#robert wace

[raydaviesonthewall]

[gawrkin]

(From Visions of History: Robert de Boron and the English Arthurian Chroniclers by Edward Donald Kennedy)

The way I interpret the French Tradition is that it "started" with Robert de Boron. In a way, Robert de Boron is like the "Second Father of Arthuriana". Robert de Boron didn't so much alter King Arthur's story as he instead gave it a new context.

Despite Chretien de Troyes and Robert Wace introducing the Round Table, the Holy Grail and Sir Lancelot, it was Robert de Boron who truly established the "Christian Chivalric Universe" - by writing about the history of the grail and the introduction of Joseph of Arimathea as a patriarch, Robert de Boron gave the (Literary) Chivalric genre a Mythic Past and a continuity of sorts. It fits in the Christian worldview of history as part of a giant plan - and story - of God's for Mankind's salvation.

It fully establishes the Christian origin and heritage of (Literary-)Chivalry-as-an-institute by not only having Joseph bring Christianity to Britain, where the future fantastical setting of Arthur and his warriors was to be established, but also having him serve as the ancestor to multiple Arthurian characters such Percival, Tristan, Lancelot, King Lot, his son Gawain, and Arthur himself (fulfilling the aristocratic need for genealogical fantasy).

This essentially pushes away, and negates the symbolic consequences of, the original narrative set forth by Geoffrey of Monmouth - the almost kind-of secular and worldly portrayal of Arthurian History.

For all intents and purposes, Joseph of Arimathea replaces Brutus in importance for the Era of Camelot. This is why (in Vulgate cycle, at least) Joseph is said to be a knight.

Nowhere is that felt more than in Robert's introduction of one of the most iconic pieces of Arthuriana: The Sword in the Stone.

The Sword of the Stone, an item not mentioned at all in Historia Regum Britannia, and its attendant story arc of Arthur's hidden upbringing by Antor/Ector, essentially functions as a second origin story for King Arthur without having to negate or omit Geoffrey's older story of Arthur being born through a thoroughly un-Christian manner.

Whatever or whoever Arthur was before pulling the sword doesn't particularly matter, the sword in the stone effectively grants the same Divine privilege to rule as if he was conceived and raised as a normal royal.

AND

Arthur's ignorance of his heritage affords him synergy with his knights, many of whom are often of the "Fair Unknown" archetype, including Lancelot, Gawain, and of course, Percival.

[rayddavies]

1964, with managers Robert Wace and Grenville Collins

[sublimegentlemanalpaca]

How’s long it take to determine someone’s Fictional existence?

We’ve got several confirmed Fictions. Hank Morgan (R.I.P), Robert Wace (the Second Caretaker following Geoffrey of Chaucer) Herman Melville (a canidate to be a Caretaker we’re it not for his mental state and him being a Fiction), and Sir Walter Scott (would have been a Mystorian otherwise). I mean, Fictions exist in only one universe. Because of this they can’t have Pygmalion Portraits painted( drove Basil Crazy trying to paint one for Wace), have Ghosts manifest (Scott) and I’m guessing they can’t make Tulpas (probably?). So, given there’s probably tons of Universes out there.... how long would it take to find that out? I mean, that must have taken a long ass time! Must be some way of finding out besides checking each individual universe. I don’t know. Make of this what you will. Al, the Chronographing Cottager.

[ardenrosegarden]

It will be seen that Wace has given us a comprehensive catalogue of the most outstanding wonders of the forest [of Brocéliande] which appear in the medieval romances from Chrétian de Troyes onwards: the magic spring with its associated slab, the perron; the banks or broken ground near by; the forest with its magic or delusions; and the fairies, with whom no doubt we may identify the beings endowed with supernatural powers who play their part in the whole illusion, an illusion which is perhaps echoed in Wace's own words. But I think it is a mistake to interpret the last lines as a confession of disillusionment. He is punning, and declares that although he did not find what he sought he is still a dreamer. The forest has him under his spell, and I should venture to translate, "I went seeking marvels– marvels which I did not see. I went there dreaming and a dreamer I returned– and this dream I am dreaming still."

-Nora K. Chadwick, Early Brittany

[sweetvisage]

Today I stumbled across this old video of my uncle Sean being dandy as hell!

Apparently, Robert Wace (a.k.a the manager of The Kinks, whom I adore) originally sang vocals, but wanted to keep a low profile so instead enlisted a young art student for TV appearances... namely my own flesh and blood. So random, don't know how I didn't find this out before, but my uncle is a bit of a black sheep at the best of times. (:

He's even on the damn album cover: