CELT 120 Lesson One

[godinakilt.livejournal.com]

Hmm. This class appears to be more popular than I had first imagined. No matter. Welcome to 'Arthurian Traditions', my name is Professor Camulus. *pauses* *grins* And despite reports to the contrary, I will not in any way harm you. Physically, at least. If you still wish to sign up for the class, simply indicate your desire to do so and complete the homework. Now that that’s out of the way, on to the course.

King Arthur is a semi-mystical figure who is often resurrected in myth when the need for a hero is strongest. Part of the myth surrounding Arthur is that he will actually rise from death in times of crisis. In this course, we will look at the factual evidence for the existence of Arthur, the literary works in which he is mentioned, the themes and symbolism of various aspects of the myths and legends surrounding him. We will also talk about common supporting characters, such as Merlin, Morgan le Fay, Mordred, Guinevere, Lancelot, and various and sundry Knights of the Round Table. We will also look not only at historical myths of Arthur, but also at his appearance in literature and pop culture closer to this time period.

There will be no lecture for today. Your homework for tonight is a short paragraph with the topic sentence "I am Arthur, King of the Britons."

*pauses* Your assignment may not include the words "swallow" or "coconut".

I mean it.

Comments

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

[ooc: Not actually in this class, but I had to comment to fangirl the Python reference.]

[lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com]

(ooc: Oh, yes, definitely.)