'Sir Percyvell Of Gales' and 'The Anturs Of Arther'
This is the first time that these Middle English romances have been made widely available in one volume. All feature the knight Gawain and deal with the theme of chivalrous conduct. Varying in length, tone and emphasis, together they provide a fascinating cross-section of the genre.
'Ywain And Gawain' is the only Middle English romance that is certainly adapted from an original by Chretien de Troyes. The action includes the adventure of the magic spring, the companionship of Ywain and a helpful lion, and the climactic single combat between Ywain and Gawain. 'Sir Percyvell Of Gales' is, by contrast, only intermittently close to Chretien's romance of 'Perceval'; with its younger, less sophisticated hero, it is often comic in tone. Much more serious is 'The Anturs of Arther', an alliterative poem from the North of England, that has links with 'Sir Gawain' and the 'Green Knight' and the 'Morte Arthure'. It contains only two adventures but in compensation creates an unusually detailed picture of the Arthurian world.
The texts are presented with marginal glosses and full explanatory notes. A selection of variants from other texts of 'The Anturs of Arther' is also included.
