In the long history of European prose, few works have been more influential and popular than Amadis of Gaul. It is a landmark work among the knight-errantry tales and probably derives from an oral tradition. Although its original author is unknown, it was likely written during the early fourteenth century, with the first known version of this work, dating from 1508, written in Spanish by Garci Ordóñez (or Rodríguez) de Montalvo. An early bestseller of the age of printing, Amad...

In the long history of European prose fiction, few works have been more influential and more popular than the romance of chivalry Amadis of Gaul. Although its original author is unknown, it was probably written during the early fourteenth century. The first great bestseller of the age of printing, Amadis of Gaul was translated into dozens of languages and spawned sequels and imitators over the centuries. A handsome, valiant, and undefeatable knight, Amadis is perhaps best...

For almost a century and a half, Bulfinch's Mythology has been the text by which the great tales of the gods and goddesses, Greek and Roman antiquity, Scandinavian, Celtic, and Oriental fables and myths, and the age of chivalry have been known. The forerunner of such interpreters as Edith Hamilton and Robert Graves, Thomas Bulfinch wanted to make these stories available to the general reader. A series of private notes to himself grew into one of the single most useful and concise ...

This is a cornerstone piece for anyone wanting to dive deeper into mythology of various kinds.Mr. Bulfinch does a wonderful job in making a collective account of stories for most of the entities he covers, including several excerpts from poets, historians, Milton, Homer, as well as his own brother and many more. Traversing from Greek and Roman to Hindu and Celtic and beyond, this is a great book for any mythology lover.If that wasn't enticing enough, we added...

Over 1000 years old, the Anglo-Saxon poem 'Beowulf" is one of the great classic epics of European Literature.The hero Beowulf is a great warrior and nobleman who comes to the aid of the Danish King Hrothgar, whose Kingdom is being attacked and terrorised by the monster Grendel. Beowulf does battle with Grendel, becomes King, and encounters many further adventures beyond.This book contains the text of the poem with numbered lines, plus a comprehensive list describing all the...

The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem written by Virgil in the 1st century BC (between 29 and 19 BC) that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who traveled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is written in dactylic hexameter. The first six of the poem's twelve books tell the story of Aeneas' wanderings from Troy to Italy, and the poem's second half treats the Trojans' ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are des...

THE SEVEN KNIGHTS;ORTALES OF MANY LANDS.BEINGCERTAIN ROMANCEROS OF CHIVALRY.BY J. H. INGRAHAM, ESQ.

It tells the story of the knight Cligès and his love for his uncle's wife, Fenice. Because of the story's de-romanticized depiction of adultery, it has been called a criticism or parody of the Tristan and Isolde romances. Cligès scholar Lucie Polak not only verifies the Tristan and Isolde reworking found in the text, but also suggests that Cligès may be modeled after Ovid's character Narcissus.

Courtly love is a medieval literary concept of love emphasizing nobility and chivalry. Stories of noble knights riding off on adventure for the love of a fair lady abound in the Middle Ages. "Love and Romance in the Middle Ages" captures the stories of courtly love, noble knights and fair maidens. Read the romantic love story of Tristan and Iseult, the romantic poems of Marie de France, The legend of King Arthur and Tannhauser. Love and Romance in the Middle Ages contains: ...

A fascinating fictionalised story of the life of Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, written by bestselling novelist and coiner of such phrases as “the pen is mightier than the sword” and “It was a dark and stormy night”, Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the mast...

What began as a military invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar in 55 BC reached its tragic apex in AD 61 when Queen Boudica of the Iceni led a formidable army against the might of Rome. Although defeated in her quest and all but forgotten by history, Boudica was rediscovered during the Renaissance and elevated to a legendary status that continues unabated to this day.Boudica: Historical Commentaries, Poetry, and Plays is the first anthology devoted exclusively to the story of her re...