[James H.]

I have heard of Saint Gorge and the dragon, King Arthur's Knight of the Round Table, The Black Knight and Green Knight but not really any other tales of adventures concerning mythological Knights of Legends. Does any one one know of any other tales of Knights that are not real accounts of history or modern creations. The kinds that would have been told as stories around a fire on cold winter nights, kind of like Beowulf (I know he was a Viking and not a knight).

[Tim May]

You'll probably want to look at period literature for stories such as these. The French Romances, Mallory's Morte D'Arthur, Chaucer, and Spencer's Fairy Queen are all good places to start, and if you are interested in the Viking side be sure to check out the Icelandic Sagas.

[Thom R.]

Its often a fuzzy line between myth, folklore and history but I second the nomination of the Sagas of the Icelanders. The penguin edition at 21 bucks is an over the top bargain.

Since you mention the Arthurian legends, if you are interested in gael mythology and folklore there are lots of choices (Penguin edition of Irish mythology and folklore and Jacob's Celtic Fairy Tales are classics) but there are almost too many choices and you have to be careful because a lot of "celtic mythology" published in the last 10 years or so is, well, a bit "ad hoc-revisionist-new agey" (sorry for the bad description but you get the gist I trust). However, a great place to start (in English) would be the recently published Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore by Monaghan. Its not narrative, its limited to brief summary entries, there are a few minor academic squabbles over some of the entries (as can be expected in something of this nature) but it contains the best reference list I have seen and covers gaelic folklore from the Orkneys to the mountains of Wales to the Isle of Mann to the coast of Galway, so is not limited to just Ireland and covers a larger scope than any of the previous attempts at the same. It makes for a great road map for further explorations. Sometimes my kids and I just do a random page and read up on a few things using that book. If you have read Mallory and Tolkien, you will see how the threads of much of their work lie within the old, pre-roman, mythology. tr

[Dave W.]

If your looking for one great story about a knight read Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. It is one of the best books I've ever read. Its got the tournaments, the battles, the fair ladies, etc., but the best part is the writing. Make sure you get some kind of addition with the notes.

Dave

[James H.]

Thanks, lots of great suggestion here to add to my reading lists. I actually have a few books of Norse Myths but have never read the Icelandic Sagas except of a few experts from it, I'll be sure to check this one out. I agree about Celtic myths though, with popular culture it is not easy to find Celtic stories that has not been watered down or completely changed by the New Age/ Yuppie/ Wicca/ and Fantasy cultures. I've just hear or read so little about Knights in legends and tales that were not published after the Renaissance that I wanted to delve a little more in to the role they played popular culture of their own times, (kind of like the myths of the cowboys and other western pioneers that developed even as the westward movement was still in it's infancy i.e. Danial Boone, David Crockett, Wild Bill, and William Bonnie. All who had larger then life stories about them before they were even dead.)

[Lafayette C Curtis]

[Sam Barris]

For classic "high fantasy" accounts, I'd also recommend the works of Lord Dunsany and William Morris. Great stuff. If you wish a bit of historical background--a knight's manifesto, if you will--you might enjoy Ramon Lull's Book of Knighthood and Chivalry, available from Chivalry Bookshelf.

Other obvious choices would be The Song of Roland, Orlando Furioso, etc.

[Michael Eging]

My favorite has to be the full frontal assault of Song of Roland.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/roland-ohag.html
http://omacl.org/Roland/
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roland/index.htm

As others have noted other ones. Geoffrey of Monmouth has terrific chronicles prior to Mallory which include Arthurian elements as well.

Mike

[Lafayette C Curtis]

The Song of Roland is part of the legends of the Peers of Charlemagne--note that Roland, Orlando, Hroudland, or whatever you choose to call him was one of the Peers and the Great King Charles himself practically always appears in the Roland legends along with a varying number of his household knights (i.e. the Peers).

[Bram Verbeek]

The Decamerone stories are also great fun. Mostly not very moralistic, but good fun nonetheless.

[Oliver Wiegand]

The "NIBELUNGENLIED" :
An epic poem. It tells the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, his murder, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibelungenlied

[William C Champlin]

Don't forget The Story of The Champions of the Round Table written and illustrated by Howard Pyle. He mixes his arms and armor a little era-wise but good heroic fiction and pictures. I know that Pyle has other books but this is the one I have in my library. W

[Clyde Scott]

[James H.]

Hey, those are a lot of good sources there, and I’m still reading them. Here’s one I found concerning the history of Robin Hood , I did not realize his legend had change so much. I suppose it all depended on who was telling the story and for what purpose. http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robages/index.html

[Clyde Scott]

I thought of a few more, as I have time to kill:

Beavis of Hampton (insane, just insane), Fulk Fitzwaren, Guy of Warwick, Barbour's Bruce , Tom of Lincoln, and you could also check out the Frauendienst.