Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the translation
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- PART ONE The response to Chrétien: tradition and innovation in Arthurian romance
- PART TWO A historical survey of the impact of Arthurian verse romances
- 7 The popularity of Arthurian verse romances
- 8 The audience
- 9 Arthurian literature in French and its significance for England
- Bibliography
- Supplement to the bibliography
- Index
- CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
7 - The popularity of Arthurian verse romances
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the translation
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- PART ONE The response to Chrétien: tradition and innovation in Arthurian romance
- PART TWO A historical survey of the impact of Arthurian verse romances
- 7 The popularity of Arthurian verse romances
- 8 The audience
- 9 Arthurian literature in French and its significance for England
- Bibliography
- Supplement to the bibliography
- Index
- CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
Summary
It is still not possible to say how many Arthurian texts in verse the canon of French literature may once have included in addition to those considered here. Some may still be found in the future, but in total there were probably not many more than have survived today in complete or fragmentary form. An attempt was made by Gaston Paris to infer more lost French originals on the basis of the whole corpus of Arthurian literature in Europe. His procedure is not always convincing; his argumentation is influenced by nationalist thinking which is very much inclined to deny any personal powers of invention to non-French authors in the sphere of Arthurian literature; as far as he is concerned, their necessary dependence on a lost Old French source is beyond question.
The history of French Arthurian literature in verse extends over more than two hundred years, from Wace, Chrétien de Troyes and Marie de France right through to Froissart. It is certainly true that the popularity of the genre was in constant decline during this period, especially in terms of the literary creative process and the popularity of Arthurian material amongst authors. This is confirmed by a glance at the chronological table, although this summary also reveals that a first golden age from approximately 1155 until the composition of Chrétien's Conte du Graal was followed by a second creative period during the years 1204 until 1250, which also produced high-quality literary works.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Evolution of Arthurian RomanceThe Verse Tradition from Chrétien to Froissart, pp. 219 - 224Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1998