King of the Celts: Arthurian Legends and Celtic Tradition

Jean Markale

Inner Traditions / Bear & Co, 1994 - History - 312 pages

In a masterful blend of history, geography, and literature, Jean Markale re-creates the true King Arthur, the real-life Celtic warrior-hero who organized the resistance to the Saxon onslaught in fifth-century England. Markale's unsurpassed knowledge of Celtic history has enabled him to reconstruct for us the actual world in which King Arthur lived--its heros, its values, and its vicissitudes--and to define the position that Arthur occupied within it. 

• Explains how the Arthurian ideals of knightly virtue and chivalry are at the heart of Western literature and thought

• Shows how the Celtic heritage continues to exert a unique formative power on our personal and moral concepts

What people are saying

Review: King of the Celts: Arthurian Legends and Celtic Tradition

User Review  - Tyler - Goodreads

This book had fascinating chapters and mind numbingly dull ones. I really enjoyed the section entitle: "Early Arthurian Saga" which basically complies many separate stories into a more or less ...

Contents

• Epic and history: 1
• King Arthur and the Medieval World: 17
• Arthurian Literature: 19
• The Political Background: 51
• The Plantegenets: 53
• John of Salisbury: 59
• Glastonbury Abbey: 73
• Arthurian Chivalry: 80
• King Arthur in the Celtic World: 87
• Britain in the Dark Ages: 89
• Roman Britain: 91
• Celtic Britain: 94
• The New Kings of Britain: 106
• King Arthur in history: 116
• The Arthurian Myth: 135
• The Political Aspect: 137
• The Theme of Sovereignty: 149
• The Unfaithful Queen: 159
• Arthurs Companions: 164
• Similar Legends: 169
• Arthur the God: 179
• The Early Saga of Arthur: 184
• Waiting for Arthur: 219
• The Specific Qualities of the Celts: 221
• Roman Society and Celtic Society: 222
• The Contribution of the Celts: 242
• Arthurs Legacy: 254
• Notes: 280
• Select Bibliography: 301
• Index: 304

About the author

King of The Celts
Arthurian Legends and Celtic Tradition

Part 1  King Arthur in the Medieval World
1.  Arthurian Literature
2.  The Political Background
The Plantagenets
John of Salisbury
Glastonbury Abbey
Arthurian Chivalry
Part 2  King Arthur in the Celtic World
3.  Britain in the Dark Ages
Roman Britain
Celtic Britain
The New Kings of Britain
4.  King Arthur in History
5.  The Arthurian Myth
The Political Aspect
The Theme of Sovereignty
The Unfaithful Queen
Arthur's Companions
Similar Legends
Arthur the God
6.  The Early Saga of Arthur
Part 3  Waiting for Arthur
7.  The Specific Qualities of the Celts
Roman Society and Celtic Society
The Contribution of the Celts
8.  Arthur's Legacy
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index

Bibliographic information

• Title: King of the Celts: Arthurian Legends and Celtic Tradition; Celtic history-mythology
• Author: Jean Markale
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Inner Traditions / Bear & Co, 1994
• ISBN: 0892814527, 9780892814527
• Length: 312 pages
• Subjects: Body, Mind & Spirit / Spirituality / Celtic; History / Europe / Great Britain; History / Medieval