Ancient Mythology and Modern Interpretations Essay

Ancient Mythology and Modern Interpretations - Essay ExampleThe legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has followed the Western European civilizations passim the centuries beginning sometime prior to 1100 A.D. Although the legend changed and developed throughout time, the text that most represents the Arthur legend as it exists today is that brought together in book name by Sir Thomas Malory in 1485 under the title Le Morte DArthur. This story itself was developed utilizing many sources existing in Malorys day including numerous Norman-French romances and an English alliterative epic entitled Morte Arthur (Baines, xi). However, the legend didnt stop developing with Malory. Even as recently as 1982, authors were developing their own aspect of the Arthur legend in stories such as Marion Zimmer Bradleys The Mists of Avalon. Movies such as King Arthur have been made as recently as 2004, withal attempting to demystify the ancient reality from romanticized, heavily Ch ristian-influenced myth. From Malorys Le Morte DArthur to Bradleys The Mists of Avalon, the story of King Arthur transforms itself from a heroic, male-centric, Christian-oriented tale of great deeds to a female-oriented retelling of a decidedly non-Christian era and the rise and fall of the man who would bridge the dividing faiths.