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The author attempts to systematically address the contradictions in medieval texts in an effort to solve inconsistencies in such traditional stories as the Holy Grail, Ywain, Perceval and King Arthur. The text uses the model of a magical plot - a sub-plot which has a hidden purpose. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 1; Original Published by: D. Nutt in 1900 in 120 pages; Subjects: Gawain (Legendary character); Literary Criticism / Medieval; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Social Science / Folklore & Mythology; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sir Gawain rocks!
I am enjoying this book. I teach British Literature and this item is a great addition. The product is nice and fun to read. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The pairing of Celtic and Arthurian history makes for an excellent reference for any period scholar
Research into the mythology and facts of Arthurian and Celtic times lends to this reference, which explores the era of the Celtic Golden Age, offering a blend of historical fact and legend in an easy A-Z reference of peoples, events, and lore. Black and white illustrations and a centerfold of color accent a book centered on facts, not author opinions: the pairing of Celtic and Arthurian history makes for an excellent reference for any period scholar; particularly at the high school to college grade levels.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

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Intended as "the other bookend" to Jessie Weston's work some eighty years earlier, this essay collection provides a careful overview of recent scholarship on possible overlap between Arthurian literature and Christianity. From Ritual to romance and Notes, taken together, bracket contemporary inquiry into the relationship (if any) between Jesus and Arthur. T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" is here regarded as one strand joining this matter to many a recent literary riddle (such as the meaning of the term "postmodernism"). Without reprinting work readily available elsewhere and no longer subject to revision through dialogue with fellow contributors, Notes attempts to do justice to all sides in twentieth century exploration of christianity's contribution to an art form which is also grounded in early European polytheism ("paganism").
G. Ronald Murphy, S.J., Kathryn M. Talarico, Deborah Rose-Lefmann and Anne Huntley-Speare contribute essays prepared especially for this book, which also includes revised reprints of work by Tom Artin and Henry Kratz. Selections from Jacques Ribard, I for William and Joachim Bumke are available here for the first time in English.
Jew, Christian and secularist will find their own world view respected throughout, though rarely rubberstamped. Similarly, "christianists" (those who, whatever their own religion, regard medieval Christianity as relevant or central to medieval Arthurian literature) agreed more readily than "nonchristianists" to contribute to the volume. By a process of self-selection, then, the nonchristianist position is somewhat underrepresented in Notes, perhaps because that stance was dominant throughout the decade in which this survey was assembled. ... Read more

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The introduction begins: "The literature of our time, as of all the centuries of Christendom, is full of allusions to the gods and goddesses of the Greeks and Romans.Occasionally, and, in modern days, more often, it contains allusions to the worship and the superstitions of the northern nations of Europe.The object of this book is to teach readers who are not yet familiar with the writers of Greece and Rome, or the ballads or legends of the Scandinavians, enough of the stories which form what is called their mythology, to make those allusions intelligible which one meets every day, even in the authors of our own time." According to Wikipedia: "Thomas Bulfinch (July 15, 1796 - May 27, 1867 was an American writer, born in Newton, Massachusetts...he is best known as the author of Bulfinch's Mythology, an 1881 compilation of his previous works: 1. The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes (1855)2. The Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur (1858) 3. Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages (1863)
This compilation, assembled posthumously by Edward Everett Hale, includes various stories belonging to the mythological traditions known as the Matter of Rome, the Matter of Britain and the Matter of France, respectively." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Where is the Table of Contents?
I love getting the classics on my Kindle, but why do some publications have no table of contents?Very difficult to navigate! ... Read more

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In the centuries before his involvement with Arthur, Merlin is immortal, and almost young. He befriends Jason, seeker of the Golden Fleece, and his enchantress wife, Medea. Through Greece, Finland and other lands, to England, the skein of Merlin's tale leads to heroism, treachery and magic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A well-woven tale of Celtic and Greek myths & heroes
Familial estrangement, one of Holdstock's favorite themes, takes center stage in Celtika.Celtika is mythic fiction that is epic in scope, including space and time.It revives a 700 year-old struggle between Jason (from Jason & the Argonauts) and Medea, the mother of all trickery.The events in Celtika take place throughout Europe, starting in Scandinavia and moving from there to England, the heart of central Europe and to the Mediterranean coasts of Greece.

Holdstock effectively includes Celtic and Classical (Greek) cultures and myths.Heroic deeds of mythic proportions are intermixed with subtle scenes involving concealed motives, magic and ever-changing personal emotions.This book is like a mystery, unraveling secrets slowly while continuing to reveal new mysteries.The book contains a good bit of action, but fighting and battle are a natural part of telling the story, not the purpose of the story.

At first read, it appears Holdstock may have bitten off more than he can chew by introducing many characters from different cultures and moving them in a variety of directions (physical and mental.)I am optimistic that these threads will be picked up the following books of the trilogy.Unlike some of Holdstock's previous works, he wraps up enough clues at the end of Celtika to offer the reader some catharsis while still keeping the reader curious about what will happen next.

I recommend reading or brushing up on Jason and the Argonauts and Arthurian legends involving the wizard Merlin prior to reading Celtika.

One thing I particularly like about this book is that it is told in first person from the narrative viewpoint of Merlin who, like the reader, should know his Greek mythology.

Overall this book falls solidly between average and excellent - I give it four stars.

Once again, for the guys, Jason!
A pretty good book, even considering the "Mythago Wood" ideas, re-re-reiterated all over again (and yeah, I do know the grammar stinks; it's intentional). Annoying, though, that in a book called "Celtika" there's this main plot about Jason's search for his missing (formerly believed dead) sons, kidnapped by Medea and hidden in the "future" of the Argonauts' tale. Merlin/Antiokus manages to resurrect Jason and rebuild the Argo, then they gather a new lot of Argonauts and set sail. The most interesting figure was that of Urtha, Arthur's ancestor, repeating the life-death cycle of the Pendragon, or more likely initiating it.
The book was a nightmare of wild fantasy, Niiv the nymph (Nimue?) - a crazed shaman girl, the goddess Mielikki (who?!) standing in for Hera, the Celtic hordes going to conquer all continental Greece, and Merlin finding (after only a few centuries) that Medea was his childhood sweetheart. Hmm.
The blend was good, but the story failed to appeal to me. I personally consider that among all Greek heroes Jason was the complete anthithesis of one - and to read about him (again!!!! after his appearence in one of the books in the Mythago cycle) was pretty boring...
Beautiful cover art for this edition, though!!

Much is hidden in ambitious kick-off to series
Robert Holdstock's "Celtika" may be the most ambitious "short" fantasy novel I've ever read.The fantasy genre, perhaps inspired by Tolkien's epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, seems to be chock full of massive tomes (such as George R. R. Martin's magnificent "Song of Ice and Fire" saga).Relatively brief at around 350 pages, "Celtika" nevertheless packs enough ideas, possibilities, themes, subplots, and mysteries to justify a larger effort.While many of these elements will likely be explored further in the later novels of this planned series, "Celtika" nevertheless leaves the reader a bit discombobulated at times.

"Celtika," not surprising for the first book in the "Merlin Codex," spins a yarn about Merlin the magician of King Arthur fame.But Holdstock takes a very unusual turn in this novel, setting "Celtika" a couple of generations before King Arthur is born.Indeed, Merlin's strongest relationship with a mere mortal is his bond with Jason, the Greek hero of the Argo and the Golden Fleece.Surprisingly, Jason's relationship with Medea and his sons forms the backbone of "Celtika."

Jason dies a broken, blind, old man in the opening passages of this novel.Merlin, whose non-human heritage allows him to ignore the passage of time other than through the exercise of his magical powers, revives Jason 700 years later from his resting place at the bottom of a lake in Northern Europe.Merlin shocks Jason first by telling him that 700 years have passed, but also that Jason's beloved sons are alive -- his witch-wife Medea hid them from Jason rather than murdering them as everyone who has studied Greek drama has believed.Soon, Jason has assembled a new cast of Argonauts to track down his sons.

This incredibly original wedding of classic Greek tales with the Arthurian legend contains many subtle literary allusions to other tales.Holdstock is content to let most of these references lie near-hidden in his brief text, and Holdstock generally uses dialogue to advance the story rather than long explanatory descriptions of places, thoughts and characters.It's a rare book that I would like to have been longer (brevity being the soul of wit and all that), but I often felt like I was missing something as Holdstock's economical prose swept me along.

Somehow Jason and the neo-Argonauts get swept up into a Celtic invasion of Greece (this is a generation after Alexander the Great swept East, so Greece is ripe for the picking).A much-hyped clash between Greeks and Celts at Thermopylae doesn't really satisfy, and there's a confusing "climax" as Jason gets reunited with figures both beloved and hated from his dark past.

Perhaps three stars isn't a fair review of "Celtika," as I am definitely going to check out volume two, "The Iron Grail."Yet, I am more intrigued with seeing whether "Iron Grail" can deliver on the unfulfilled promise of "Celtika" rather than through any great warmth for this story.

Celtika and Iron Grail
Any fan of mythology will love this book. Brilliantly blends ancient Greek heroes with Arthurian Heroes and a Celtic backdrop. Fast moving story with larger than life characters. I wouldnt spoil the story for anyone but this is a must for any fantasy reader. The only fly in the ointment was Mr Holdstock's chronological displacement of Greek mythological events. The Argonauts came first and then the Trojan War because one of the argonauts was Peleus, Achilles father. In fact it was Peleus' wedding that leads indirectly to the Trojan war. When Eris was not invited to the festivities she cast a gold apple to the guests which was to be given to the fairest. That apple became the prize that Paris later awarded to Aphrodite in exchange for Helen of Sparta. That being said it in no way spoiled the story any more than the changes made to the recent movie Troy. I am eagerly awaiting the third book.

Good read
Just finished Celtika by Robert Holdstock....a excellent read with a new twist on the story of Merlin and Jason (from Golden Fleece fame). If you're a stickler for keeping true to the old myths you may not like it, if however you like seeing tales told from a different perspective go for it. Takes you to a magical world 700 yrs after Jason's famous quest. Great cast of characters. ... Read more

Product Description
This biographical dictionary separates myth from history by differentiating and defining figures associated with the Arthurian legend. Entries cover more than 400 legendary and historic figures, and include extensive cross-referencing, maps, illustrations and photographs. An appendix provides a comprehensive character index of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur. ... Read more

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The Secrets of Avalon is a unique and ground-breaking book whichchallenges many of the accepted views of the Arthurian tradition. From clues in old tales and documents, place names and the mythic landscape, August Hunt weaves a tapestry of the Celtic Gods and the Arthurian tales which heralds a new chapter in the interpretation of the deeds and existence of the greatest heroes of British legend - King Arthur and Merlin. Not only does the author place these figures in the British landscape, he also dispels many of the older inaccurate ideas about them and demonstrates which of their tales have been assimilated from other old sources to produce the popular images that exist today.By applying his wealth of knowledge and exploring the obscure andunresolved areas of the Arthurian tales, August Hunt provides new and provocative interpretations leading to startling conclusions about many subjects including the nature of Merlin, the dragon spirits of Britain, the real Holy Grail, the location of Avalon and the identities, human and divine, of the major characters in the Arthurian tales. Amongst these the author also focuses on the significant but often shadowy female figures of the myths like the Lady of the Lake, the Mother of Arthur and the Nine Goddesses of Avalon. The quest for the hidden mysteries leads from Wales to Cornwall to Scotland,from Ireland to France and Italy, but most of all from the forgotten fragments of the past to the unfolding of the myths which dwell at the heart of the British psyche.The author also includes fascinating appendices on a new interpretation of the Ogam alphabet and how to use it for divination, the symbolism and ritual uses of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, and the zodiacal correspondences of King Arthur's battles.~~~~~~About this AuthorAugust Hunt has a lifelong passion for the Arthurian myths and has been studying them since his youth, which is also when his passion for writing first emerged.His first short stories appeared in his high school newspaper in the 1970's, and since then he has received scholarships and literary prizes for his fictional work, and has written numerous magazine articles, books, novels and screenplays.He has lectured extensively on the Arthurian myths and related Dark Age topics at colleges and events, and has acted as consultant on television documentaries about King Arthur for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic.His works on the Arthurian mythos and other Dark Age topics are also featured on various websites.Drawing on his considerable knowledge of folklore, Celtic myth, onomastics and Dark Age history, August Hunt is providing new and challenging material which illuminates many of the previously shadowy areas of the Arthurian tradition, including his own theory on the historical identity of King Arthur, discussed in his workShadows in the Mist: The Life and Death of King Arthur.August holds a degree in Celtic and Germanic Studies, and is a member of the International Arthurian Society.When he is not engaged in his research and writing, he enjoyes hiking and landscaping, with unusual passions such as designing and erecting modern stone circles and monuments which reproduce the solar equinoctial and solstictial alignments of their ancient European counterparts.He lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America with his fiancée, a dog, several fish and two lizards affectionately referred to as the 'family dragons'. ... Read more

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Isolde's time has come at last. The Queen of Ireland lies dying, relinquishing years of misrule to her patient and lovely daughter. But on all sides Isolde faces cruel opposition. Sir Breccan, one of the old Queen's knights, is determined that Ireland succumbs to the rule of men. In Cornwall, Sir Andred, nephew of Isolde's feckless and unloving husband, King Mark, is preparing to rise against her. Through all her trials, Isolde can count on Sir Tristan of Lyonesse, her faithful love of many years. But a French princess has heard of Tristan's prowess and pledges to make him her own. Cast adrift, Tristan encounters a temptation he has never faced before. Alone and under attack, can Isolde save her kingdom and her love? ... Read more

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A collection of Arthurian poems, stories, and plays by women, from "Marie de France" to the present, all of which are either significant examples of Arthurian literature or innovative interpretations of Arthurian tradition. Rather than reproducing brief selections from contemporary novels that are readily available, the volume collects and reprints works that may have been overlooked by students of the Arthurian legend. The volume should be of interest to those studying or teaching women and the Arthurian legend or any other aspect of myth, fantasy, popular literature or women's studies. ... Read more

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Erec Et Enide, Cliges, Yvain – The Knight of the Lion, Lancelot – the Knight of the Cart.Chretien De Troyes has had the peculiar fortune of becoming the best known of the old French poets to students of mediaeval literature, and of remaining practically unknown to any one else. The acquaintance of students with the work of Chretien has been made possible in academic circles by the admirable critical editions of his romances undertaken and carried to completion during the past thirty years by Professor Wendelin Foerster of Bonn. At the same time the want of public familiarity with Chretien's work is due to the almost complete lack of translations of his romances into the modern tongues. The man who, so far as we know, first recounted the romantic adventures of Arthur's knights, Gawain. Yvain, Erec, Lancelot, and Perceval, has been forgotten; whereas posterity has been kinder to his debtors, Wolfram yon Eschenbach, Malory, Lord Tennyson, and Richard Wagner. The present volume has grown out of the desire to place these romances of adventure before the reader of English in a prose version based directly upon the oldest form in which they exist. ... Read more

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This unique Encyclopedia highlights the world of King Arthur from its origins in dark Age Britain to the present day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good, but huge
This work's primary selling point is that it's very complete.And its biggest drawback is that . . . it's very complete.There's more material in this volume than you can ever put to use.You come away from a straight read feeling overwhelmed, and you come away from a skimming or a search bysubject feeling like you missed something.Still, if you're looking forspecific material on something relating to King Arthur, this is probablyyour best bet.If you're looking to be entertained by the Arthurian story,buy yourself a copy of The Once And Future King.

Basic to all serious study on the topic
If you are serious about studying the Arthurian legends, you need this book.If you have no other reference work, this should be the one on your shelf.Lacy & Co. deserve heaps of praise on their heads for thisvolume!It covers aspects of the legends themselves in differing countriesand in different eras.It covers art work.It covers music.It coversparticular characters.It covers theories relating to the backgrounds tothe legends, both historical and folklorical.The entries are readable,clear, and give lots of information so that you can follow up on any giventopic.I cannot praise this book enough!Every library should have a copy(including many personal libraries...).

A must have for any collection.
This is the new, updated edition of The New Arthurian Encyclopedia published in hardcover in 1991.As with the older version, it provides more than 500 new entries that cannot be found in the 1986 Arthurian Encyclopedia.The update also contains a 40-page section compiling the various addendums that have appeared in The Arthurian Yearbook since 1991.It is disappointing to note, however, that these new items were not incorporated into the main work.

Arranged alphabetically, the Encyclopedia remains the most invaluable reference resource for the Arthurian Legend.Each entry is written and signed by a scholar of Arthurian studies, and is followed, where necessary, by a short bibliography.The index is much easier to use than the one in the original volume.A must have for any collection. ... Read more

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This is the first English translation of the earliest Italian Tristan romance, the Tristano Riccardiano, preserved in MS 2543 of the Biblioteca Riccardiana in Florence. In Italy, Tristan was more popular than any other Arthurian hero; the French prose Tristan gained great currency, soon yielding Italian prose translations / adaptations. The Riccardiano, dating from the late 13th century, is notable for representing an early branch of the French prose Tristan, now lost. The translation offers new evidence for the development of the Tristan story in Europe, particularly in the changes it rings on the themes of love, chivalry, honor, betrayal, and adultery. In theme and narrative style the Riccardiano reflects a new audience and a new social context, that of an urban Tuscan middle class, and an important stage in the emergence of Italian prose narrative.The text and translation are presented here with an introduction, a select bibliography, and index.F. REGINA PSAKI is the Giustina Family Professor of Italian Language and Literature at the University of Oregon. ... Read more

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The principal article in this issue examines in detail a group of heraldic manuscripts: an armorial of the Knights of the Round Table, with a number of their arms reproduced in full colour, the treatise on Arthurian tournaments by Jacques d'Armagnac, and the treatise on blazon by Clément Prinsault. A scholarly edition of the two treatises is provided, and the texts are discussed in an introductory section emphasising the importance of Arthurian heraldry. The arms of 150 knights are painted in the manuscripts and blazoned, and 59 of them are reproduced in 10 pages of full-colour plates.Other articles address the underlying theme of the Conte de Graal, in which Alexander is seen as representing the negative aspects of charity; Robert de Boron's endeavours to produce a coherent Arthuriad; and correspondences between the Arthurian tellings of two Old French authors, Manessier and Gerbert de Montreuil.The contributors are: BARBARA SARGENT-BAUR, FANNI BOGDANOW, LOUISE D. STEVENS and LISA JEFFERSON. ... Read more

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The Holy Grail is central to the Arthurian literature.The lighthearted journeys for women and adventure build up to the journeys of the soul.It becomes clear that these earlier journeys were also not really what they seemed to be, not really journeys on horseback and clothed in armor, but journeys of the spirit.Contents: The Holy Vessel and its Literature; Holy Grail in its Manifestation and Removal; The Conte Del Graal; Cycle of Robert De Borron; Vulgate Cycle of the Holy Grail; Other and Later Texts of the Grail Legend; German Cycle of the Holy Grail; Welsh and English Texts; Critical Aparatus in Respect of the Grail Cycles: Celtic Hypothesis; Further Critical Apparatus: The Schools, the Churches, and the Sects; Further Critical Apparatus: The Ritual Hypothesis; Secret of the Holy Grail; Bibliography of the Holy Grail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Before the Da Vinci Code....
Waite researches the Grail literature and expounds on its mystical and esoteric theme.Not exactly reading of the same caliber of Dan Brown's thrill paced novel but still a very important work for Grail scholars. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Enchanting
I knew a bit of what was in this book before I purchased it, I had been using a library copy for work in obtaining my Master's Degree (My specialty is Arthurian literature and I needed some good sources on Morgan le Fay). However, I did not realize when I purchased this book, how beautiful a brand new copy was going to be. The text is informative and just what I needed andthe beautiful paintings reproduced in the text were a pleasant surprise to find. ... Read more