The Broadview Anthology of Medieval Arthurian Literature

“The superb Broadview Anthology of Medieval Arthurian Literature offers a carefully chosen and wide-ranging selection, including canonical English, French, and German works alongside lesser-known texts in, for instance, Dutch, Greek, Hebrew, and Old Norse, and admirably foregrounding the ways in which translation functions both across cultures and across languages. Indeed, inclusivity is a hallmark of this wonderful volume, which Kathy Cawsey and Elizabeth Edwards have skillfully curated to give invaluable insights into not only the Arthurian legend’s geographical reach and generic variety but also the diversity of its racial, religious, and sexual identities and attitudes. A fantastic and very welcome new resource for studying medieval Arthuriana.” — Megan Leitch, Cardiff University “The Broadview Anthology of Medieval Arthurian Literature is more than simply the ideal Arthurian anthology for twenty-first-century undergraduates studying English literature. Going beyond the canonical Latin, French, and English texts that established the characters and narratives collected in Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur, BAMAL adds texts from Welsh, Hebrew, Norse, Dutch, German, and Greek, plus a collection of visual images, all of which make it a unique collection. More than any previous anthology, BAMAL shows the diversity and vitality of medieval Arthurian literature.” — Michael W. Twomey, Ithaca College “The Broadview Anthology of Medieval Arthurian Literature is fantastic. The selections richly cover the thousand years of medieval Arthurian literature, in all its geographic, linguistic, and cultural diversity. ‘Must-have’ canonical works by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chrétien, or the Gawain-poet are enriched by texts that speak to contemporary concerns of inclusion, represented by the transgender hero Silence and the Moorish knight Morien. Texts formerly deemed peripheral now provide opportunities for comparison, such as the Jewish morality tale Melech Artus, in which the grail becomes a plate for serving the poor, or the Greek tale The Old Knight, in which the hero fights ageism. Crisp headnotes provide students easy access to the works and helpful suggestions for further research. The collection replaces all prior anthologies while offering professors of Arthurian literature or Middle English courses many paths to choose through the woods of medieval Arthuriana.” — Karen Cherewatuk, St. Olaf College