So i set out to amend this oversight.
The references to which i refer are Arthur, Merlin and the kingdom of Logres.
Happily, on a shelf in our lecture hall I came upon a copy of Le Morte Darther, or The Death of Arthur. Written in the late 15th Century, Le Morte Darthur is a compilation of stories by Sir Thomas Malory, all detailing the exploits of King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable.
My knowledge of this era and its dubious histories was until lately limited to the Disney animated feature The Sword in the Stone, which i recall having seen at some point in childhood.
The stuff of legend you just absorb through references in life... everyone knows that someone named Merlin is a magician as surely as a creature named Fido is a dog. You just know it from somewhere.
But in the familiarity of concept lies a complacency of knowledge.
Familiar with Arthur, i never came to learn or know anything of him.
So i have curled up these last nights, happy as a clam, with Le Morte Darthur for an hour before bed . Even the tedium of the old English style is passable for the reward of reading these tales- and from a perspective i'd not have ever approached but for Lewis. His insight and perspective on the tales of the knights make for an intriguing read.
Its good to pass at times from familiarity to knowledge- the transition is fraught with reward.
Among these is such passages as this:
[Upon being told by a mighty knight that said knight would slay him if he did not surrender- acknowledging himself as conquered and dishonorable:]
"As for that," said Arthur, "death is welcome to me when it cometh, but to yield me unto thee, I will not."
Thats my quote of the day.
