Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Feminist Origins of the Arthurian Legend

Arthurian and Courtly Cultures

by Fiona Tolhurst

Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Feminist Origins of the Arthurian Legend offers the first feminist analysis of the Arthurian section of Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain and his Life of Merlin. Here, Fiona Tolhurst argues that Geoffrey's history presents the marriage of Queen Igerna and King Uther as founded upon both love and equality, Igerna and Uther's daughter Anna as a pivotal figure in British history, and Queen Ganhumara as King Arturus's partner in power. In addition, the Merlin poem introduces a Morgen who possesses powers that Merlin does not, and a Ganieda who replaces Merlin as the prophet of the Britons.

Genres: Nonfiction, Arthurian

207 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Dr. Tolhurst is Chair/Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Florida).

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a frustrating book. It’s an important topic and she demonstrates well that Geoffrey valued and strengthened the roles of women in his narratives in ways not seen in other medieval texts. I hate to be negative over a book that someone clearly spent much time and effort on, but unfortunately, her analysis doesn’t have much sophistication. Worse though, she really needed an editor. Most annoying is that every time a scholar is mentioned, she introduces them with the awkward phrase “Medieval French specialist ….” or “Old and Middle English literature specialist …” every single time, sometimes several times a page. Such idiosyncrasies are in keeping with the amateur feel of this book. Also, the two-page conclusion reads like a book proposal for her next book: “In a volume entitled Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Translation of Female Kingship, I will provide such an investigation. In it I will argue that the female figures ....” I haven’t read that book yet, but hopefully it is written with a bit more sophistication and a better editor.