Researching the Villains of the Matter of Britain

Kalamazoo Roundtable Update

2011-09-25T23:21:00.003-04:00

The details of our co-sponsored roundtable for the 2012 International Congress on Medieval Studies have now been finalized as follows. I am especially grateful to Ciny Mediavilla for her proposal on Morgan le Fay.

Are You From Camelot? Recent Arthurian Film, Television, and Electronic Games as Innovators of the Arthurian Tradition and Their Impact

Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Presider: Charlotte A. T. Wulf, Stevenson University

1. “Merlin: Magician, Man, and Manipulator in Starz’s Camelot (2011)”

Caroline Womack, University of Leeds

2. “Morgan, Uther’s Other Child, in BBC1’s Merlin (2008-) and Starz’s Camelot (2011)”

Cindy Mediavilla, UCLA Department of Information Studies

3. “Galahad and Indiana Jones: The Commodification of the Holy Grail in Modern Grail Quests”

Schuyler Eastin, San Diego Christian College

4. Arthurising the Wife of Bath: The Wife of Bath’s Tale in S4C’s The Canterbury Tales (1999) and BBC’s Canterbury Tales (2003)

Paul Hardwick, Leeds Trinity University College

5. Respondent

Karolyn Kinane, Plymouth State University

CFP Are You From Camelot? (Roundtable) (9/1/11; Kalamazoo 5/10-13/12)

2011-07-14T15:44:00.001-04:00

CALL FOR PAPERS

ARE YOU FROM CAMELOT?
RECENT ARTHURIAN FILM, TELEVISION, AND ELECTRONIC GAMES AS INNOVATORS OF THE ARTHURIAN TRADITION AND THEIR IMPACT

A ROUNDTABLE FOR THE 47TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MEDIEVAL STUDIES (WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, KALAMAZOO, MI) FROM 10-13 MAY 2012

CO-SPONSORED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN AND THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES

PROPOSALS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2011 (EARLY SUBMISSION RECOMMENDED)

The Matter of Britain is alive and well in modern mass media, and the media of film and television, especially, have long been recognized as important disseminators of the Arthurian legend to audiences of various ages and in disparate countries across the globe. Such productions are often assessed by their fidelity to pre-established versions of the legend, an anxiety of influence that Norris J. Lacy has termed “the tyranny of tradition.” However, mass media like film, television and electronic games also function as innovators of new traditions for representing characters or motifs that then become fixed in popular Arthuriana (consider, for example, both the long-standing iconographic portrayal of Merlin, cemented via Wolfgang Reitherman’s THE SWORD IN THE STONE, as an aged figure with flowing white hair, beard and robes or John Boorman’s conflation—copied by many later writers—of Morgan le Fay and Morgause in EXCALIBUR and the resulting figure’s role as the mother of Mordred, an expansion of her traditional filmic role as an enemy within Camelot), yet, to date, few studies, beyond lamentations of how to, as Lacy, puts it to “unteach” these texts, have explored this aspect of these modern Arthurian texts. The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, in particular, include many innovative productions (including Alexandre Astier’s KAAMELOTT; Steve Barron’s MERLIN; Chris Chibnall and Michael Hirst’s CAMELOT; Antoine Fuqua’s KING ARTHUR; Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps, and Julian Murphy’s MERLIN; Mythic Entertainment’s DARK AGE OF CAMELOT; SyFy’s STARGATE SG-1 and Type-Moon’s FATE/STAY NIGHT) that deviate significantly from preexisting literary and filmic/televisual traditions of the legend, and these works have influenced and will influence both further Arthurian texts and the popular reception of the Arthurian story as they are dispersed across the intertextual landscape of the modern Matter of Britain. For this session, in furtherance of the goals of the sponsoring organizations, we are particularly interested in how these recent representations of Arthurian characters (for example King Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, Morded, Morgan le Fay, and Morgause) and motifs (such as the Grail legend) in film, television, and electronic games have shaped contemporary conceptions of these elements and, also, in exploring how these productions may influence ongoing or future Arthurian texts.

PLEASE SUBMIT PROPOSALS OF 500 WORDS OR LESS, PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM (AVAILABLE AT
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html), AND A COPY OF YOUR CV TO THE ORGANIZERS AT

Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages@gmail.com

PLEASE INCLUDE “KALAMAZOO 2012 PROPOSAL” IN THE SUBJECT LINE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN, PLEASE ACCESS OUR BLOG AT http://ArthurianVillainyResearch.blogspot.com/

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES, PLEASE ACCESS OUR BLOG AT http://PopularCultureandtheMiddleAges.blogspot.com/

Arthurian Villains Recent Presentations (2010-2004)

2011-05-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

I've been working over at The Medieval Comics Project trying to put together a listing of recent presentations on the topic, and, in the process, came across the following of interest to our readers. Please let me know if I've missed you.

Forty-fifth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 13–16, 2010

“We are all shamed and destroyed for ever!”: The Treasonous Tale of King Mark
Meredith Reynolds, Francis Marion Univ.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

2010 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 31 – April 3, 2010
Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis

Arthurian Legends: Morgan, Mordred, and Magic: Arthuriana out in Left Field
Session Chair: Michele D. Braun, Northeastern University
“‘Sympathy for the Devil’: The Dichotomy of Mordred in Popular Fiction”
Diana M. Vecchio, Widener University
“Reining in Morgaine: Revising Feminist Possibilities out of The Mists of Avalon”
Deidra Donmoyer, Wesleyan College
“Magic and the Feminine in the BBC's Merlin”
Christina Francis, Bloomsbury University
“Saving Baseball, Saving Arthur: Morganna the Kissing Bandit Resurrects Morgan le Fay”
Jill Hebert, University of St. Mary

Forty-fourth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 7–10, 2009

A Castle as a Prison: Morgan, Lancelot, and Bagdemagus’s Daughter
Stephen Atkinson, Park Univ.

2009 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture
Associations
April 8 – 11, 2009
New Orleans Marriott

Bearing the Royal Seed: The Body of Mordred‘s Mother in Feminist Fiction
Amy S. Kaufman, Wesleyan College

International Arthurian Congress 2008

« Morgana le Fay's children »
Kristina HILDEBRAND

« Modred's sons »
Edward Donald KENNEDY

Forty-third International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 8–11, 2008

Who Would Write a Letter about Piers Gaveston in the Voice of Morgan le Fay?
Michael W. Twomey, Ithaca College

The (Gendered) Politics of Change: Medieval Construction of English Identity and the Decline of Morgan Le Fay
Amanda Dysart, Univ. of Virginia

Morgan’s Headdress: “Toreted and Treleted with Tryfles Aboute” (SGGK 960)
Laura F. Hodges, Independent Scholar

Forty-Second International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 10–13, 2007

Stargate to Avalon: Pursuing Merlin and Morgan le Fey
Christina Francis, Bloomsburg Univ.

The Televisual Mordred: Strategies for Representing Mordred in Arthurian Television
Michael A. Torregrossa, Independent Scholar

2007 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture
Associations
April 4 - 7, 2007
Boston Marriott Copley Place

Arthurian Legend I: The M’n’M’s
One and Many: Morgan in Contemporary Fantasy
Jill Hebert, Western Michigan University
Mordred, Villain and Victim: Two Late Victorian Visions
Thomas Hoberg, Northeastern Illinois University
Reclaiming the Bad Seed: Mordred’s Rehabilitation in Modern Fiction
Michael D. Amey, University of Maine at Presque Isle

Arthurian Conference Utrecht, July 24-31, 2005

Gawain’s Family
Edward Donald Kennedy

Morgan la Fey: Feminine Sexuality and Arthurian Representation
Maria-Kristina Perez

Fortieth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 5–8, 2005

Anna and the King: Mordred’s Claim to the Throne in Scottish Chronicles
Alan Lupack, Univ. of Rochester

Morgan’s Morals: Sexuality in Malory
Jill Hebert, Western Michigan Univ.

The Bedevilment of Morgan le Fay: Ethnographic Perspective and Hartmann’s Erec
Kristen Elena Dachler, Duke Univ.

26th Annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum at Plymouth State University
April 15-16, 2005

“Queen Margawse: The Matrix of Revenge in Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur.”
Peter C. Schwartz, Elmira College

Thirty-Ninth International Congress on Medieval Studies
6–9 May 2004

Can Mordred Be Portrayed with Sympathy?
Edward Donald Kennedy, Univ. of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

Shapeshifter: Morgan le Fay as Arthur’s Unheard Political Advisor in Malory
Jill Hebert, Western Michigan Univ.

2004 Medieval Forum at Plymouth State University

"Morgan Le Fay: One Tough Witch."
Stacie Harris (Student, Elmira College)

Villain Research at Kalamazoo

2011-05-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

The International Congress on Medieval Studies convenes this week at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and includes two presentations of interest:

THURS., 12 MAY 10:00 AM
Session 32 (Schneider 1275)
On the Margins of King Arthur’s World
Organizer: Tara Foster, Northern Michigan Univ., and Jon Sherman, Northern
Michigan Univ.
Presider: Tara Foster
PAPER 3 OF 3: False! Traitor! The Marginalization of Mordred and the Ambiguities of
Kingship
Steven Bruso, Fordham Univ.

SATURDAY, 14 MAY
10:00 AM
Session 391 (Schneider 2355)
Men, Women, and Their Relationships in Middle High German and Middle English
Literature
Presider: M. Wendy Hennequin, Tennessee State Univ.
PAPER 4 OF 4: Anglo-Saxon Echoes of Feud and Family: The Sister’s Son in Malory’s Morte Darthur
Abraham Cleaver, Univ. of New Mexico

New Mordred Research at the IAS Congress in July

2011-04-26T23:34:00.001-04:00

The program for the 23rd International Congress of the International Arthurian Society to be held at Bristol University, Bristol, England, from 25-30 July 2011, is now available online and can be accessed at the following link: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/medievalcentre/arthur/english/index_html. Further details and registration information can also be accessed there.

There are 2 presentations of interest to the Alliance and its virtual membership:

MONDAY, 25 JULY

4:30-5:30 PM
E. Arthurian Ideals and Identities: Malory
1. Lisa ROBESON (Ohio Northern University) – Political Propaganda and the Morte Darthur: Mordred and the ‘comyn voyce’

THURSDAY, 28 MAY

1:45-3:15 PM
A. Time for Arthur: Ideological Deployments of Arthurian Space
Moderator: Siân ECHARD (University of British Columbia)
2. Megan LEITCH (University of Cambridge) – Fighting for Mordred in the Fifteenth Century: Insular Identities and the Geopolitics of Literary Treason

Merlin Season 3 Concludes Friday on SyFy

2011-04-07T23:57:00.000-04:00

SyFy airs the season finale of BBC1's Merlin tomorrow at 10 PM and an all-day marathon airing of the complete season starting at 8 AM. The season was particularly relevant to our purposes as it prominently featured the half sisters Morgause and Morgana and their various attempts to depose Uther Pendragon and place Morgana, who was revealed at one point as Uther's own daughter, upon the throne of Camelot.

Details as follows:

FRI, 8 APR
08:00 AM Merlin, Season 3--The Tears Of Uther Pendragon - Part 1
09:00 AM Merlin, Season 3--The Tears Of Uther Pendragon - Part 2
10:00 AM Merlin, Season 3--Gwaine
11:00 AM Merlin, Season 3--The Crystal Cave
12:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--The Changeling
01:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--The Castle Of Fyrien
02:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--The Eye Of The Phoenix
03:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--Love In The Time Of Dragons
04:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--Queen Of Hearts
05:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--The Sorcerer's Shadow
06:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--The Coming Of Arthur - Part 1

10:00 PM Merlin, Season 3--The Coming Of Arthur - Part 2 [season finale]

Kalamazoo 2012 Session Proposals

2011-04-07T23:45:00.000-04:00

The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain in association with The Institute for the Advancement of Scholarship on the Magic-Wielding Figures of Visual Electronic Multimedia and The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages has proposed the following session for the 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies to be held from 10-13 May 2012. Interested parties should contact the Society at Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages@gmail.com (please note "Are You From Camelot 2012" in the subject line). An official call for papers will be distributed this summer upon notification of acceptance from the Congress's organizing committee.

Are You From Camelot? Recent Arthurian Film, Television, and Electronic Games as Innovators of the Arthurian Tradition and Their Impact (Roundtable)

The Matter of Britain is alive and well in modern mass media, and the media of film and television, especially, have long been recognized as important disseminators of the Arthurian legend to audiences of various ages and in disparate countries across the globe. Such productions are often assessed by their fidelity to pre-established versions of the legend, an anxiety of influence that Norris J. Lacy has termed “the tyranny of tradition.” However, mass media like film, television and electronic games also function as innovators of new traditions for representing characters or motifs that then become fixed in popular Arthuriana (consider, for example, both the long-standing iconographic portrayal of Merlin, cemented via Wolfgang Reitherman’s The Sword in the Stone, as an aged figure with flowing white hair, beard and robes or John Boorman’s conflation—copied by many later writers—of Morgan le Fay and Morgause in Excalibur and the resulting figure’s role as the mother of Mordred, an expansion of her traditional filmic role as an enemy within Camelot), yet, to date, few studies, beyond lamentations of how to, as Lacy, puts it to “unteach” these texts, have explored this aspect of these modern Arthurian texts. The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, in particular, include many innovative productions (including Alexandre Astier’s Kaamelott; Steve Barron’s Merlin; Chris Chibnall and Michael Hirst’s Camelot; Antoine Fuqua’s King Arthur; Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps, and Julian Murphy’s Merlin; Mythic Entertainment’s Dark Age of Camelot; SyFy’s Stargate SG-1 and Type-Moon’s Fate/Stay Night) that deviate significantly from preexisting literary and filmic/televisual traditions of the legend, and these works have influenced and will influence both further Arthurian texts and the popular reception of the Arthurian story as they are dispersed across the intertextual landscape of the modern Matter of Britain. For this session, in furtherance of the goals of the three sponsoring organizations, we are particularly interested in how these recent representations of Arthurian characters (for example King Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, Morded, Morgan le Fay, and Morgause) and motifs (such as the Grail legend) in film, television, and electronic games have shaped contemporary conceptions of these elements and, also, in exploring how these productions may influence ongoing or future Arthurian texts.

Mordred, King of the Undead!

2011-03-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

Mordred features prominently as a vampire and lord of the undead in the new novel The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer by "Lucy Weston," the pseudonym (one presumes) of an author writing as the undead original of the character of Lucy Westenra from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Three trailers for the book have appeared on YouTube, and the second, attached below, features Mordred.

There is also a great deal of supplementary material and an excerpt from the book at the website LucyWestonVampire.com.

Tyler Tichelaar's King Arthur's Children

2011-02-19T00:49:00.003-05:00

Tyler Tichelaar, medievalist, novelist, and professional editor and book reviewer, has recently published King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition (Modern History Press, 2011), a revision and expansion of his 1995 MA thesis. The book focuses primarily on Arthur's children and descendants in medieval literature but also includes sections on their representation in postmedieval texts, including twentieth-century fiction and select films. A press release on Tichelaar's website ChildrenofArthur.com offers the following information:

Marquette, MI—Scholars and archeologists continue to debate whether King Arthur ever lived, but if he were a real person, mathematical and DNA evidence reveals that almost the entire human race could be descended from the sixth century British king, a possibility that has inspired many writers, from medieval historians to modern novelists. Now all the evidence for King Arthur’s children and descendants is compiled and analyzed in one volume—Tyler R. Tichelaar’s “King Arthur’s Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition” (ISBN 9781615990665 trade paper, 9781615990672 hardcover; Modern History Press, 2011).

While Mordred is the only child of King Arthur most people remember, in the Arthurian legend’s earliest versions, Mordred was only Arthur’s nephew, and some traditions suggest he was not even related to Arthur but a rival king. By contrast, ancient Welsh traditions provide King Arthur with three sons: Gwydre, Llacheu, and Amr, and the latter may be the earliest version of Mordred. While the Welsh legends state these sons all died before Arthur, other medieval traditions suggest Arthur’s descendants outlived him.

Considering possibilities that Mordred was a Scottish king whose crown Arthur tried to usurp and that the Arthurian legend has only been told from the conqueror’s point of view, Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., redeems Mordred’s character while also exploring obscure Arthurian genealogies, including claims that Scotland’s Clan Campbell and even the British royal family are King Arthur’s descendants. Separating fact from fiction in multiple and conflicting traditions, Dr. Tichelaar reveals how the Arthurian legend has been used as both a political weapon and an escapist fantasy.

A significant portion of “King Arthur’s Children” also treats modern novelists’ interpretations of the Arthurian legend—including works by Stephen Lawhead, Elizabeth Wein, and Bernard Cornwell—that provide modern readers with a fresh connecting point to the dream of Camelot. Dr. Tichelaar’s striking conclusions about all these treatments of King Arthur’s children and descendants makes for fascinating reading about the psychological impact King Arthur still has upon the human imagination.

The book can be purchased directly from Tichelaar at his website, which also includes a sample chapter and other promotional material as part of a media kit. In addition, Tichelaar has passed along links to a review and interview posted on ReaderViews.com.

Magic and the Supernatural in Medieval English Romance -- New From D. S. Brewer

2010-12-31T22:05:00.000-05:00

Magic and the Supernatural in Medieval English Romance
Corinne Saunders

Details
First Published: 15 Apr 2010
13 Digit ISBN: 9781843842217
Pages: 312
Size: 23.4 x 15.6
Binding: Hardback
Imprint: D.S.Brewer
Series: Studies in Medieval Romance
Subject: Medieval Literature
BIC Class: DSBB

The world of medieval romance is one in which magic and the supernatural are constantly present: in otherwordly encounters, in the strange adventures experienced by questing knights, in the experience of the uncanny, and in marvellous objects - rings, potions, amulets, and the celebrated green girdle in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This study looks at a wide range of medieval English romance texts, including the works of Chaucer and Malory, from a broad cultural perspective, to show that while they employ magic in order to create exotic, escapist worlds, they are also grounded in a sense of possibility, and reflect a complex web of inherited and current ideas. The book opens with a survey of classical and biblical precedents, and of medieval attitudes to magic; subsequent chapters explore the ways that romances both reflect contemporary attitudes and ideas, and imaginatively transform them. In particular, the author explores the distinction between the `white magic' of healing and protection, and the more dangerous arts of `nigromancy', black magic. Also addressed is the wider supernatural, including the ways that ideas associated with human magic can be intensified and developed in depictions of otherworldly practitioners of magic. The ambiguous figures of the enchantress and the shapeshifter are a special focus, and the faery is contrasted with the Christian supernatural - miracles, ghosts, spirits, demons and incubi.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Classical and Biblical Precedents
3 The Middle Ages: Prohibitions, Folk Practices and Learned Magic
4 White Magic: Natural Arts and Marvellous Technology
5 Black Magic: The Practice of 'Nigromancy'
6 Otherworld Enchantments and Faery Realms
7 Christian Marvel and Demonic Intervention
8 Malory's Morte Darthur
9 Epilogue: Towards the Renaissance
10 Bibliography

Professor CORINNE SAUNDERS Saunders teaches in the Department of English, University of Durham.

Merlin Season 3

2010-12-31T22:01:00.000-05:00

The SyFy Channel premieres Season 3 of BBC1's Merlin next week.

Kalamazoo Session Cancelled

2010-08-30T22:43:00.000-04:00

I am sorry to report that our co-sponsored session "Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur" has been cancelled due to under-whelming interest in the topic.

Tony Lee and Sam Hart's Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur (2011)

2010-07-03T00:22:00.006-04:00

I came across this today on Amazon and posted a notice to the Arthur of the Comics Project blog, but it is also very relevant here for Tony Lee's introduction of a new villain, Ulric, and its presentation of Morgan le Fay.

Forthcoming from Walker Books and Candlewick Press:

Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur

Tony Lee (Author), Sam Hart (Illustrator)

Hardcover $21.99 (978-0763646448).

Paperback $11.99 (978-0763646431).

In a dramatic and moving tale of trickery and betrayal, forgiveness and hope, the legend of King Arthur, his loves and losses, the fall of Camelot, his Knights of the Round Table, the secrets of his past and mysteries of his future, all come to bear in this visually stunning portrait of a man. Before Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, was murdered by Ulric, as a final act, Uther thrust his sword, Caliburn, into a rock. Only a man true of heart would be able to draw and wield the weapon once more. Until that time, Ulric would become King of the Britons, raining terror over all the land. And the people of Albion would wait for a beacon of hope. The wizard Merlin knows just who that person is destined to be. If Ulric is to be overthrown, then it is Arthur, son of Uther, who must pull out the sword and become the rightful leader of the Britons. So, until Arthur comes of age, Merlin hides the future King - in so doing he strikes a dangerous bargain with the dark Unseelie Fae. As the day approaches when Arthur will come of age, there are strong powers at play. Not everyone wishes for Arthur to succeed - for it was Morgana, Arthur's half-sister, who Merlin traded to the Unseelie, in place of her brother, all those years ago. And now the witch has a vengeful score to settle.

Tony Lee has been a writer for over twenty years. He has worked for a variety of publishers including Marvel Comics, IDW Publishing, Markosia, Rebellion, Panini and Titan. He has contributed to many popular and high-profile properties such as X-Men, Doctor Who, Spider Man, Starship Troopers, Wallace & Gromit and Shrek. In 2008 Tony was nominated in the category for "Best Newcomer Writer" at the prestigious Eagle Awards. He lives in London. Sam Hart is a comic book artist and magazine illustrator, having worked on Starship Troopers and Judge Dredd and for publishers Markosia and DC Comics, amongst others. Born in England, he now lives and teaches comic art in Brazil.

Merlin Season Two Marathon Airs This Week on Syfy

2010-07-01T00:54:00.002-04:00

Syfy celebrates the conclusion of the second season of the BBC1 series Merlin on Friday with an all-day marathon of the entire season that culminates in the season finale at 10 PM EST. Season two adds a number of villains to the pantheon and presents old faithfuls, particularly Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Mordred, in innovative ways.

Details of the marathon are as follows:

FRI., 2 JULY
10:00 AM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE CURSE OF CORNELIUS SIGAN
11:00 AM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN
12:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS
01:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE
02:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - PART 1
03:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - PART 2
04:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE WITCHFINDER
05:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE SINS OF THE FATHER
06:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE LADY OF THE LAKE
07:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: SWEET DREAMS
08:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE WITCH'S QUICKENING
09:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE FIRES OF IDIRSHOLAS
10:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE LAST DRAGONLORD

CFP: Arthurian Villains on Film/TV/Etc (9/1/10; Kalamazoo, MI 5/12-15/11)

2010-06-15T21:05:00.001-04:00

CALL FOR PAPERS
ARTHURIAN VILLAINS ON FILM:
STUDIES IN COMMEMORATION OF THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN BOORMAN'S EXCALIBUR
THE 46TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MEDIEVAL STUDIES,
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, KALAMAZOO, MI
12-15 MAY 2011
CO-SPONSORED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN AND THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES
PROPOSALS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2010 (EARLY SUBMISSION RECOMMENDED)

In furtherance of our respective missions, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages (formerly the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages) are proposing a session devoted to the theme of Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s EXCALIBUR. Papers included in these sessions will explore the representations of the villains of the Matter of Britain, both traditional ones (e.g. Cerdic, Lot of Orkney, Mark of Cornwall, Mordred, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Vortigern) as well as those (e.g. Brack, Cynric, Mab, Mad Madame Mim, Palamides, Ruber, and, even sometimes, Merlin) unique to specific productions, as represented in films, television programming, and other visual electronic multimedia, such as electronic games and Internet videos.

The Arthurian legend has been represented in films since at least the late 1890s and in television programming since the 1950s, and the villains of these productions serve important, though often overlooked, roles as the initiators of dramatic action and as the counteragents to their respective heroes. Despite these vital narrative functions, study of the filmic villains of the Matter of Britain remains in its infancy with few studies engaged with their role in specific productions and with only a handful of overviews of their careers as investigated (in chronological order) by Elizabeth S. Sklar, Jacqueline de Weever, Maureen Fries, and Michael A. Torregrossa.

Since its introduction in the 1980s, Arthurian film and television studies has matured into a legitimate field of investigation, and the thirtieth anniversary of John Boorman’s EXCALIBUR (1981), a key text for the study of Arthurian villains on film, marks an appropriate time to reflect upon the role that the villains play in the Arthurian story. Boorman’s EXCALIBUR has become a seminal text for scholars of Arthurian-themed films and part of the modern canon of popular Arthuriana. Moreover, it is especially important for its presentation of the villains Morgana and Mordred and their relationship to King Arthur, as Boorman is the first filmmaker (as Torregrossa has explored) to fully depict the incest of King Arthur (here with Morgana), an act that results in the conception of Mordred, and its consequences. In addition, Boorman’s versions of both Morgan le Fay and Mordred have shaped countless later representations of these characters in popular Arthuriana throughout the globe.

PLEASE SUBMIT PROPOSALS OF 500 WORDS OR LESS, PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM (AVAILABLE AT
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html IN JULY), AND A COPY OF YOUR CV TO THE ORGANIZERS AT

ArthurianVillainyResearch-AT-gmail-dot-com

PLEASE INCLUDE “KALAMAZOO 2011 PROPOSAL” IN THE SUBJECT LINE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR BLOG AT http://ArthurianVillainyResearch.blogspot.com/

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR BLOG AT
http://popularcultureandthemiddleages.blogspot.com/

Kalamazoo 2011 Update

2010-06-13T19:58:00.000-04:00

We have had an update on sessions for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo. One session our proposal (accessible here) has been accepted, and a call for papers will be forthcoming.

Avalon High the Movie

2010-05-29T01:26:00.004-04:00

The Disney Channel is now filming a live-action adaptation of Meg Cabot's young-adult novel Avalon High. No word on whether or not this production will incorporate material from the three-part manga sequel Avalon High: Coronation (from which the accompanying image, representing Marco [Mordred] and Morgan, is drawn). Details from a press release about the film can be found on various web sites including the following from The Futon Critic:

[05.03.10 - 10:50 AM]
PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN IN NEW ZEALAND ON "AVALON HIGH," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE THAT BRINGS ARTHURIAN LEGEND ALIVE AT A CONTEMPORARY HIGH SCHOOL
Released by Discovery
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN IN NEW ZEALAND ON "AVALON HIGH," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE THAT BRINGS ARTHURIAN LEGEND ALIVE AT A CONTEMPORARY HIGH SCHOOL

Production has begun in New Zealand on "Avalon High," a fantasy-filled Disney Channel Original Movie starring Britt Robertson ("Life Unexpected") and Gregg Sulkin ("Wizards of Waverly Place," Disney Channel UK's "As the Bell Rings"). Based on the award-winning novel by best-selling author Meg Cabot ("The Princess Diaries"), the movie follows Allie Pennington, a new student to Avalon High who is shocked to discover that her new classmates are reincarnations of King Arthur and his Court. "Avalon High" is slated to premiere in fall 2010.

In "Avalon High," Allie is ecstatic when her parents, traveling professors who specialize in King Arthur's legend, tell her she will be staying at Avalon High until she graduates. She can finally join the track team, make new friends and be a normal high school student. But shortly after arriving, Allie discovers that something strange may be afoot. While researching a term paper on King Arthur's legacy, she begins to notice some interesting parallels between the past and the present - from handsome quarterback Will, his cheerleader girlfriend, Jen, and their best friend, Lance, to Will's brooding step-brother, Marco, a quirky kid named Miles and football players who act like knights of the roundtable. The deeper Allie searches, the more convinced she is that her school is a contemporary Camelot, and it's up to her to solve of the mystery of Avalon High before notorious traitor Mordred wins again.

Starring are: Britt Robertson as Allie Pennington, Gregg Sulkin as Will Wagner, Joey Pollari (Disney XD's "Skyrunners") as Miles, Devon Graye ("Dexter") as Marco, Molly Quinn ("Castle") as Jen, Christopher Tavarez ("Big Momma's House 2") as Lance, and Steve Valentine ("I'm in the Band," "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie," "Crossing Jordan") as Mr. Moore.

The teleplay, based on the book by Meg Cabot, was written by Julie Sherman Wolfe ("Jonas," "Phil of the Future") and is directed by Stuart Gillard (Disney Channel's "Hatching Pete," "90210"). "Avalon High" is a production of Sudden Motion Productions, Inc. and Ranger Productions Ltd.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.

Kalamazoo Sessions 2011

2010-05-25T14:37:00.001-04:00

The Alliance has just completed the paperwork for our sponsored sessions for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. Proposals will be accepted later this year pending approval by the conference organizing committee.

Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur

In furtherance of our respective missions, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages (formerly the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages) are proposing a set of two sessions devoted to the theme of Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur. Papers included in these sessions will explore the representations of the villains of the Matter of Britain, both traditional ones (e.g. Cerdic, Lot of Orkney, Mark of Cornwall, Mordred, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Vortigern) as well as those (e.g. Brack, Cynric, Mab, Mad Madame Mim, Palamides, Ruber, and, even sometimes, Merlin) unique to specific productions, as represented in films, television programming, and other visual electronic multimedia, such as electronic games and Internet videos.

The Arthurian legend has been represented in films since at least the late 1890s and in television programming since the 1950s, and the villains of these productions serve important, though often overlooked, roles as the initiators of dramatic action and as the counteragents to their respective heroes. Despite these vital narrative functions, study of the filmic villains of the Matter of Britain remains in its infancy with few studies engaged with their role in specific productions and with only a handful of overviews of their careers as investigated (in chronological order) by Elizabeth S. Sklar, Jacqueline de Weever, Maureen Fries, and Michael A. Torregrossa.

Since its introduction in the 1980s, Arthurian film and television studies has matured into a legitimate field of investigation, and the thirtieth anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981), a key text for the study of Arthurian villains on film, marks an appropriate time to reflect upon the role that the villains play in the Arthurian story. Boorman’s Excalibur has become a seminal text for scholars of Arthurian-themed films and part of the modern canon of popular Arthuriana. Moreover, it is especially important for its presentation of the villains Morgana and Mordred and their relationship to King Arthur, as Boorman is the first filmmaker (as Torregrossa has explored) to fully depict the incest of King Arthur (here with Morgana), an act that results in the conception of Mordred, and its consequences. In addition, Boorman’s versions of both Morgan le Fay and Mordred have shaped countless later representations of these characters in popular Arthuriana throughout the globe.

Morgause on BBC's MERLIN

2010-05-21T22:40:00.003-04:00

Morgause made her American debut tonight on the Syfy Channel's airing of "The Sins of the Father," episode eight of season 2 of the BBC's Merlin. Morgause is a sorceress and half-sister to Morgana, ward of Uther Pendragon, though both are unrelated to Arthur in the series, contrary to tradition. In this episode, Morgause uses her powers in an attempt to manipulate the young Prince Arthur against his father, Uther.

According to the Merlin Wiki, Morgause returns in episode twelve of the series, "The Fires Of Idirsholas."

Kalamazoo Paper of Interest

2010-05-15T00:38:00.006-04:00

The following paper presented at this week's International Congress on Medieval Studies seems relevant to our cause:

THURSDAY, 13 MAY

10:00-11:30 AM

SESSION 17: VALLEY I, ROOM 109

Philosophical Themes and Issues in Malory’s Morte Darthur

Organizer: Felicia Nimue Ackerman, Brown Univ.

Presider: Felicia Nimue Ackerman

PAPER 2 OF 4: “We are all shamed and destroyed for ever!”: The Treasonous Tale of King Mark

Meredith Reynolds, Francis Marion Univ.

Kalamazoo 2010 Update #2

2010-05-15T00:34:00.000-04:00

Here are the details on our sessions for this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. According to panel presider Mikee Delony, the roundtable on Thursday was again well attended and offered both informative presentations and much discussion. Please join Mikee at our business meeting/reception on Saturday and share your ideas for the future of our group.

THURSDAY, 13 MAY
1:30-3:00 PM
SESSION 68: VALLEY I 105
Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-medieval World (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain/Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian Univ.

Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot
Joshua Fullman, Southern Illinois Univ.–Carbondale

Joshua Fullman is a first-year PhD student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He currently holds an MA in English from California State University Fullerton and an MSc in Medieval Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His MSc thesis was on visions of medieval kingship and the Wars of the Roses in Malory's Morte Darthur. And he plans to write his dissertation on apocalyptic literature of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation
Matthew T. Hanson, Cornell Univ.

Matthew Hanson graduated from Brown University where he concentrated in Classics and Late Antique Cultures. After stints, though not terribly short, as an Egyptologist and then a Germanic philologist, he has turned his attention to Middle English romance in the guise of a close-reading literary critic. He is currently a PhD candidate at Cornell University in the Medieval Studies program. His dissertation examines the three alliterative treatments of the Alexander Romance through a post-colonial lens.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

Heidi got her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and now teaches at Cal State University, San Marcos. She published her first monograph, titled CRAFTING THE WITCH: GENDERING MAGIC IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN ENGLAND, with Routledge in April 2009. Her book offers an answer to the question, "How did the witch become wicked?"--especially in the Arthurian literary tradition. You'll hear more about her book today in her talk for this round table. Heidi's research interests include medieval and contemporary Arthurian literature, representations of magic and the occult, feminist theory, gender studies, and LGBT studies, and she has recently published a dialogue on the pedagogy of canonical medieval texts in the undergraduate survey course.

Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost
Kara Larson Maloney, Binghamton Univ.

Kara Larson Maloney is a first year English PhD student at Binghamton University in upstate New York. Her academic interests include Arthurian studies, the concept of nation and identity in the Medieval world, and Viking sagas. She plans to write her dissertation on the concept of national identity within King Arthur's court. Current articles in progress include studies of the role of Statius in Dante's Commedia, and Terence's influence on gender within Hrotsvitha's Pelagius. She received her MA in English, specializing in the medieval literature of the British Isles, from Cal State University Long Beach. When not immersed in dead languages and thousand-year-old texts, she pursues her goal of reaching all seven continents. This summer, she hopes to combine both interests by exploring some of the Viking saga sites of Iceland.

Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French [WITHDRAWN]
Anne Berthelot, Univ. of Connecticut

SATURDAY, 15 MAY
12:00 PM
VALLEY II GARNEAU LOUNGE
Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Business Meeting and Reception

Kalamazoo 2010

2010-05-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

A reminder that the Alliance has sponsored two events at this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies now in progress at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. The complete schedule at corrigenda can be accessed at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/sessions.html.

Thursday, 13 May: 1:30 PM
Session 68: Valley I, Room 105

Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-medieval World (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the
Villains of the Matter of Britain/Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian Univ.

Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot
Joshua Fullman, Southern Illinois Univ.–Carbondale

Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation
Matthew T. Hanson, Cornell Univ.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost
Kara Larson Maloney, Binghamton Univ.

Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French [WITHDRAWN]
Anne Berthelot, Univ. of Connecticut

Saturday, 15 May
12:00 PM: Valley II, Garneau Lounge
Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Business Meeting and Reception--All are welcome to attend

Villainous Papers at PCA/ACA

2010-03-26T00:10:00.000-04:00

The following represent the offerings related to Arthurian villains at the upcoming Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Annual Meeting to be held next week in St. Louis. The complete program (and addendum) can be accessed at: http://pcaaca.org/conference/national.php.

THURS., 12:30-2:00 PM

Lucas (21st Floor)
2148 Arthurian Legends: Morgan, Mordred, and Magic: Arthuriana out in Left Field
Session Chair: Michele D. Braun, Northeastern University
“‘Sympathy for the Devil’: The Dichotomy of Mordred in Popular Fiction”
Diana M. Vecchio, Widener University
“Reining in Morgaine: Revising Feminist Possibilities out of The Mists of Avalon”
Deidra Donmoyer, Wesleyan College
“Magic and the Feminine in the BBC's Merlin”
Christina Francis, Bloomsbury University
“Saving Baseball, Saving Arthur: Morganna the Kissing Bandit Resurrects Morgan le Fay”
Jill Hebert, University of St. Mary

Coming Soon to DVD: King Arthur and the Knights of Justice

2010-02-14T00:56:00.000-05:00

Image Entertainment has announced the March 2nd release of the complete series King Arthur and the Knights of Justice, an animated series that aired for two seasons in syndication during the early 1990s. The premise of the series is that Morgana has imprisoned King Arthur and his Knights, and Merlin and the Lady of the Round Table summon a team of college football players to serve as their surrogates. Each episode pits these new knights against Morgana and her army of Warlords.

A trailer for the DVD set, featuring the series's opening and several minutes of the first episode, has been posted on Amazon.com.

Villainous Merchandise: Ring of Morgaine

2010-01-27T20:51:00.000-05:00

From the Pyramid Collection catalog:

Ring of Morgaine
Item #: P41616

Price: $44.95

Many call her a Witch; others (including The Mists of Avalon author Marion Bradley), a priestess. No matter: As half sister of Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, Morgaine's status as attendant to the goddess inspired the creation of this impressive sterling silver ring, antique finished and flashing with insets of genuine marcasite. Whole sizes 5-10.

CFP: Arthurian Villains in Film/Television/Electronic Games (1st Round 4/1/10; Kalamazoo 5/12-15/11)

2010-01-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain, in conjunction with the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages, will be proposing a set of panels for the 2011 International Congress on Medieval Studies (Western Michigan University, 12-15 May 2011) on the topic of Arthurian Villains in Film/Television/Electronic Games in celebration of the 30th anniversary of John Boorman's Excalibur (1981). Prior to submitting our session proposal, we would like to gauge interest in the topic and appreciate brief proposals and a short CV from potential presenters.

Michael A Torregrossa
The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
34 Second Street
Smithfield, RI 02917-3627
United States
Email: arthurianvillainyresearch-at-gmail.com
Visit the website at http://arthurianvillainyresearch.blogspot.com/

Muppet King Arthur Alert

2010-01-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

Comic book publisher Boom! Studios is set to release a four-issue series called Muppet King Arthur in which the popular Muppets characters take on various Arthurian roles. The final issue appears to feature a confrontation between Kermit as King Arthur and his nephew Robin, who plays Mordred. The official solicitation follows along with a possible cover.

Muppet King Arthur #4 (of 4)
By: Paul Benjamin, Patrick Storck, David Alvarez, David Petersen
Type: Comics : Kids
Genres: Humor
Series: Muppets
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Pub. Date: March 31, 2010

Every great quest must come to an end, and for now the Knights of Arthur must be tabled. But not before the epic battle against Mordred (Robin), as he attempts to claim the throne! Can Arthur (Kermit) defeat his son in the most deadly form of combat known to man - a pun-off?

New Book--The Arthurian Way of Death

2009-11-22T18:34:00.001-05:00

Out now from D. S. Brewer:

The Arthurian Way of Death
The English Tradition
Edited by Karen Cherewatuk
Edited by K. S. Whetter

It is arguably the tragic end to Arthur's kingdom which gives the myth its exceptional resonance and power. The essays in this volume explore the presentation of death and dying in Arthurian literature and film produced in England and America from the middle ages to the modern day. Authors, texts and topics covered include Geoffrey of Monmouth, the chronicle tradition, and the alliterative Morte Arthure; Gawain and the Green Knight, Ywain and Gawain, the stanzaic Morte Arthur, and Malory's Morte Darthur; Tennyson's Idylls, Pyle's retelling of the myth for American children, David Jones, T.H. White, Donald Barthelme, Rosalind Miles and Parke Godwin. Featured films include Knight Rider, Excalibur, First Knight, and King Arthur.

CONTRIBUTORS: Sian Echard, Edward Donald Kennedy, Karen Cherewatuk, Michael W. Twomey, K. S. Whetter, Thomas Crofts, Michael Wenthe, Lisa Robeson, Cory James Rushton, Janina P. Traxler, James Noble, Julie Nelson Couch, Samantha Rayner, Kevin J. Harty.

Contents
Introduction
Karen Cherewatuk and Kevin S Whetter
1 'But here Geoffrey falls silent': Death, Arthur, and the Historia regum Britannie
Sian Echard
2 Mordred's Sons
Edward Donald Kennedy
3 Dying in Uncle Arthur's Arms and at His Hands
Karen Cherewatuk
4 'Hadet with an aluisch mon' and 'britned to noght': Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Death, and the Devil
Michael W. Twomey
5 Love and Death in Arthurian Romance
Kevin S Whetter
6 Death in the Margins: Dying and Scribal Performance in the Winchester Manuscript
Thomas Howard Crofts
7 The Legible Corpses of Le Morte Darthur
Michael Wenthe
8 Malory and the Death of Kings: The Politics of Regicide at Salisbury Plain
Lisa Robeson
9 Layde to the Colde Erthe: Death, Arthur's Knights, and Narrative Closure
Cory Rushton
10 Arthurian Exits: Alone, Together, or None of the Above
Janina P Traxler
11 Woman as Agent of Death in Tennyson's Idylls of the King
James Noble
12 Death as 'Neglect of Duty' in Howard Pyle's The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur
Julie Nelson Couch
13 Death and the 'grimly voice' in David Jones's In Parenthesis
Samantha J. Rayner
14 Roll the Final Credits: Some Notes on Cinematic Depictions of the Death of Arthur
Kevin J Harty

Kalamazoo Update: Why Arthur? Round Table Details

2009-09-28T23:16:00.000-04:00

Here are the details for our session for next May's International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University. We will also offer a business meeting/reception with the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages.

“Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-Medieval World” (Round Table)

Co-Sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain

Organized by Michael A. Torregrossa, Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages/Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain

Presider: Mikee Delony (Abilene Christian University)

PAPER 1: Joshua Fullman (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
“Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot”

PAPER 2: Matthew T. Hanson (Cornell University)
“Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation”

PAPER 3: Heidi Breuer (California State University, San Marcos)
“Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay”

PAPER 4: Kara Larson Maloney (SUNY Binghamton)
“Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost”

PAPER 5: Anne Berthelot (University of Connecticut)
“Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French”

Quest for Camelot Redivivus

2009-08-17T19:14:00.000-04:00

I posted this on the Studies of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages Blog, but it also relevant here: The web site for the 1998 Warner Bros. animated film Quest for Camelot is still mostly active, and one can find a wealth of information on the making of the film, including some details on Gary Oldman's character, the villainous Sir Ruber, a Mordred analogue, as I explain in "Will the 'Reel' Mordred Please Stand Up: Strategies for Representing Mordred in American and British Arthurian Film" in Cinema Arthuriana: Twenty Essays (now in paperback), edited by Kevin J. Harty (McFarland, 2002). The site also contains a downloadable trailer, production stills, and some coloring pages for the young at heart. There are also interviews with the cast on site, though I believe they are all included on the DVD release of the film.

BBC's MERLIN

2009-08-04T14:22:00.000-04:00

In case you've missed it, the BBC series Merlin now airing on NBC offers some innovative takes on the traditional villains of Camelot. The series revolves around the lives of Uther Pendragon, king of Camelot, and youthful versions of Arthur, his son; Morgana, his ward; Guinevere, Morgana's lady in waiting; and Merlin, a newcomer to Camelot and a powerful magic-user. The basic premise of the series is that Uther, following the death of Igraine de Bois in childbirth twenty one years ago (more below), began a crusade to extinguish magic in his kingdom. This crusade continues in the present day of the series; Merlin and Morgana, a latent magic user, must hide their talents, while other magic-users, including series villain Nimueh, employ magic against Uther. (More details at Wikipedia.)

Morgana: The daughter of Gorlois, a faithful ally of UtherPendragon, Morgana was raised in Camelot following his father's death and is Uther's ward. Morgana, like Merlin, is attuned to the magical world, but she has yet to work any magic. Instead, Morgana's dreams are prophetic. Also, contrary to more traditional representations of the character, the Morgana of Merlin is benevolent (at least so far), and it seems likely (or so the writer want us to believe) that Arthur and Morgana might someday fall in love.

Mordred: Mordred, a young druid boy with magical abilities, is featured in "The Beginning of the End," where Merlin, Arthur, and Morgana work together to protect the boy from Uther. The Great Dragon, Merlin's adviser, warns him that Mordred should not be saved, but the young mage refuses to let the boy die. There is no suggestion that Mordred is either Arthur or Morgana's son, but the Great Dragon does warn Merlin that the boy, at some point in the future, will turn evil and cause Arthur's death, as in traditional accounts of the character.

Nimueh: Nimueh, a composite of the various Ladies of the Lake and Morgan le Fay, is a powerful magic-user who uses her powers in several episodes in various attempts to kill Uther. In "Excalbur," the most recent episode to air in the US it is revealed that Nimuh (as opposed to traditional accounts linking Merlin to the act) used magic to help Uther and Igraine conceive a child, but the forces of magic dictated that Igraine had to die so their child, Arthur, might live. As a result, Uther began his war against magic, killing Nimueh's friends and family, and she continues to seek her revenge on the king. Later episodes explain that Nimueh, like her analogues in other Arthurian stories, was high priestess of the Old Religion.

CFP: Why Arthur? (round table) (9/1/09; Kalamazoo 5/13-16/10)

2009-06-28T02:24:00.000-04:00

CALL FOR PAPERS

ROUND TABLE on
WHY ARTHUR?
REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERNATIONAL APPEAL OF THE
MATTER OF BRITAIN IN THE POST-MEDIEVAL WORLD

45TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MEDIEVAL STUDIES
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
KALAMAZOO, MI
13-16 MAY 2010

PROPOSALS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2009

Co-Sponsored by
THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN and THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES

The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages invites proposals for 10- to 15-minute presentations exploring the theme of "Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-Medieval World." We are especially interested in hearing the perspective of scholars outside of North America.

SESSION RATIONALE

To paraphrase Umberto Eco, people seem to like King Arthur and the members of his court at Camelot. The Matter of Britain is at least a millennium and a half old, and, despite its advanced age, the Arthurian legend, as eternal as the Once and Future King at its core, remains a vibrant source for creative artists and propagandists to draw upon. Our round table session on “Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-Medieval World” will explore some of the reasons why Arthuriana remains popular. We are particularly interested in answering the following question: Is the Arthurian legend simply a good story, which appeals to individuals around the world, or is there another reason (e.g. nostalgia for a lost age or hope for a better world) beyond the worldwide distribution and popularity of the Matter of Britain, even in countries with little or no ties to British culture? Participants in these sessions will offer a global perspective on the reception and appropriation of Arthurian characters—both heroes and villains—and themes from the end of the Middle Ages to the present.

Potential presenters should be aware that participation in a round table does not preclude the presentation of a paper at the Congress or participation in other sessions, though the Congress does limit individuals to three appearances in the program.

Please submit a 250-500 word proposal and completed Participant Information Form (available at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html) to the organizing committee at Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages-at-gmail-dot-com by 1 September 2009. Please include the words “Why Arthur?” in the subject line.

===================================================
Michael A. Torregrossa, MA
34 Second Street
Smithfield, RI 02917-3627
Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages-at-gmail-dot-com
Founder, The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
http://arthurianvillainyresearch.blogspot.com/
Co-Founder, The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Kalamazoo Update

2009-06-12T22:11:00.001-04:00

Our co-sponsored sessions for next Kalamazoo (May 2010) have been approved and a call for proposals will be posted soon.

Mission statement

2009-05-11T22:13:00.000-04:00

The blog has been online for a while, but I just finished revising our mission statement while at Kalamazoo. I'm pleased to report that our time at the Congress was productive, and we will be co-sponsoring a series of panels for next year (i.e. 2010) with the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages.

MISSION STATEMENT

Recognizing that a hero is nothing without his or her opposite, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain was founded in 2009 to foster further investigation into the various antagonists and antiheroes of the multimedia Matter of Britain. Characters, such as Agravain, the Green Knight, Mark of Cornwall, Meleagant, Mordred, Morgan le Fay, and Morgause, serve an important function in the stories of King Arthur and his associated cast of nobles, knights, damsels, and mages. By challenging the heroes of the Arthurian tradition, Arthurian villains enact a vital role as agents of conflict who initiate narratives that enable Arthurian heroes to attain renown and achieve their destinies, however the contributions of these malefactors to the Arthurian legend remains largely unexplored, both by scholars and creative artists, in contrast to the wealth of material that has been devoted to the protagonists of this tradition.

It is the intent of the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain to offer an annual themed panel or set of panels each year at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, which convenes each May at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and additional sessions at other related conferences. Panel presentations will focus on the treatment of a specific character or linked characters and explore their activities as represented in texts produced from the medieval era to the present in the interests of producing a companion and comprehensive bibliography, comparable to Routledge’s Arthurian Characters and Themes series, devoted to each of the major Arthurian villains or themed collections addressing the representation of Arthurian villains, both major and minor, in select media.

Michael A. Torregrossa
Founder
7 April 2009