Ebook: An Annotated Bibliography of Ten Middle English Arthurian Romances: Editions, Backgrounds and Interpretations

The primary aim of this bibliography is to provide a comprehensive review of scholarship and criticism for ten major English Arthurian romances written between 1250 and 1500. These romances are significant literary works in themselves, and are also of value to literary historians for their relation to each other and other important works. Annotations of primary editions and scholarly redactions which contribute critical opinion or significant arguments are cited chronologically before the critical material for each romance. Entries are deliberately ample, with some supporting detail offered to explain the critics' positions, indicate their direction of thought, and suggest the type of evidence employed. All annotations are purely descriptive, not evaluative, and offer no comment on the validity or soundness of theories, critical works, or editions. Corrections of earlier critics by later ones are provided as they are described in their own articles.

A system of cross-references points the reader to other confirming or contradictory opinions, and to additional discussions of the same issue. Collections of critical articles are listed separately if more than one of its entries has been annotated; a cross-reference to the individual articles is given in the annotation for the collection.

This bibliography is divided into three chapters which present the romances in chronological order. Chapter One consists of annotations of "General Studies" pertinent to all or several romances. Chapter Two considers romances dating from before 1350, and explores the early history of Arthur and other significant heroes:

Of Arthour and of Merlin 1250-1300

Sir Tristrem late thirteenth century

Sir Percyville of Galles 1300-1340

Ywain and Gawain 1300-1350

Chapter Three considers romances exploring the later history of Arthur and Gawain, and the death of Arthur:

The Alliterative Morte Arthure 1360

The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne

Wathelyne 1375

The Stanzaic Morte Arthur 1400

The Avowynge of King Arther, Sir Gawan,

Sir Kaye and Sir Bawdewyn of Bretan 1425

The Turke and Gowin 1500

Golagros and Gawain 1500

In the "General Studies" chapter, a serious attempt has been made to omit all criticism not directly relevant to the ten romances considered. Since this work is intended to focus entirely on those romances, and provide complete coverage of them, vaguely related or tangential studies are excluded. Only centrally-related general works are included: for example, those which treat several romances in which no single romance dominates, or items pertinent to all romances. When the focus of a work is on one romance, with minor references to others, the annotation is placed under the major romance it discusses and is cross-referenced to the other romances.

This compendium of scholarship is meant to set forth the areas of research explored and thus encourage further endeavors in previously unexamined directions.