Knight of the Lion)
  • Erex Saga, perhaps originally by Robert. (Text probably changed in MS. transmission. A Norse reworking of Chrétien's Erec and Enide)
  • Möttuls saga, adaptation of the "ill-fitting mantle" story.
• Strengleikar (Translations of lais mostly by Marie de France)
  • "Geitarlauf" (Translation of Chevrefoil)
  • "Januals ljóð" (Translation of Lanval)

English

• Brut by Layamon (English reworking of Geoffrey of Monmouth)
• Sir Tristrem c. 1300 (English reworking of Tristan by Thomas of Britain)
• Arthur and Merlin c. 1300

Dutch

• Walewein en het schaakbord, by Penninc and Pieter Vostaert
• Roman van Ferguut (translation and reworking of the Roman de Fergus)
• The Lancelot-Compilatie (an adaptation of the Lancelot-Grail and other romances, 10 in all:^[17])
  • Lanceloet
  • Perchevael
  • Morien (Moriaen)
  • Queeste vanden Grale
  • Wrake van Ragisel (Adaptation of Vengeance Raguidel)
  • Ridder metter mouwen ("The Knight with the Sleeve" )
  • Walewein ende Keye
  • Lanceloet en het hert met de witte voet ("Lancelot and the Stag with the White Foot")
  • Torec, by Jacob van Maerlant
  • Arturs doet

Hebrew

• Melech Artu A Hebrew reworking of the Historia Regum Brittanie

Welsh

• Brut y Brenhinedd, Welsh chronicle adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae
• The Dream of Rhonabwy, Anonymous
• The Black Book of Carmarthen, Anonymous (Mentions Arthur)

14th century

English

• Alliterative Morte Arthure, Anonymous
• Stanzaic Morte Arthur, Anonymous
• The Avowyng of Arthur
• The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, Anonymous
• The Awntyrs off Arthure, Anonymous
• Sir Cleges (not closely related to Chrestien's Cliges; set in Uther Pendragon's court.)
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by The Pearl Poet
• Sir Launfal by Thomas Chestre (a remaking of the lai of Lanval)
• Sir Libeaus Desconus
• Yvain and Gawain
• Sir Perceval of Galles
• Lancelot of the Laik

Welsh

(All dates for the Welsh compositions are controversial)

• Mabinogion, Anonymous
• Culhwch and Olwen (recorded)
• The Welsh Romances
  • Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain
  • Geraint and Enid
  • Peredur, son of Efrawg

Italian

• Tavola Rotonda, Anonymous

French

• Perceforest, Anonymous

Catalan

• La Faula by Guillem de Torroella

Greek

• Presbys Hippotes (Greek reworking of part of Rustichello da Pisa's Compilations)

15th century

English

• Arthur
• Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
• Prose Merlin
• "King Arthur and King Cornwall"
• Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle

Italian

• Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo
• Tavola ritonda, Anonymous

Icelandic

• Skikkju Rimur, (a rendition of the "ill-fitting mantle" story)

16th century

English

• Arthur of Little Britain
• The Greene Knight c. 1500
• The Boy and the Mantle (ballad in the Percy folio, chastity test story of the "ill-fitting mantle" and the horn)
• The Knightly Tale of Gologras and Gawain 1508
• The Jeaste of Sir Gawain
• The Misfortunes of Arthur by Thomas Hughes 1587
• The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser 1590

Welsh

• Tristan Romance, preserved in fragmentary form in several MSS.

Byelo-Russian

• Povest Trychane 1560s

17th century

English

• Works of Richard Johnson
  • Tom a Lincoln (1607)
  • The History of Tom Thumbe, the Little, for his small stature surnamed, King Arthurs Dwarfe (1621)
• The Birth of Merlin, or, The Childe Hath Found His Father by William Rowley (?1620; first published 1662)
• Works of Richard Blackmore
  • Prince Arthur: An Heroick Poem in Ten Books (1695)
  • King Arthur: An Heroick Poem in Twelve Books (1697)

Yiddish

• Widwilt (Yiddish reworking of Le Bel Inconnu)

18th century

• Warton, Thomas (1728–1790)
  • "The Grave of King Arthur" (1777)
  • "On King Arthur's Round-table at Winchester" (1777)
• Vortigern and Rowena by W. H. Ireland (1799) (A Shakespearian forgery)

19th century

• The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1833)
• The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles (1862)
• The Boy's King Arthur by Sidney Lanier (1880)
• Tristram of Lyonesse by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1882)
• Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1856–1885)
• A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain (1889)

20th century

• Howard Pyle - In a four volume set including:
  • "The Story of King Arthur and His Knights" (1903)
  • "The Story of the Champions of the Round Table" (1905)
  • "The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions" (1907)
  • "The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur" (1910)
• Kairo-kō (1905) by Natsume Sōseki
• The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis (1905) by Clemence Housman^[18]
• War in Heaven (1930) by Charles W. S. Williams, a "modern-day" (20th century) quest for the Holy Grail
• The Little Wench (1935) by Philip Lindsay
• Merlin's Godson by H. Warner Munn
  • King of the World's Edge (1936)
  • The Ship from Atlantis (1967)
  • Merlin's Ring (1974)
• Taliessin through Logres (1938) and The Region of the Summer Stars (1944) by Charles W. S. Williams (poem cycles)
• The Once and Future King by T. H. White including
  • The Sword in the Stone (1938)
  • The Queen of Air and Darkness (or The Witch in the Wood) (1939)
  • The Ill-Made Knight (1940)
  • The Candle in the Wind (1958)
  • The Book of Merlyn (1958)
• That Hideous Strength (1945) by C. S. Lewis
• Porius (A Romance of the Dark Ages) (1951) by John Cowper Powys
• King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (1953) by Roger Lancelyn Green
• The Great Captains (1956) by Henry Treece
• Rosemary Sutcliff's Arthurian novels:
  • The Lantern Bearers (1959)
  • Sword at Sunset (1963)
  • Tristan and Iseult (1971)
  • The Shining Company (1990), a retelling of the Y Gododdin, which contains the earliest mention of Arthur's name
  • The Arthurian Trilogy (1979-1981), re-issued in an omnibus edition in 2007 as The King Arthur Trilogy:
    • The Light Beyond the Forest (1979)
    • The Sword and the Circle (1981)
    • The Road to Camlann (1981)
• The Merlin series by Mary Stewart
  • The Crystal Cave (1970)
  • The Hollow Hills (1973)
  • The Last Enchantment (1979)
  • The Wicked Day (1983)
  • The Prince and the Pilgrim (1995)
• The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (1975) by John Steinbeck
• Arthur Rex: A Legendary Novel by Thomas Berger (1978)
• The Three Damosels (1978) and The Enchantresses (1998) by Vera Chapman (the latter with Mike Ashley)
• The Mists of Avalon (1983) by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• L'Enchanteur (1984) by René Barjavel
• The White Raven (1988) by Diana L. Paxson (Tristan and Isseult)
• The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead
  • Taliesin (1987)
  • Merlin (1988)
  • Arthur (1989)
  • Pendragon (1994)
  • Grail (1997)
  • Avalon (1999)
• The Guinevere trilogy by Persia Woolley
  • Child of the Northern Spring (1987)
  • Queen of the Summer Stars (1991)
  • Guinevere: The Legend in Autumn (1993)
• Knight Life (1987), One Knight Only (2004) and Fall of Knight (2007) by Peter David
• The Road to Avalon (1988) by Joan Wolf
• The Arthor series by A. A. Attanasio
  • The Dragon and the Unicorn (1994)
  • The Eagle and the Sword (1997)
  • The Wolf and the Crown (1998)
  • The Serpent and the Grail (1999)
• The Child Queen (1994), The High Queen (1995), (collected in Queen of Camelot(2002)), Prince of Dreams (2004), and Grail Prince (2003) by Nancy McKenzie
• I am Mordred (1998) and I am Morgan le Fay (2001) by Nancy Springer
• Hallowed Isle by Diana L. Paxson: The Book of the Sword (1999), The Book of the Spear (1999), The Book of the Cauldron (1999), The Book of the Stone (2000).
• The Guenevere novels by Rosalind Miles
  • Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country (1999)
  • The Knight of the Sacred Lake (2000)
  • Child of the Holy Grail (2000)
• The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell
  • The Winter King
  • Enemy of God
  • Excalibur
• By Jane Yolen:
  • Sword of the Rightful King
  • The Young Merlin Trilogy
• By Gerald Morris:
  • The Squire's Tale
  • The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady
  • The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf
  • Parsifal's Page
  • The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
  • The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight
  • The Lioness and her Knight
  • The Quest of the Fair Unknown
  • Squire's Quest
  • The Legend of the King
  • The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short
  • The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great
• By Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy
  • The Forever King
  • The Broken Sword
  • The Third Magic
• The Coming of the King: The First Book of Merlin by Nikolai Tolstoy (1988)
• Stones of Power by David Gemmell
  • Ghost King (1988)
  • Last Sword of Power (1988)
• By Anonymous
  • King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (Illustrated Junior Library, Deluxe edition, September 1, 1950)
• To the Chapel Perilous Naomi Mitchison (1955)
• Artorius by John Heath-Stubbs
• Our Man in Camelot by Anthony Price (1975) (The sixth book in the Dr David Audley series uses the Arthur myth as a MacGuffin in a modern spy thriller.)
• By Parke Godwin
  • Firelord (1980)
  • Beloved Exile (1984)
  • The Last Rainbow (1985)
• The Tales of Arthur, books of The Keltiad, by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
  • The Hawk's Grey Feather (1991)
  • The Oak Above the Kings (1994)
  • The Hedge of Mist (1996)
• A Dream of Eagles (Camulod Chronicles) by Jack Whyte
  • The Sky Stone (1992)
  • The Singing Sword (1993)
  • The Eagles' Brood (1994)
  • The Saxon Shore (1998)
  • The Sorcerer Part 1: The Fort at River's Bend (1997)
  • The Sorcerer Part 2: The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis (1999)
  • Uther (2001)
  • Clothar the Frank (titled The Lance Thrower outside of Canada) (2004)
  • The Eagle (2006)
• The Lost Years of Merlin Epic, by T.A. Barron
  • The Lost Years of Merlin (1996)
  • The Seven Songs of Merlin (1997)
  • The Fires of Merlin (1998)
  • The Mirror of Merlin (1999)
  • The Wings of Merlin (2000)
• Albion, a trilogy of historical novels by British author Patrick McCormack (1997, 2000, 2007)
• The King Awakes and The Empty Throne by Janice Elliott, set in a Medieval-style society several generations after a nuclear war. Both novels deal with the return of King Arthur and his friendship with a youth from the post-holocaust world
• Merlin's Bones by Fred Saberhagen
• The Idylls of the Queen by Phyllis Ann Karr
• Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem; the coming of Arthur is foreseen by the chief of Segontium in the last page of the book
• The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein
• The Dragon Lord by David Drake
• Merlin's Mirror (1975) by Andre Norton
• The Return of Merlin (1995) by Deepak Chopra
• Camelot 3000, a comic book series that reincarnates Arthur and his knights in the far future
• The Dark Is Rising, a series written for older children and young adults, by Susan Cooper
• The Fionavar Tapestry, a fantasy trilogy by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay
• The Merlin Mystery, A puzzlehunt book which focused heavily on Merlin and Nimue having a love after Arthur has been entombed; it offered a cash prize as well as a gold, silver, bronze and crystal wand. However, the puzzle went unsolved and the prize unclaimed.
• The Down the Long Wind series by Gillian Bradshaw (1980–82)
  • Hawk of May
  • Kingdom of Summer
  • In Winter's Shadow
• The Little Wench by Philip Lindsay
• Merlin (1978) by Robert Nye

21st century

• In the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott there are many mentions of artifacts and people in the legends of King Arthur.
• The Merlin Codex by Robert Holdstock
  • Celtika (2001)
  • The Iron Grail (2002)
  • The Broken Kings (2007)
• Corbenic by Catherine Fisher (2002)
• I am Morgan le Fay: A Tale from Camelot by Nancy Springer (2002)
• Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen (2003)
• The House of Pendragon by Debra A. Kemp
  • I: The Firebrand (2003)
  • II: The Recruit (2007)
• The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey (2005)
• Douglas Clegg: Mordred, Bastard Son (2006)
• Fate/Zero by Gen Urobuchi (2006-2007)
• Dracula vs. King Arthur By Adam Beranek, Christian Beranek and Chris Moreno (2007)
• Orion and King Arthur By Ben Bova (2011)
• The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy by Helen Hollick (re-published UK 2007 & USA 2009)
  • Book One: The Kingmaking
  • Book Two: Pendragon's Banner
  • Book Three: Shadow of the King
• Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (2007)
• Camelot Lost by Jessica Bonito (Jessica McHugh) (2008)
• Avalon High by Meg Cabot
• The Sangreal Trilogy by Amanda Hemingway
• Sword of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor
• Knight of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor
• Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
• The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde
• Sons of Avalon, Merlin's Prophecy by Dee Marie (2008)
• Sarah Zettel's four-part series about the brothers Gawain, Gareth, Agravain, and Geraint:
  • In Camelot's Shadow (2004)
  • For Camelot's Honor (2005)
  • Under Camelot's Banner (2006)
  • Camelot's Blood (2008)
• The Seven Deadly Sins, a manga loosely based on the Arthurian legend, by Nakaba Suzuki (2012–present)
• The Devices Trilogy by Philip Purser-Hallard, starting with The Pendragon Protocol (2014)
• J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fall of Arthur (2013, written in the 1920s-30s)
• Kazuo Ishiguro - The Buried Giant (2015)
• Garden of Avalon by Kinoko Nasu

Nonfiction

• Arthur's Britain by Leslie Alcock
• The Quest for Arthur's Britain by Geoffrey Ashe
• The Medieval Quest for Arthur by Robert Rouse and Cory Rushton
• King Arthur: The True Story by Graham Phillips and Martin Keatman
• The Quest for Merlin by Nikolai Tolstoy (1985)
• Pendragon: The Origins of Arthur by Steve Blake and Scott Lloyd
• The Arthurian Tradition by John Matthews
• The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650 John Morris

References

1. Lacy, Norris J., ed. (1986). "Gildas". The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. Garland.
2. White 1997
3. Lacy 1997, pp. 565–7, GA(Geoffrey Ashe), "Triads"
4. Bromwich, Rachel (1961), Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads (snippet) (1st ed.), Cardiff: University of Wales Press
5. Bromwich 1961, pp. 97–121
6. Bromwich 1961, p. cxxx "Period of the Cywyddwyr"
7. Bromwich 1961, Appendix IV, pp. 250-255
8. White 1997, pp. 13–16)
9. White 1997, pp. 16–17
10. Lacy 1986, p. 471, GA, "Saints' Lives, Arthur in"
11. de la Borderie, Arthur, ed. (1891). "Saint Efflam, texte inédit de la vie ancienne de ce saint". Annales de Bretagne. Facultés des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Universities of Rennes et Nantes. VII: 279–. (p.299)
12. White 1997, pp. 22–23
13. Lacy 1986, p. 630, KGM　(Kenneth G. Madison), "William of Malmesbury"
14. Green, Cynthia Whiddon (1998). "Jocelyn, a monk of Furness: The Life of Kentigern (Mungo)". Fordham University. Retrieved 2012-12-25., Chapter xlv, "Laleocen"
15. White 1997, pp. 24
16. Lacy 1999, p. 595
17. Lacy 1999, pp. 387–8, BB (Bart Besamusca), "Middle Dutch Arthurian Literature"
18. Brian Stableford, (2009), The A to Z of Fantasy Literature, page 205. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810868296

• Bromwich, Rachel (1961), Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads (snippet) (1st ed.), Cardiff: University of Wales Press
• Lacy, Norris J., ed. (1986). The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. Garland.
• White, Richard, ed. (1997). King Arthur in Legend and History. London: Dent. ISBN 0460879154.

External links

• Camelot Project