Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
Loading next page...
/lp/de-gruyter/jessie-weston-and-the-ancient-mystery-of-arthurian-romance-Ibi0v5OqCk
References (1)
- Publisher
- de Gruyter
- Copyright
- © 2017 by De Gruyter
- ISSN
- 2196-9353
- eISSN
- 2196-9361
- DOI
- 10.1515/jias-2017-0006
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
AbstractThis article presents a survey of the work of Jessie Weston and examines her role in the development of Arthurian studies in the first half of the twentieth century. In her considerable output of articles, editions, and retellings of Arthurian romance tales, Weston attempted to establish links between major themes in medieval Arthurian romances and the ancient traditions of the Celts. These speculations reached their height in her most famous and most controversial book, From Ritual to Romance, where she suggested that the origins of the medieval Grail story could be traced back to an initiation ritual in an ancient mystery cult that survived into the medieval period. Although From Ritual to Romance has influenced modernist literature and culture, current Arthurian scholarship has largely rejected Weston’s theories about the relationship between Celtic civilization and romance. However, the popularity surrounding this controversial work, especially outside mainstream scholarship, has obscured Weston’s other work, and the present study is intended to present a wider context for her achievements and to examine their contribution to the study of Arthurian tradition at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Journal
Journal of the International Arthurian Society – de Gruyter
Published: Dec 1, 2017