The “matter of France” includes the subjects of the old
French epics. These concern the stories about Charlemagne and a good example is
the well-known Song of Roland. The “matter of Rome” concerned the tales of classical
antiquity, and included stories about Alexander and Troy amongst many others.
The “matter of Britain” derives from the history of Geoffrey
of Monmouth and made King Arthur into a national hero, the British counterpart
of Charlemagne. Nonetheless the pretence of solidity and historical truth found
in Geoffrey was not suitable for romantic purposes and the Arthur found in the “matter
of Britain” stories is very unlike the great imperial monarch and conqueror as
presented by Geoffrey and his followers.
Geoffrey announced his purpose – to set out the deeds of the
kings of the Britons from the first king, Brutus to Cadwaladr, i.e. from 1115
BC to AD 689. It created a new and rich history for a very old country –
Britain which by Geoffrey’s day had been forgotten and passed over for England.
His work restored pride for Britain’s people, the Britons. Because he left the
end tantalizingly open it meant that the Matter of Britain not only referred to
the glories of the past but might well have relevance for the future.
Geoffrey of Monmouth made Britain, not England, the subject
o his work and in the process provided Britain with a glorious pre-English and
non-English past. The Matter of Britain was an overwhelming success,
particularly as the fount of a remarkable body of literature.
Blog Question: What was it about the Matter of Britain that
was so attractive not only to British authors, but to the continental authors
of Romance?
The Matter of Britain was unique amongst other foundation myths (particularly those of France and Rome) because it not only justified Britain’s existence, established its place as a new independent nation which had grown out of the decaying Roman empire, but also because it promised to continue the great traditions of classical civilisations in the future. Whereas the realm of Charlemagne had gradually crumbled in succeeding ages, and the Roman empire collapsed, Britain had continued well into the 12th century (when the myths surrounding Arthur were first incorporated into European literature), which emphasized its position as a haven for Golden Age traditions and values. The Matter of Britain was thus attractive to European writers as it contained all the mythical elements needed for a foundation story- romance, divine intervention, a central heroic figure- and exists as a legend outside time, with elements that remain relevant to our modern day.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain was an attractive story to not only Britons, but also peoples from mainland Europe as, although it followed the traditions of previous Matters, those of Rome and France, it also contrasted with them. All three Matters have epic tales of heroes and their travels intermingled with fantastical elements and larger than life characters which tell the founding and continuing existence of their nation. With the fall of the Roman Empire and its remnants, the peoples of Europe moved away from the Matters of Rome and France, which were centralised on the ideas of empire, for the Christian, moral and chivalric ideals of the Matter of Britain. As well as this, the stories that are included within the Matter of Britain lend themselves well to a romanticised reinvention, especially the open-ended nature of the Arthur story and his prophesised return.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain was of importance to continental authors because it encompassed values and characteristics that were relevant in 12th century Romance literature. The stories of bravery, chivalry, heroism and adventure would have been particularly valuable to these writers, as Geoffrey of Monmouth had left an open ending to his work, which inspired hope for the future. Likewise, Arthur’s virtues and deeds served to promote morals and warn against corruption, which ties in to Caitlin’s point about Christianity and the Matter of Britain. These themes were universally attractive in this style of writing. Additionally, the British people were able to use the Matter of Britain to take a sense of pride in their history and establishment especially by linking it to mainland Europe and the classical past. Using the Matter of Britain to do this was more effective than a purely historical work because the symbols and myths that were incorporated worked to create a deeper emotional connection between the British and their nation.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain incorporated many elements of romantic fiction into it’s story. These elements, such as the heroism and bravery as Arthur as well as the depicted strength of Britain was found attractive to numerous authors because of a number of reasons. This strength is possibly the most important element of the Master of Britain as it inspired a sense of hope and importance for the Britons, and worked at the catalyst for romantic authors literary stimulus. It can be deduced that the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth, in all its romanticized “history”, inspired the work of numerous continental authors because of the sense of pride the Matter of Britain instilled it its people. The MoB encouraged a connection to British history as well as an implied strength of the nation and ultimately contained elements significant to the creation of a legend.
ReplyDeleteAs has been put forward by previous comments, the Matter of Britain was so attractive to British authors because it provided a defined point of origin of the British nation. Furthermore, in supplying such a glorious foundation myth for the Britons it served not only to link Briton with the great cultures of antiquity but also to provide a national identity and purpose to the Britons who had been continuously ravaged by foreign nations. Its importance is demonstrated in the fact that it became the primary foundation for subsequent British literature. How do we explain the same fascination of continental writers with the Arthurian tradition? Davenport states that it was during the twelfth century that the legends of Arthur were spread by bards and minstrels into many European nations. He states that the tales of Arthur could be ‘taken up into the fabric of stories and legends that express profound beliefs, concerns and convictions of the age’. As mentioned before, I believe this to be the case for the prominence of Arthur in the continental romances. The story of Arthur provided the perfect outlet to explore the growing ideas of courtly love in the courts of Champagne, and the new found ideas chivalry and knighthood, perhaps in some degree due to the ideals of Crusading.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain was attractive to British authors, and other authors of romance, because it has all the elements of a foundation myth: divine prophecy, a hero, and the planting of a new culture in a foreign land. Also, these myths have themes that provide an original interpretation of morality, and because of this people keep coming back to them. Davenport points out that mythology aims to express absolute meanings, and the Matter of Britain is perfect for doing this because of its originality and because it is "an almost-forgotten age" where people recognise the age, without being distracted by actual historical facts. Arthur has become a symbol of heroism and hope, who allowed the British Empire to remain strong and not crumble, and for that, his story is of great interest.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain was very attractive to authors of Romance as it follows a pattern of myth and heroism. The story of Brutus and his descendants, tracing all the way to Arthur, provided a foundation for Britain that alluded to ties with the esteemed Roman empire, lending prestige and glory to their lands. The establishment of Arthur as a noble leader is linked strongly to the idea of this King coming to power in a land destitute and in desperate need of rescue, which Arthur is able to do because of his ancestral ties to divinity. With the element of myth in this story (Brutus conversing with the goddess Diane) the relationship between humanity and divinity is able to be explored by romantic writers. The figure of Arthur is one that grows in stature, allowing him to become a figure almost larger than life even before these stories were codified. What is also appealing to Romantic writers is the eschatological aspect of Arthur's story, with the possibility of Arthur's return adding importance to his figure as a leader in history.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain would have been exceptionally appealing to British authors (well, and romantic authors, as mentioned above) because it would have been an uplifting idea of the birth of a nation - a notion of antiquity perhaps removed from the reality, but powerful despite that - the historical equivalent of a feel-good romantic movie today. Sure, it may be that none of it was real, but Monmouth leaving the matter open at the end allowed authors to extrapolate further events from his writings and bring in elements that served them - chivalry, honor, romance, the relics of an almost-forgotten age that may never have existed but served the 12th century authors very well. Separate from romantic considerations is the litany of strength British individuals such as Arthur display in these histories - an appealing prospect for an often-beleaguered nation to cling to in times of trouble.
ReplyDeleteThe appeal that the Matter of Britain held for British authors is clear. The myths gave the British a sense of identity and legitimacy, provided a feeling of connectedness with the heroes of the ancient world, and served as a unifying factor between the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Roman and Norse cultural and historical influences on the British Isles. But it was evidently extremely popular with the continental authors of Romance as well. This could be attributed to a number of reasons. As suggested above, both the Matter of France and the Matter of Rome were myths of the distant past. The Matter of Britain, on the other hand, was still in development, perhaps provided a greater sense of relevance to the contemporary audience. It was only in the twelfth century that the legends of Arthur were being spread to mainland Europe, perhaps also allowing the authors to feel a greater sense of creative licence when working with the tales. Additionally, it shouldn't be ignored that the Matter of Britain was simply a succession of good stories, relating to a not too distant neighbour. The tales have stood the test of time due to, among other things, their captivation of the imagination, and it is obvious that they would have had a great effect on the contemporaries, just as they continue to today. Finally, to an audience concerned with the courtly behaviour and chivalry of Romance, the Matter of Britain (particularly the Arthurian legend) provided a series of interesting and inspiring examples. This held true as much for both a British audience as for their mainland neighbours.
ReplyDeleteThe matter of Britain may have been attractive to continental european writers for a number of reasons. Firstly, it enraptured the vital elements of a foundation myth, in the divine intervention, the heroic figure and the foundation of a new nation. Another aspect may have been that the Matter of Britain, as opposed to the Matter of Rome of France was one written in Christian times. The Matter of Rome and France were written in times of pagan religion, and as such, continental european authors may have been more taken by the Matter of Britain as it better fit within a christian framework.
ReplyDeleteIt was not until mid 12th century when Geoffrey of Monmouth's work was translated into French and Latin, and soon after that French interpretation of Arthurian stories came into being. Certainly there must have been romances in England but romance writing was much more developed in France. Furthermore, court culture was better established in France than in England. This was not limited in the royal court. The courts of Champagne, Flanders, Poitier and Languedoc were all centers of medieval culture. While Charlemagne and the more recent figure of El Cid were always popular, the Arthurian legends provided a new stage which was insofar less known and its theme less religious. It is thus not surprising that the Arthurian tales won a place in French culture. For poets and writers in France the matter of Britain may not be what they were really interested after all.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain was surely attractive to British authors due mostly to the claim of legitimacy it gave Britain in stating its ancestors were of the esteemed Romans. It appealed, however, to continental authors of British romance as well due to its inclusion of mythical elements that were classicaly renowned, such as divine intervention, heroism, bravery, courtly love and adventure. These were all key elements in foundation stories, adding justification to Britain's story of establishing their culture in a new land. Futhermore, the exploration of morality with the added interplay of mysticism allowed romantic authors to follow suit, and give a justified commentary with similiar elements involved.
ReplyDeleteThe Matter of Britain was so attractive to the continental authors of Romance because Arthur was presented as a good and central leader, the perfect image for the ideal of the Romance stories of Arthur. He was a more modern character and more easily relatable than previously depicted. The Matter of Britain as demonstrated through Geoffrey of Monmouth's HRB contained universal themes easily adapted to one's own society and they further displayed the types of behaviour desired by different parts of society, such as the knights and men. Moreover, it was also the presentation of the Matter of Britain that was appealing to the authors of Romance, the stories were real enough to be true but no one quite knew if they were or not, this taste for the unknown would have excited many imaginations, allowing the authors to use the basic ideals and themes and run with them in any direction without losing ground.
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