The “matter of France” includes the subjects of the old
French epics. These concern the stories about Charlemagne and a good example is
the well-known Song of Roland. The “matter of Rome” concerned the tales of classical
antiquity, and included stories about Alexander and Troy amongst many others.
The “matter of Britain” derives from the history of Geoffrey
of Monmouth and made King Arthur into a national hero, the British counterpart
of Charlemagne. Nonetheless the pretence of solidity and historical truth found
in Geoffrey was not suitable for romantic purposes and the Arthur found in the “matter
of Britain” stories is very unlike the great imperial monarch and conqueror as
presented by Geoffrey and his followers.
Geoffrey announced his purpose – to set out the deeds of the
kings of the Britons from the first king, Brutus to Cadwaladr, i.e. from 1115
BC to AD 689. It created a new and rich history for a very old country –
Britain which by Geoffrey’s day had been forgotten and passed over for England.
His work restored pride for Britain’s people, the Britons. Because he left the
end tantalizingly open it meant that the Matter of Britain not only referred to
the glories of the past but might well have relevance for the future.
Geoffrey of Monmouth made Britain, not England, the subject
o his work and in the process provided Britain with a glorious pre-English and
non-English past. The Matter of Britain was an overwhelming success,
particularly as the fount of a remarkable body of literature.
Blog Question: What was it about the Matter of Britain that
was so attractive not only to British authors, but to the continental authors
of Romance?
The matter of Britain was attractive to British as well as Continental Romance authors because the story of the Heroic Arthur resonated with them, recalling them to their own early histories as Carol has mentioned with Charlemagne. The Continental authors would also have been reading about Geoffrey of Monmouth's Britain well after they were aware of their own heroic and romanticised stories, so perhaps this was something to enthrall. Just because we seen one romantic movie we've seen them all, a new one comes out with the generic storyline, just a few key factors adjusted and hey presto another great story, I see this as being much the same. We all love a good story with drama, romance and heroics. For the Britons it provided them with a sense of legitimacy as a nation in and of themselves and no longer an outpost of the Roman Empire. It also developed further the notion of Britain as a haven from the rest of Europe, a promised (lush and fruitful) land.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response Rebecca. I like your idea about the notion of Britain as a haven, a kind of promised land and I can see how this would have been appealing to Continental authors.
DeleteThe attractive part about the Matter of Britain not just to British authors but to all continental authors of Romance is that there is always some sort of twist or exciting part to the story. The stories about Brutus and Arthur both include heroic tails, but more importantly to some contain love stories that resonate with everyday life now. These love stories are the intangible goal that people in today and authors back then would dream to have and thus make perfect tails of romance because virtually everything goes according to plan. Unlike the Matter f France whereby Charlemagne ending was tragic and all the hard work he had done for France was ruined by his three greedy sons. Overall the British legends of Brutus and Arthur provide romantic stories with happy endings.
ReplyDeleteOllie
The Matter of Britain was attractive to all British authors because it created depth and national pride. Now stories could be created that not only inspired, but made the people feel proud of where they are from. With a more in depth British history, stories could grow and evolve of the heroes gone by, leading to a sense of national pride. History is essential for nation building as it is upon its history that a nation prides itself.
ReplyDeleteI think there are many reasons that the Matter of Britain has survived into modern culture but I think the strongest reason is the themes that are involved. Davenport states that the stories from the ‘cycle of Britain’ are more than just a basis for the political legitimacy of Britain’s first dynasty. The stories embody a set of themes that define a specific idea of morality and human nature. Characteristics such as valour, bravery, and doing what’s right are what have attracted romantic writers throughout the ages. Our idea of what a true hero is has stemmed from the themes that have come from the Matter of Britain. This hero is uncorrupted, passionate, and loyal; everything that mankind’s not, and therefore, what man holds in such high regard. These themes are everything the reader wants to be. It is the idea of this hero that has survived through time.
ReplyDeleteMatter of Britains survives not just on its own but as part of the Romantic movement which it was a major influence. Aesteticly its themes are useful in assessing inluence in the period and explains it's longevity in the popular imagination. Firstly, it's feudal and rural identity is thematicly at the core of the romantic idealism, as is it's more outlandish fantasy elements which form a kind of folk lore theme. Secondly, Arthur is characteristic of the romantic hero- strong, passionate, violent and romantic (obviously) and this bears links to Byron's Don Juan and the rest on romantic literature.
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