The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture Medieval Arthurian Literatures and Cultures
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I The Early Arthur
- Part II Arthurian Literary Developments
- Part III Cross-Cultural Medieval Arthur
- 21 Cross-Cultural Arthurian Dissemination
- 22 Cross-Cultural Tristan
- 23 The Holy Grail
- 24 Arthurianism in Medieval Society and Politics
- Part IV Imaging the Medieval Arthur
- Index
- References
23 - The Holy Grail
The Material Dissemination of Grail Romance from Manuscript to Print in Northern Europe
from Part III - Cross-Cultural Medieval Arthur
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 January 2026
By
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I The Early Arthur
- Part II Arthurian Literary Developments
- Part III Cross-Cultural Medieval Arthur
- 21 Cross-Cultural Arthurian Dissemination
- 22 Cross-Cultural Tristan
- 23 The Holy Grail
- 24 Arthurianism in Medieval Society and Politics
- Part IV Imaging the Medieval Arthur
- Index
- References
Summary
Commencing with the Welsh Peredur and Chrétien de Troyes’s Conte du Graal, this chapter traces the material dissemination of Grail romances across Northern Europe from the late twelfth century through to c.1550. Comparing and contrasting print and manuscript traditions from a book historical perspective, the geographical coverage includes France, England, Wales, Germany and the Low Countries, as well as Northern European territories into which Grail literature appears not to have entered, such as Sweden and Norway. In addition to setting out a clear chronology of Grail text dissemination and publication, the study shows how the proliferation (or not) of Grail book production over time offers insights into the cultural and sociopolitical contexts in which the literary motif of the Grail could be employed to greatest effect.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and CultureMedieval Arthurian Literatures and Cultures, pp. 483 - 503Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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