Anonymous, Alliterative Morte Arthure

Zoë Enstone (York St John University)

Ed. by Jamie McKinstry, University of Durham
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1400 - c. 1400

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

The Alliterative Morte Arthure offers the legend of King Arthur in alliterative verse, a form that is unusual, although not unique within the genre. The work presents a military Arthur who is uncompromising in his approach to battle, whilst retaining his traditional sense of fairness and honour. The Alliterative Morte Arthure reworked earlier Arthurian tropes and narrative and also influenced later works, notably Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur (1470).

The Alliterative Morte Arthure survives in a single manuscript, Lincoln Cathedral Library MS. 91, also known as the Thornton or Lincoln Thornton Manuscript. The manuscript dates to around 1440, but the text is earlier, from the …

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2403 words

Citation: Enstone, Zoë. "Alliterative Morte Arthure". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 January 2019 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38803, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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