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Overview
Knight argues that Merlin in all his guises represents a conflict basic to Western societies-the clash between knowledge and power. While the Merlin story varies over time, the underlying structural tension remains the same whether it takes the form of bard versus lord, magician versus monarch, scientist versus capitalist, or academic versus politician. As Knight sees it, Merlin embodies the contentious duality inherent to organized societies. In tracing the applied meanings of knowledge in a range of social contexts, Knight reveals the four main stages of the Merlin myth: Wisdom (early Celtic British), Advice (medieval European), Cleverness (early modern English), and Education (worldwide since the nineteenth century). If a wizard can be captured within the pages of a book, Knight has accomplished the feat.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781501705694 |
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Publisher: | Cornell University Press |
Publication date: | 01/15/2017 |
Pages: | 296 |
Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d) |
Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Table of Contents
IntroductionChapter 1: British Myrddin-Merlin: WisdomMyrddin-MerlinThe Earliest MaterialsNatural Wisdom: Myrddin of CumbriaProphetic Wisdom: Myrddin of WalesWisdom at Court: Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum BritanniaeTwelfth-Century Natural Wisdom: Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Vita MerliniChapter 2: Medieval Merlin: AdviceFrom Prophecy to Advice: WaceChristian Advice: Robert de BoronGrand Vizier: The Vulgate MerlinDarkening Advice: The Post-Vulgate MerlinAdvising a Nation: from Layamon to MaloryChapter 3: English Merlin: ClevernessProphecy and Advice in DeclineRenaissance ClevernessCleverness High and Low: The Seventeenth CenturyCleverness High and Low: The Eighteenth CenturyThe Dangers of Cleverness: The RomanticsThe Dangers of Cleverness: The VictoriansChapter 4: International Merlin: EducationContinental Merlin: From Cleverness Back to WisdomToward Education: AmericaToward Education: BritainEducation and the Novel: White, Lewis, and CooperEducation and the Novel: Historicism, Juveniles, and FantasyMerlin on ScreenInternational MerlinNotesPrimary BibliographySecondary BibliographyIndexWhat People are Saying About This
Merlin is a brilliant and wide-ranging cultural history that fulfills much the same role for the multifaceted Welsh wizard that Stephen Knight's earlier study does for Robin Hood. This is an indispensable volume for anyone interested in the origins and later development of the Arthurian tradition.
Merlin is probably the most familiar character in the Arthurian legends, as his frequent appearances in popular culture attest. Stephen Knight's wide-ranging, thorough, insightful, and comprehensive study of the figure of Merlin should become the standard resource on the well-known wizard. Knight shows real familiarity with the major traditions relating to the figure of Merlin and to Arthurian literature in general—which is no mean feat when covering such a large body of material.
The Celticist, medieval scholar, and cultural critic Stephen Knight is the ideal person to have written this book. His account of the earliest surviving traditions of Merlin is illuminated by his deep understanding of their Welsh context, his medieval Merlin embodies both prophecy and wisdom, his discussion of the Victorian Merlin resonates with his fine ear for poetry, and his report from the New Age front plays out between informative appraisal and a sympathy for fantasy and transformation.
Stephen Knight's interpretations of the Arthurian sources and characters are provocative and stimulating. Knight displays much erudition herein and evaluates the literary material in new and interesting ways.