1. Le Morte d’Arthur and the Mysterious History of the History of Mystery
Sir Thomas Malory
Le Morte d’Arthur and the Mysterious History of the History of Mystery

2. The Man Behind the Manuscript
Generally believed to be lord of two different estates in England
Inherited this property in 1434, age 24
Supposedly turned to a life of crime around age 40
Ambushed and almost murdered the Duke of Buckingham
Robbed and threatened many others
Accused of rape twice
Pillaged the monastery Combe Abbey
Spent many years in various jails; never tried
Escaped twice; bailed out twice

3. The War of the Roses Henry VI’s sickness
Richard, Duke of York, ruled as regent
Henry recovered
War between Henry (from the house of Lancaster) and Richard (York), who did not want to give up the throne
Malory is released from jail
Fought with Yorkists, but switched sides to the Lancastrians
Yorkists won; Edward IV named king
Malory was not pardoned; sent back to jail

4. Meanwhile, back in jail…
Second lengthy internment in a decade
Obtained books and paper
Handwrote “the whole book of King Arthur and his noble knights of the Round Table”
Released from jail in 1470; died 5 months later

5. William Caxton The only printer in England at the time
Printed over 100 manuscripts, including The Canterbury Tales
Chose only those works which he considered “the best writing of their day”
Often wrote his own prefaces; these are considered masterful analyses
Reworked Malory’s book into Le Morte d’Arthur
Published Order of Chivalry to accompany d’Arthur
Meant to be a criticism of the behavior of the nobility and knights at the time
Thought to be the only existing version of the stories of Arthur until 1934

6. The Winchester Manuscript

7. The WM Continued Compiled from French and English (British) sources
Later edited by Caxton into the publication
Possibly returned to Malory’s family as a family possession or fun read
Discovered in 1934 in Winchester College
Librarian discovered in basement
Probably written by two scribes
Has a unique typeface used by Caxton

8. Arthur’s Controversial History
Based on (Bishop) Geoffrey of Monmouth
Prophecies of Merlin, Historia Regum Britanniae, Life of Merlin, 1136
Welsh and Breton folklore from monastery
Gildas the Wise (504 AD) and Nennius the Welsh monk (800 AD)
French romanticism and poetry of the 12th century
Jousting, festivals, chivalry
Le Suite du Merlin, British Museum and Cambridge
Foundation for Malory’s history
Handful of references to an actual “Arthur”
Period of peace in the 6th century
Coincides with Holy Roman Empire

9. King Arthur’s World The Dark Ages (450 AD)
No true king in Britain
Angles, Saxons, Huns, Goths, Franks, and Vandals split Roman Empire into East and West
The Holy Roman Empire (476 AD)
Catholic Church’s power
“Magic” worked with the Church
Benedictine monasteries radically changed and supported daily life
Influenced the search for religious relics (Sangreal)
Helping poor, orphaned, widowed
Loving God and the Church
Foundation for depiction of Arthurian knighthood

10. Major Themes in King Arthur
Chivalry
Criticism of nobility (Henry and Richard)
Heroism / Feudalism / Loyalty
Inspired heroism and opportunity
Christianity
Earthly life seen as a battle between heaven and hell / constant religious preparation
Religious challenges / journeys
Romance

11. Why Do We Care? Heroes and heroines Standards of right and wrong
Emphasis on morality and virtue
Reminder of chivalry and selflessness
Models for potential leaders
Inspires imagination
necessary for education
Importance of history
Validity of sources