Topics in this course will be offerings on areas of Celtic language and culture which are not covered in other Celtic studies courses. Topics might include (but would not be limited to) the Celtic romantic tradition, the Celt in films, Celtic art, nationalist politics in Celtic regions, and current trends in Celtic research.

Though King Arthur is perhaps best known as the quintessential English king, the earliest sources tell us that he was neither a king nor was he English. Arthur was a Briton whose legend over time transformed him from a battle leader to king of all Britain. This course will explore the origins and development of the Arthurian legend, and will use that legend as an entry point into the wider medieval Welsh literary tradition that fostered it and ultimately led to its popularization and transmission outside the borders of Wales. Over the course of the semester we will read a range of literary works in prose and in verse, all of which will be in translation. The emphasis will be on primary sources composed in Middle Welsh, though may also incorporate sources originally in Latin or Old French. Sources will include tales from the Mabinogion concerning Arthur, verse and other traditions associated with Merlin (Welsh Myrddin), and related or otherwise relevant pieces of verse and prose. Reading Chrétien de Troyes, Erec and Enide, trans. B. Raffel (New Haven, 1997). Online: https://www-degruyter-com.libproxy.berkeley.edu/document/doi/10.12987/9780300144109/html Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart, trans. B. Raffel (New Haven, 1997). Online: https://www-degruyter-com.libproxy.berkeley.edu/document/doi/10.12987/9780300133202/html Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval: The Story of the Grail, trans. B. Raffel (New Haven, 1999). Online: https://www-degruyter-com.libproxy.berkeley.edu/document/doi/10.12987/9780300133226/html Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain: The Knight of the Lion, trans. B. Raffel (New Haven, 1987). Online: https://www-degruyter-com.libproxy.berkeley.edu/document/doi/10.12987/9780300187588/html Davies, S., trans., The Mabinogion (Oxford, 2008). Online: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.libproxy.berkeley.edu/lib/berkeley-ebooks/detail.action?docID=415909&query=mabinogion Ford, trans. The Mabinogi and Other Welsh Tales (2019). Online: https://www-degruyter-com.libproxy.berkeley.edu/document/doi/10.1525/9780520974661/html Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, ed. M. Reede & trans. N. Wright (Woodbridge, 2007). Online: https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.berkeley.edu/stable/10.7722/j.ctt14brrjp Further reading will be added to bCourses as PDFs or links to external sources. Key Words: Arthur, Wales, Welsh, Medieval, History, Romance, Prophecy, Merlin

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