July / Aug 2015

The Middle Ages

IN THIS ISSUE:

Tristan & Isolde Page 2

Kingdom of Heaven Page 6

Joan of Arc Page 8

Ivanhoe Page 12

A Knight’s Tale Page 16

King Arthur Page 20

Robin Hood Page 24

Princess Bride Page 26

Coming Soon: Magical Realism (Sept / Oct 2015) Villainesses (Halloween 2015)

The Renaissance (Nov / Dec 2015)

Please turn to the back cover to learn how you can contribute.

© Charity’s Place. No copyright infringement intended. All written content is original and may not be reproduced without written consent. Disclaimer: the opinions of the individual writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Charity’s Place or Femnista; the stories and entertainment mentioned is not always appropriate viewing for all ages.

These themes carried on into later

years, and heavily influenced the

thinking of the reigning monarchs.

King Henry VIII continued to show

an obsession for the themes of

courtly love and romanticism, for

Robin Hood and his Merry Men,

and the idea of rescuing fair

maidens in the tower, up until the

1500s. It was not uncommon for

kings of the middle ages and later

periods to adopt these legends as

their own, in an attempt to connect

to the mythology of the past.

Two stories in particular capture

the gritty romanticism of the period

and reveal the overall mindset of

the middle ages: King Arthur and

the Knights of Camelot, which has

a love affair between Lancelot and

Guinevere, and Tristan and Isolde,

a similar tale about a potion that

causes two souls to fall in love with

one another, despite her intended

marriage to King Mark.

Though the interpretations of the

myth vary, they all follow the same

basic plot: after defeating an Irish

knight, Tristan goes to Ireland to

bring back Isolde for his uncle King

Mark to marry. Along the way, the

two ingest a love potion that

causes them to fall in love. Here is

where the interpretations diverge:

either their love is for life or it wanes

after several years; both innocently

drink the potion or Isolde gives it to

him. Both lose their free will and

have no choice but to become

lovers, thus freeing them from the

responsibility of their destructive

actions, which either leads to war,

their deaths, their suicide, their

banishment, or Tristan being forced

to leave. No matter the means or

the ending, the theme of forbidden

love beyond either of their control

remains the same. The affair has

consequences but is still heavily

romanticized and often seen as a

“tragic” love story.

History can often be understood

through its emphasis on mythology

and the themes of its literature, and

the middle ages is no exception. It

was a period in which Roman

Catholicism was rampant, but also

heavily diluted with paganism.

Rather than liberate the pagans of

their goddesses and legends, the

Church adopted many of the feast

days and beliefs, leading to a period

known as the “dark ages” for its evil

superstitions and ignorance.

Themes of adultery, lust, chivalry,

knights, and so on reveal a struggle

Mythological romanticism is woven throughout the tales, legends, and songs of the middle ages, from courtly knights and fair maidens to love spells and other magical enchantments intended to remove free will.

CHARITY BISHOP

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between what the common folk

of the period wanted to admire

(goodness, nobility, heroism,

sacrifice, and courtly love) and

its awareness of reality and the

grit of life in its heavily flawed

legendary characters. Many of

these stories are sanitized for

modern audiences, since we

do not tend to look kindly on

“magical rape,” incest, etc, but

the magical elements, honor,

and romanticism linger.

One heavy theme in the

middle ages revolved around

honor. That Lancelot would

betray King Arthur with his wife

violated that honor, and was

seen as shocking—Tristan,

too, would not be able to live

with his honor in being with

Isolde, if he had a choice over

the matter, so that choice is

removed from him. He loses

his free will and thus the affair

becomes tragic, instead of

treacherous. The punishment

for it is harsh, with no leniency

toward the betrayal.

This, I think, largely reveals the

period’s understanding of evil

and good, but also reveals the

cruelty of the times. It is both a

rigid moralistic view (that evil

actions must be punished,

even if those involved have no

authority over their actions)

and one reflective of the pagan

and middle ages view of God.

When we cast our thoughts

back on this time in history, we

are reminded of… knights,

crusades, dark magic, witch

burnings, the plague, and the

Catholic Church. The latter

had a heavy influence

Charity Bishop is an editor. Her free time is spent writing novels & movie reviews, blogging, and typing fictional characters on tumblr. She is known as an all-around contrarian who is only serious about her faith.

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among the common folk; it was

a dark, ruthless moralizing

power that constantly

reinforced the themes of hell

and damnation. If you had not

the Church, you had not

salvation; you would burn in

the flames of hell, lorded over

by a goat-headed red demon

identified as Satan. In a sense,

then, morality was enforced

not through love and devotion

to God, but out of terror.

Human nature is by its very

nature rebellious; our

inclination is not to strive for

purity and goodness, but to

see how close we can come to

sin without sinning. Our

innermost desire is not for

holiness, but for sin… so we

consider tales that both teach

moral lessons (thus justifying

our enjoyment) and make

sin… not sin. And, I think this

has a great deal to do with

both the popularity of Tristan &

Isolde, and other such stories

of adultery. You see, if they

have no choice but to conduct

a love affair, if they are not

cogent of their actions, then

their actions are less sinful in

our eyes. If it is true that

neither can choose to resist

the potion, then Lord Mark

becomes the villain in their

story for punishing them for

something they cannot help! …

and thus, we find the middle

ages view of God.

Bereft of the scriptures, and

any teachings about Christ not

heavily filtered through local

priests (who may or may not

have studied, who may or may

not have been godly, and who

may or may not have had a

personal agenda), the view of

God to the common man (and

the nobles) of the middle ages

was a tyrant ready to cast

them into hell for the sin of

being human… for things they

could not help.

In drinking the potion through a

deception, it is reflective of the

original sin that damned Adam

and Eve. They continue to sin

because they cannot help it,

while Lord Mark waits to judge

them for their actions. And

thus we find the terrible true

tragedy of the middle ages: it

is not the superstition, nor the

abuses of the Church, or even

the black plague, but a great

and terrible misunderstanding

of God and His mercy. For

when you cannot comprehend

God, when you have no true

sense of Him, when you serve

out of fear rather than devotion

you wind up with exactly what

unfolded in this period, which

was a time of great brutality,

ignorance, superstition, and

the crusades… the idea that a

soul can be liberated from hell

through persecuting the

“infidels.”

Interestingly, the most recent

adaptation of Tristan and

Isolde involved no love potion;

the pair fall in love in Ireland,

but Isolde is married to the

kind and good Lord Mark. Her

fierce passion for Tristan is so

strong that they conduct an

affair behind his back. In

placing the moral responsibility

of their actions back into their

own hands, and in making

Lord Mark a kind and

benevolent man, the film

paints the forbidden lovers as

intensely foolish and selfish.

Their guilt eats away at them

but cannot save the kingdom

when the truth comes to light.

Which, I wonder, is the truer

version to life, and ultimately,

to our view of God? ∑

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CAITLIN HORTON

They have also heard of the

fanaticism, criticism, and

heedless bloodshed of the

period, where the poor in the

Middle East were preyed upon

by these wealthier, better-

armed foreigners. Generally,

the above is all that is

remembered, yet there was

massive culture and

movement going on in the

area as one group learned

from the other and decreed

periods of peace from time to

time. From this period comes

perhaps one of the most

difficult stories recounted in

book and film, of Jerusalem’s

King Baldwin IV, his sister

Sibylla, and her son by a first

marriage, Baldwin V.

This family is fairly prominent

in Ridley Scott’s Director’s Cut

of Kingdom of Heaven and is

sadly intriguing in both history

and fiction. The Kingdom of

Heaven is often referred to by

Jesus in the Bible, with some

tangible emotion or

experience relating to it in a

positive light. In this movie,

Jerusalem is called the

Kingdom of Heaven, yet under

that kingdom all sufferings

known to man collide. Baldwin

IV is placed on a pedestal by

his bloodline yet is doomed by

that same fact: he is a leper

king who wraps himself in

bandages and wears a silver

death mask while still living.

Beneath this guise of a

mummified pharaoh he

conducts political business

with Saladin with grace and

tact, which the other ruler

reciprocates. Yet his vile

illness has left him unable to

marry, doomed to rely on his

sister’s young child to be his

heir-apparent.

Before his 30th year Baldwin

dies, leaving the child to rule,

who obediently sits next to his

mother and signs whatever

paper is placed before him.

Sibylla loves her son with as

much passion as a mother

can, while despising her

second husband Guy de

Lusignan. Her marriage is one

of political strength and little

love, with Guy forcing her to

accept his knights’ allegiance

in exchange for assurance

that her son will be left on the

throne. Guy covets the throne,

though he is not quite so vile

as to murder a child. The

three (child-king, mother/wife,

and would-be king) reside

together in a tenuous

relationship in one of the most

unstable cities and lands in

the world at that time.

And then it happens, the most

horrifying moment a mother

must face: when she knows

her own child is slowly dying.

Young Baldwin feels no pain

in his hands or feet, a sign he

is a leper like his uncle and

will die an agonizing death

spread out over many years.

Sibylla cannot bear this pain,

to see her son eaten away as

her brother was, and so she

spends a loving day with him

and playing his favorite games

before giving him poison. It is

a sin to take another’s life and

Sibylla knows it well. Just as

her husband is a murderer of

many around him and

forcefully has her crowned

Queen and himself King by

marriage, Sibylla must bear

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” – Matthew 11:12

In the days of yesteryear, when people still wore cote and hosen and hood, there was an attempt made by one particular group to seize and hold the city of Jerusalem. Many have heard of the Crusades, where European Knights Templar and other devout souls attempted to reclaim for Christendom, Muslim Jerusalem.

6

the guilt of her bloodline and

her own crimes.

Jerusalem in Sibylla’s day,

1184, was claimed by three

religions: Judaism, Islam, and

Christianity. As long as each

said with conviction that

owning it was a cornerstone of

their religion, peace could not

be held. Shortly after the

crowning of Guy and Sibylla,

in which this new king offends

Saladin, the mighty ruler of the

East marches with his army to

that city. They make quick

work of King Guy who takes

his army to meet them and

drive hard at the Kingdom of

Heaven. Eventually, they

reclaim it and permit those in

the city to leave without

harassing them, yet where

does a queen without a

country, a mother without a

child, a wife without a

husband, a woman without

hope go?

For Sibylla and her family, the

Kingdom of Heaven is a

violent place, where violent

people raid and despoil it,

where sin ravages hearts and

minds and destroys all that is

good and kind. Her motherly

love was turned into despair

and death, her hopes of the

future dashed on the sands

and ground into dust. Scott

gave this woman an almost

hopeful ending, sending her

off with Balian to France to

find happiness. The real

Sibylla died in 1190 in Acre,

Palestine, at age 30 of

dreaded disease in a military

camp as her husband waged

more war.

For Sibylla, man’s Kingdom of

Heaven never offered her

more than suffering’s

kingdom, a land inhabited by

war and death. If only a true

believer could have told her

that sinful man’s version of the

Kingdom of Heaven always

becomes a perversion, she

might have gained solace in

knowing the words of Daniel

7:27, that “His kingdom will be

an everlasting kingdom, and

all rulers will worship and obey

him” and earthly peace will

finally reign. ∑

Caitlin Horton is a 20-something reader, seamstress, and history buff. She lives a life blessed in the knowledge that she is God's child, and her life has a purpose in the scope of His plan. She blogs about her crafts, and runs a Steampunk Emporium. 7

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Her world was small; she

knew her prayers and went to

church every Sunday and

would someday marry and

have a family of her own. All

of that changed when young

Joan began receiving visions

at age thirteen. According to

her, the saints Michael,

Catherine and Margaret

appeared to her, encouraging

her to drive the English out of

her home country of France

and restore the rightful heir to

the French throne.

War was all Joan knew, as did

her parents and grandparents

before her. France and

England were entangled in

what is called the Hundred

Years’ War. There was no end

in sight… at least until God

began to speak to her. For

years various prophecies

circulated that France would

be delivered by a Maid from

Lorraine. Joan believed she

was a fulfillment of prophecy.

In the 15th century it was

believed that God could only

speak through the priests and

many who claimed to receive

Divine Revelation from Him

were considered heretics.

Ultimately, her unique belief in

God that emboldened her also

led to her downfall.

Refusing to be deterred by the

opposition around her, she

joined the military, dressing in

men’s clothing and armor,

cutting off her hair. Rather

than take up a sword or a

bow, she carried a twelve foot

banner into various battles

and offered advice to her

comrades in arms. She

planned military strategies,

directed troops and oversaw

the ethical behavior of the

soldiers in the camp. In many

ways, she was a mascot, a

way to raise morale. With

Joan on their side, the tide

seemed to be turning in favor

of the French. What had

begun as a conflict between

two neighboring countries had

become an almost Holy War.

From those around Joan,

heaven seemed to be smiling

down on her. The king himself

rewarded Joan and her family

for her contributions.

Following a short-lived truce

between the English and

French, Joan traveled to

Compiègne to defend her

country once more. There she

was captured and suddenly

the “Maid of Orlean’s” days

were soon numbered. The

English put her on trial, not

only for leading troops and

cross-dressing, they

interrogated her about the

visions she received and the

mission she had received from

God. The concept that

someone could speak directly

to the Lord was beyond their

comprehension. No one could

be certain of God’s grace or

guaranteed salvation. In fact,

to them it bordered on heresy.

Joan would not be deterred.

She showed no regret over

her contributions, moreover

she was determined that God

did speak to her and would

not be silenced in proclaiming

so. During her imprisonment,

she was held in a secular

prison for more than a year,

which meant her well-being

and safety were at risk from

VERONICA LEIGH

God doesn’t always call the equipped. He equips the called. On the surface, young Jeanne d’Arc—known to most as Joan of Arc—was a simple country girl. Her father was a farmer and in all likelihood she had chores and responsibilities as any other child did in those days.

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Veronica Leigh is an aspiring novelist, who lives in Indiana with her family and six furbabies. Her obsessions range from Jane Austen to the Holocaust to the Once Upon a Time. She has published two short autobiographical pieces and hopes to see more in print. She also lurks on her blog.

the male guards. She

continued to wear men’s

clothing as a means of

protection. The French

monarchy she dedicated

herself to did nothing to

rescue her or barter for her

freedom.

Those must have been very

dark times for Joan, but

considering all the struggles

she faced before, we can

safely assume that she clung

to her faith. Only under the

threat of torture and death did

she recant her claims that the

saints appeared to her. For a

few days she resumed

wearing women’s clothing, but

once more donned men’s garb

when threatened with rape.

The English called her a

“relapsed heretic” and had

cause to sentence her to

death.

On May 30, 1431, nineteen-

year-old Joan of Arc was

bound to a post and burned

alive, while the crowd around

her jeered. As she died, she

kept her focus on a crucifix

that she requested two

clergymen hold before her.

Her final words were: “Jesus,

Jesus, Jesus!” Her remains

were disposed of in the Seine

River. In 1920, she was

canonized as a saint.

To this day, for some the

visions Joan had remains a

mystery. Some experts have

suggested anything from

epilepsy to schizophrenia as

an explanation. Tuberculosis

was another possibility. While

such ailments might explain

hallucinations, it could not give

a reason for her inner

strength, her perseverance,

her unwavering faith and her

success in battles. Nor could

those issues account for how

one simple girl—one who

knew nothing more than her

father’s farm and how to

spin—went from mere

obscurity to the deliverer of a

nation. ∑

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CARISSA HORTON

It is also the tale of two men.

Yes, certainly it is the tale of

Ivanhoe, the courageous hero

who is charming and youthful,

full of vigor and passion. But

‘tis also the tale of Sir Brian de

Bois-Guilbert, the ferocious

Knight Templar, whose heart

is captured by Rebecca, the

Jewish maiden, whom he

cannot have by any approved

means and so determines to

steal instead.

It takes a ruthless man to

abduct an innocent maiden

and plead with her to become

his mistress. But this is what

de Bois-Guilbert does to the

brave Rebecca. His heart, or

rather his lust, is aflame for

this exotic flower, and he does

nearly all, short of rape, to

claim her as his own. Yet, at

the last moment, when

Rebecca’s very life is at stake,

he willingly sacrifices himself

to save her. When Rebecca is

“rescued” from de Bois-

Guilbert’s clutches, it is only to

be placed under another type

of imprisonment, that of the

church who insists she has

bewitched their knight and

must be put to death. She

claims Ivanhoe as her

champion and the church

claims de Bois-Guilbert. When

he could have easily defeated

the wearied Ivanhoe, instead

de Bois-Guilbert topples from

his horse at the barest scratch

in their joust and will not draw

his sword when Ivanhoe

approaches, thus conceding

the contest to Ivanhoe, and

ultimately, to Rebecca,

winning her liberty.

Life is full of moments where

we stand at a crossroads with

temptation. First one step

down the wrong path and then

another and then suddenly the

crossroads are gone and

there are more steps than we

can even count than it would

take to get us back there to

embark upon the other path.

Such is Brian de Bois-

Guilbert’s life story. He took

many, many steps down the

wrong road, and his encounter

with Rebecca was simply one

The world of Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe is one of heroic knights, fair damsels, noble deeds and foul villainy. A world where two cultures, that of the Christian and that of the Jew, clash violently.

12

13 13

Carissa Horton spends her working hours at Compassion International whose tagline reads “Releasing Children from poverty in Jesus’ name.” She is an avid crafter, a prolific blogger on Musings of an Introvert about all things literary and film-based, and dreams of someday getting her stories published.

14

step in a long chain of them.

His lust, for it cannot be

named otherwise, blazed

bright and he took her

prisoner without respect for

her will and desires.

It is easy to live a life guided

by desire yet devoid of

conscience. Sin grows. A

temptation starts out small

and seemingly insignificant.

Then it hatches a new, slightly

racier temptation. The new

temptation is followed by yet

another, even bigger than the

last two. That is the downfall

of man. Temptation dulls the

conscience. The little Voice no

longer whispers we shouldn’t

be doing this, not because it is

gone but because it has been

ignored for so long that we

can no longer hear it.

The question of the hour is

whether or not Sir Brian de

Bois-Guilbert ever returned to

the correct path. That is a

debatable question. After all,

he wove the web through his

abduction and then seductions

that eventually caused the

Templar to ensnare Rebecca.

And he does little to help her

at first, other than think about

rebelling from the command to

stand as champion against

her. He accepts his fate to kill

her champion with surprising

complacency, saying “It must

be—nothing may now save

thy life. Thou and I are but the

blind instruments of some

irresistible fatality, that hurries

us along, like goodly vessels

driving before the storm,

which are dashed against

each other, and so perish.”

His behavior implies he has

no say in his fate because it is

driven by elements outside his

control, so he and Rebecca

must accept their destiny. It is

his duty to kill her champion

and it is her duty to die when

he does so.

So he says, up until the very

final moment, when he finds

he cannot do it and he allows

Ivanhoe to win, preserving

Rebecca’s life. It is the most

sacrificial choice that Brian de

Bois-Guilbert ever makes in

the story, and it redeems him,

at least in my eyes. Yes, he is

terrible and frightening. Yet,

he is also a tragic character,

so near in design to Carver

Doone from the epic classic

romance Lorna Doone. But

where Carver chose to kill

what he could not have, de

Bois-Guilbert chose to save

and release what he could not

have. Two men of a similar

bent, similar desires, but a

different outcome, which is

what ultimately makes Sir

Brian de Bois-Guilbert an

empathetic anti-hero of the

first class order. Readers may

feel guilty in liking him, pitying

him, or perhaps in despising

him when he is, in fact, not all

evil. He is simply a valid

representation of a man who

trained himself to take what he

wanted until he finally

discovered, too late, that

some things cannot be stolen

and those things are the most

worth earning. ∑

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16

RACHEL SEXTON

Spanning the centuries from

the end of what we refer to as

ancient times to the beginning

of the Renaissance, these

years are also known as the

medieval era and feature a

wealth of immediately

recognizable visual elements,

such as knights in armor on

horses, majestic castles, and

dirty peasants. These can be

such a striking feast for the

eyes that fantasy stories set in

completely made up realms

nearly always take a medieval

look in their production values.

War was a large part of this

era, so action is usually the

genre chosen for a tale set in

this period, but comedy has a

place as well. Anachronism, or

the use of details not authentic

to a historical period, can be

an effective comedic tool in

cinema and the film A Knight’s

Tale utilizes these features. It

is an entertaining example of

anachronisms used without

detriment to the enjoyment of

the audience.

Filmmaker Brian Helgeland

wrote and directed A Knight’s

Tale, released in May 2001.

Heath Ledger stars as William

Thatcher, a squire to Sir Ector.

When his liege dies during a

jousting tournament, William

must compete in his place in

order to feed himself and his

fellow squires Roland (Mark

Addy), and Wat (Alan Tudyk).

Then William realizes he can

pretend to be a knight and

change his whole life, and he

convinces his friends to go

along for the ride. They meet

a writer called Geoffrey

Chaucer (Paul Bettany), early

in their adventures. William

also falls for and wins Lady

Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon).

Throughout tournament after

tournament, he must also face

the vicious Count Adhemar

(Rufus Sewell).

The first historically out of

place element viewers will

notice is the soundtrack. After

a scene, establishing Sir

Ector’s death and the need for

William to take his place

jousting, the filmmakers chose

to draw direct comparisons

between jousting and sports of

our own time by playing the

stadium anthem We Will Rock

You by Queen as the jousting

resumes. The characters on

screen clap along to the beat

of the song and mouth the

words. It immediately lets the

audience know the tone of this

film will be fun. More modern

songs appear, such as The

Boys are Back in Town and

Low Rider but only one other

song actually takes a place in

the context of a scene. This is

when Will and Jocelyn dance

at a ball to the beat of David

Bowie’s Golden Years. By the

time AC/DC ends the film with

You Shook Me All Night Long,

you will probably want to buy

the soundtrack.

Anachronism also show up in

the costumes. Many of them

have more of a modern feeling

Though history has provided filmmakers with many distinct eras to use as settings for stories, few time periods have been represented on screen quite as extensively as the years known as the Middle Ages.

17

than anything actually worn in

the Middle Ages. Wat wears a

short-sleeved tunic over a

long-sleeved one in one

scene, for example, and some

pants William and Chaucer

wear have a bootleg shape to

the leg. Most of the historically

inaccurate (but still attractive)

costuming appears on the

character of Jocelyn. Many

details in her ensembles—a

little hat here, a sheer panel

there—are much more fashion

-forward than true to the attire

of the period. Another part of

her appearance more modern

than it should be is her hair.

Only in a few scenes does she

show the long hair we expect

on a medieval maiden in a

hairstyle that might have been

worn during that time. Instead,

she is often sports up-dos that

end with hair spiking to the

side, something that wouldn’t

be out of place in a fashion

magazine editorial today.

Fans in the stands watching

the jousting are often seen

with painted faces, a hallmark

of today’s sporting events.

These things photograph well,

so the viewer takes them in

with less of a complaint that

they are inaccurate.

Finally, there are the modern

lines of dialogue and bits of

humor. The use of a word

here or there that probably

didn’t come into use until later,

such as “fantastic” or “wow,”

isn’t as obvious as the very

modern tone of a lot of the

humor. For example, Wat

shows his short temper by

frequently threatening to

“fong” someone, which

sounds completely like

modern slang. He also rouses

the crowd cheering for knights

as they arrive for the World

Championship Tournament in

London with “Give us a shout

out London!” Chaucer acts as

Will’s herald to introduce him

at events and does so in a

way that references the

introduction of a late-night talk

show host. He follows that up

by telling the crowd, “Thank

you, I’ll be here all week.” At

another point, Jocelyn calls a

lance a “stick” and Wat retorts

with the very modern phrase,

“It’s called a lance, hello!” The

viewer just laughs at this

humor, not really caring that

people in the Middle Ages

probably didn’t talk like that.

Though A Knight’s Tale has a

lot of anachronisms, they are

used toward a goal of

entertainment that succeeds

for the audience. In fact, this

film is not the only one set in

the medieval period to use

historical inaccuracies for

comedic purposes. Another

example is Robin Hood: Men

in Tights, which is a spoof

version of the classic Robin

Hood legend. It is full of

intentional errors yet it is still

funny. When you want your

Middle Ages on screen with

some modern humor to spare,

A Knight’s Tale is an option for

entertainment without the

chains of complete historical

authenticity. ∑

18

Rachel Sexton is from Ohio and has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts. She loves her parents and her dog Lily. But what you really need to know is that she has to have acting, film, reading, and dance in her life and her favorite fandoms are Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, and Once Upon a Time. Plus, she is most described as quiet and her biggest vice is cupcakes. Her main hobby is editing fan videos.

19

Arthur was the famous king of

England of the late 5th and

early 6th centuries. He lived

such a long time ago that we

know very little about him.

This king had such strange

adventures, and did such

wonderful things, that people

have never tired of writing,

reading and filming about him

and his famous Knights of the

Round Table.

“It was not until Arthur had

grown to young manhood, that

he knew he was of royal

blood”

Arthur was the first born son

of King Uther Pendragon and

heir to the throne. However

these were very troubled

times and Merlin, a wise

magician, advised that the

baby Arthur should be raised

in a secret place and that

none should know his true

identity.

As Merlin feared, when King

Uther died there was great

conflict over who should be

the next king. Merlin used his

magic to set a magical sword

from The Lady Of The Lake

called Excalibur in a stone.

Around the sword, written in

letters of gold, were these

words: “Whoso pulleth out this

sword of this stone is the

rightwise born king of all

England.”

All the contenders for the

throne took their turn at trying

to draw the sword, but none

could succeed. Arthur, quite

by chance, withdrew the

sword for another to use in a

tournament. Following this he

became King.

“Now, boy, flying is not merely

some crude, mechanical

“May God grant us the wisdom to discover right, the will to choose it, and the strength to make it endure.”

20

process. It is a delicate art.

Purely aesthetic. Poetry of

motion. And the best way to

learn it is to do it.”

American animated musical

fantasy comedy film The

Sword in the Stone produced

by Walt Disney (1963) ws

based on the Excalibur

legend. We can take an

amazing journey with a young

orphan named “Wart” and the

extraordinary wizard Merlin.

According to legend, only

someone with the purest

character and inner strength

can pull the enchanted sword

from the stone and claim the

throne of England. Armed with

newfound confidence and the

power of friendship, Wart

discovers his destiny and

learns the best magic is the

kind you find inside yourself.

After pulling the sword, Arthur

gathered Knights around him

and fought back against the

Saxons who, since the

Romans left Britain, were

slowly but surely taking the

country over. After many great

battles and a huge victory at

Mount Badon the Saxons’

advance was halted.

“Camelot is a belief that we

hold in our hearts.”

Arthur’s base was at a place

called Camelot. Here he built

a strong castle. Camelot first

appeared in 12th-century

French romances and, after

the Lancelot-Grail cycle,

eventually came to be

described as the fantastic

capital of Arthur’s realm and a

symbol of the Arthurian world.

The stories locate it

somewhere in Great Britain

and sometimes associate it

with real cities, though more

usually its precise location is

not revealed. Arthur’s knights

met at a Round Table in

Camelot. They carried out

acts of chivalry such as

rescuing damsels in distress

and fought against strange

beasts. They also searched

for a lost treasure, which they

MARIANNA KAPLUN

21

believed would cure all ills—

this was the “Quest for the

Holy Grail.”

King Arthur told Merlin that his

barons would give him no rest

until he found a wife, and

asked his advice. He

went to Merlin and said

that he loved

Guinevere, the

daughter of King

Leodogran. Merlin

came to King

Leodogran and told

him that King Arthur

desired his daughter,

the fair Guinevere, for

his wife.

“This is good news to

me that so noble and

powerful a king as he

should wish my only

daughter.”

The king gave his

daughter, Guinevere to

Merlin to bring her to

king Arthur to become

his wife. When King

Arthur heard that

Guinevere was coming

he was very happy, for

he had loved her for a

long time. The

marriage of Arthur and

Guinevere was

celebrated with great

festivities. Arthur loved Queen

Guinevere and did many great

deeds in her honor.

“Lancelot, just a thought. A

man who fears nothing is a

man who loves nothing; and if

you love nothing, what joy is

there in your life? I may be

wrong.”

First Knight is a 1995

medieval film based on

Arthurian legend, directed by

Jerry Zucker. It stars Richard

Gere as Lancelot, Julia

Ormond as Guinevere, Sean

Connery as King Arthur and

Ben Cross as Malagant. It

follows the rogue Lancelot’s

romance with Lady Guinevere

of Leonesse, who is to marry

King Arthur of Camelot, while

the land is threatened by the

renegade knight Malagant. It

is noteworthy within Arthurian

cinema for its absence of

magical elements, its drawing

on the material of Chrétien de

Troyes for plot elements and

the substantial age difference

between Arthur and

Guinevere.

“I only know one way

to love my lord, and

that is body and mind

and soul.”

As the story opens,

Guinevere’s lands are

under attack by the evil

knight Malagant, and

she must choose

between marriage to

Arthur and the security

of Camelot or

encouraging the

affections of Lancelot,

who has heroically

rescued her from a

potentially lethal attack.

Anyone looking for

meticulous medieval

authenticity won’t find it

here, but director Jerry

Zucker keeps the

action moving with

exuberant spirit and

glorious production

values.

In the end of the film on his

deathbed, Arthur asks

Lancelot to “take care of her

for me”—referring to both

Camelot and Guinevere. The

film closes with a funeral raft

carrying Arthur’s body floating

out to sea, which is set

aflame.

22

So Queen Guinevere, Arthur’s

beautiful wife brought

romance to the legend while

his equally beautiful half sister

Morgan le Fay added a dark

side.

“Nobody knows you, Morgan.

They all know of Arthur, but

not you.”

Camelot (2011) is an

American TV show, airing on

Starz, about a young

commoner, Arthur (Jamie

Campbell Bower), who

becomes the heir to the throne

of England following the death

of King Uther, where he is

championed by the wizard

Merlin (Joseph Fiennes) but

destined to tangle with his evil

half sister, the sorceress

Morgan (Eva Green). And

Morgan is the center of the

story.

“Camelot is in its death throes.

Once its lies are exposed, it

will quickly decay, and people

will look around in fear and

panic. And I will be there to

pick them up. They will need

me.”

Morgana Pendragon is the

beautiful and ruthlessly

ambitious daughter of King

Uther. She wishes to claim her

right to her father’s throne, but

she does not count on Merlin’s

plans or the existence of

Arthur, her newly revealed half

-brother. In her pursuit of

power and revenge, Morgan

gives herself over to dark

forces that allow her to

threaten the court of Camelot

from within. She functions as

the main antagonist of the

series.

“There’s a peace only to be

found on the other side of war.

If that war should come I will

fight it!”

But what has the history told us?

Unfortunately, as peace settled

over the country things turned

sour within the court of Camelot

and civil war broke out. In the

final battle at Camlan both Arthur

and Mordred, Arthur’s traitorous

nephew (or son of Arthur and

Morgan in some traditions), were

mortally wounded.

Arthur was set upon a boat and

floated down river to the isle of

Avalon. Here his wounds were

treated by three mysterious

maidens. His body was never

found and some say that he rests

under a hill with all his knights in

an enchanted castle, ready to

ride forth and save the country

again.

Others declare that on his tomb

is written:

HERE ARTHUR LIES, KING

ONCE AND KING TO BE. ∑

Marianna Kaplun was born in Moscow. She is a philologist specializing in Ancient Russian drama and theatre. She’s also a film and television critic by calling and librarian by profession. You can find her essays on her Facebook page and on Lumiere. She also blogs in English and Russian.

23

RACHEL KOVACINY

Say you want your Robin

Hood sweet and light, but not

too sugary. Go for the 1973

Disney animated version.

Robin Hood's quite the foxy

fellow here (literally), always

one merry step ahead of

Prince John and his

cohorts. He's playful,

he's always donning

some disguise or

other, and nothing

ever goes seriously

wrong for him, even

when he's being

threatened by a wolf

brandishing a

burning torch. The

milk chocolate of

Robin Hoods, the

1973 Robin Hood is

perfect for satisfying

your Robin Hood

craving without

leaving you feeling too full.

But what if you want

something a little more filling?

Cake, instead of just a

chocolate bar, for instance.

Check out the 1952 Disney

live-action version, The Story

of Robin Hood and his Merrie

Men. Starring Richard Todd

as our loveable rogue, this

also has a confectionary feel

to it, but with more substance

than a cartoon can hold. Very

nice for a dessert.

Right, but say you're in the

mood for a Robin Hood that's

light, but nourishing. Sample

1938's The Adventures of

Robin Hood. Beneath Errol

Flynn's happy-go-lucky grin

lurks a conscience troubled

by the way he must turn

outlaw to thwart lawbreakers

and protect innocent people.

This one's a nice ham and

cheese sandwich—good for a

quick lunch, but not

too heavy.

If ham and cheese

isn't your thing, you

could always go for

peanut-butter-and-jelly

instead. That'd

be Princess of

Thieves, a 2001 TV

movie that features a

teen Keira Knightley

as Robin Hood's

headstrong daughter.

This one's got

everything you want in

a comfort food—

adventure, a little sprinkling of

romance, and lots of bravery.

Like a PB&J, it's something

kids are gonna go nuts over.

And then there's the dark

Robin Hood. Like a 90%

One of the things I like best about Robin Hood is how many flavors he comes in. Sweet Robin Hood. Dark Robin Hood. Zesty Robin Hood. Whatever you're craving, there's a Robin Hood for you!

24

cacao bar of chocolate—you

can only eat a bite or too, and

you're not entirely sure if

you're enjoying it, but you

want some more. Yes, I'm

talking about the 2010 movie

starring Russell Crowe and

Cate Blanchett. It's grim and

violent, and spends more time

on Robin Hood's back story

than on his merry adventures.

At the same time, it's got

some really enjoyable aspects

too, so it's good for a gloomy

day when you don't want

something chipper anyway.

I also promised you zesty

Robin Hood. For that, look no

farther than the BBC's

adaptation that ran from 2006

to 2009. Filled with zingy

dialog, handsome men, pretty

ladies, and a healthy helping

of derring-do, it will keep you

thoroughly entertained, but it's

not something you'd share

with a little kid. Think a spicy

salsa or those pickled

peppers I've yet to work up

the courage to try.

Robin Hood, Prince of

Thieves wants to be zesty, but

it comes off a little too

earnest, so it's more ketchup

than salsa. It mixes Kevin

Costner with Christian Slater

into something a little sweet

and a little salty, but it's not

specifically suited to any one

meal. Also, like ketchup,

some people want it all the

time, and some people think a

little bit goes a long way.

As for Robin Hood: Men in

Tights, honestly, this is the

pickle relish of Robin Hood

movies. They took something

tasty, chopped it up, and

turned it into something I

really don't want too much of.

It's funny for a few minutes,

but then I've had more than

enough of it.

Of course, there are many

other Robin Hood flavors.

There's the '50s TV show

starring Richard Greene, the

silent Douglas Fairbanks

version, Robin and the Seven

Hoods (in case you're craving

some Rat Pack gangsters),

When she's not writing, Rachel Kovaciny passes the time by reading, baking, watching movies, crocheting, blogging, and homeschooling her three children. Her least favorite activities are house-cleaning and wearing shoes, and she's been known to go to great lengths to avoid both. She blogs about books, and also has a personal blog that talks about movies and other important things.

and the 1976 Robin and

Marion (with Sean Connery

and Audrey Hepburn playing

the aging couple). I won't

even delve into all the

Ivanhoe adaptations, which

also involve dear Robin. And

these are just the versions I've

personally seen! There are

dozens more. Like I said,

there's a Robin Hood for

every taste—no matter what

your mood or preference,

you're sure to find one to

satisfy your craving. ∑

25

26

ELORA CARMEN SHORE

Well, that one dude looks

skeevy, but those other two

dudes look too regular and…

normal to be really bad guys.

And then you see that Vizzini is

the boss, the truly mean one—

albeit hilarious—and the others

actually seem to be pretty okay.

Bad guys, but a sort of—okay

bad guy. Good bad

guys. For me that was a

revelation. Bad guys that

were normal, funny, and

perhaps not truly bad

people. You can actually

root for them almost.

Through humor, often

comes the most human

perception. Fezzik just wants a

job, Inigo too, but he also has

something else driving him (the

lovely, age-old revenge angle),

and Vizzini is just a selfish,

crime-touting lout. With a funny

business sense. And a high

opinion of his bald intellect.

moment, and told something

that was truly magic.

Comforting, but dangerous and

heroic in its proportions. They

put us in the time of heroes, but

also in the time of our life when

heroes meant the most to us.

They told it from the point of

view of a child being read to by

his grandfather, the carrying on

of an old, basic tradition. The

reawakening of it. The spur of

imagination back into power, in

a time of tech idolatry.

Remember when the gang

kidnaps Buttercup? You look at

that trio and (at least I do) think,

Every once in awhile another

nod to the classics is made,

and it becomes a classic in its

own right—it's just its own

thing. Princess Bride was a part

of my childhood, the characters

were always a part of my

imagination, and mental canon

of fantasy/classic adventure

heroes. It is filled with

wonderful leading

characters and the

amazing, amazing villains

and side characters that

breathe more fire into the

life of the story.

I don't think it’s just that it

is told in a classic genre, a tale

of a “time long ago” where

heroes wore masks and

clashed with swords, and there

were giants and princesses.

They crafted a story from life,

our perception of the stories of

our childhood. They took us

back, put us back in that

THE OLD

There are always movies that just stick in your head ever since you were a kid. Princess Bride has always been one of those movies that encapsulated the classic adventure genre for me. It had just that charm of living characters that make you want to quote their lines even as they are saying them.

“When I was your age television was called 'books', and this is a special book. It was the

book that my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father.

And today I'm going to read it to you…. fencing, fighting—torture—revenge, giants,

monsters; chases, escapes, true love. Miracles.”

27

One aspect of this human

portrayal in a brilliant story is

the heart of Fezzik. He's

actually a good person. Just

got caught up in things. I heard

a story while watching the

behind the scenes footage that

in the cliff scene, Wallace

Shawn (also known as Shawn

Wallace, I've seen both used)

was terrified of the height of the

stunt. He was quoted as saying

that even looking down at his

feet gave him the heebie-

jeebies. Andre the Giant put his

hand on him and stroked him

gently, saying, “Don't worry, I'll

take care of you.” And Shawn

wasn't the least scared after

that. Did the scene fine. Even

though he's scared to death of

heights—I truly think Andre's

kindness, his own heart, carried

over greatly into his character.

It wasn't just a great

performance, but also his

genuine heart.

And what memory is complete

without Inigo and his, “Hello, I

am Inigo Montoya. You killed

my father. Prepare to die”?

Honestly. It has to be the line of

the movie. While so much of it

is incredibly quotable, this line

is a banner in the story. It is like

a pinnacle of the adventurous

hero, who has a bleeding heart.

And his repartee with Westley,

along with the epic swordfight

so brilliantly choreographed by

Bob Anderson (the god of film

sword-fighting, God rest his

soul). Inigo and Westley

encapsulate that gritty, shady

hero—the one that you know is

a good man, but has lead a

bloody, adventurous life. The

romance of exploits and

tragedy and adventures

surrounded them like a charm.

Their banter leads to the truth,

about Inigo’s father: “Without a

word the six-fingered man

slash him through the heart. I

love my father. So

naturally I challenge

his murderer to a

duel. I fail. The six-

fingered man leave

me alive. But he

gave me

these.” [Fingers the

scars lining either

cheek]

Westley: “How old

were you?”

“I was eleven years

old. When I was

strong enough, I

dedicated my life to

the study of fencing.

So the next time we meet—I

will not fail. I will go up to the

six-fingered man and say,

'Hello. My name is Inigo

Montoya. You killed my father.

Prepare to die.”

“You've done nothing but study

swordplay?”

“More pursue than study lately.

You see, I cannot find him. It's

been twenty years and I'm

starting to lose confidence. I

just work for Vizzini to pay the

bills. There's not a lot of money

in revenge.”

Priceless. Grandeur and

tragedy, wrapped in irony and

the everyday humor of the

typical burden.

There are not many female

characters that I like. Rarely

are they done well. Even more

rarely does a female character

in the place of a damsel in

28

are a coward, it is only because

you are the slimiest weakling

ever to crawl the earth!!”

How's that for a declaration of

defiance and loyalty?

These stories and characters

show us

that a belief

in the

heroic,

fearless

and true is

not dead.

The story is

full of

superb

villains and

side

characters

that add yet

more

brilliance to

the cast,

and more

memorable

scenes. I

could go on forever about how

they flesh out the story even

more, the brilliance they serve.

But I don't have the room. I

think these have said it enough.

You just don't see tales like this

anymore; they can seem like a

dying breed. Then another

pops up… and we fall in love all

over again.

True classic heroism never

dies.∑

of steel underneath. It takes

hope for her to remember it.

When the “Man in Black” taunts

her with the murder of her love,

Buttercup snaps back, “I died

that day!!”

And when she discovers that

Prince Humperdink has lied

about sending his four fastest

ships to find Westley, Buttercup

says, “es! I am a silly girl. For

not seeing sooner that you're

nothing but a coward with a

heart full of fear… Westley and

I are joined by the bonds of

love. And you cannot track that,

not with a thousand

bloodhounds. And you cannot

break it, not with a thousands

swords! And when I say you

distress get done really well—

by not making her the damsel

in distress. Buttercup is done

realistically. She let herself go

in some ways, she gave into

her grief when she believed her

love was dead, but—and I

firmly believe this has a lot do

with the

astounding

performance

of Robin

Wright—

there was a

strength to

her grief. It

wounded

her, took the

joy out of

her, but it

made her

strong. It

beautified a

cocky brat

into a

knowing,

wise, love-

torn woman

who came to realize a better

version of herself because of

someone she loved. She is

both feminine and resilient,

wounded and strengthened

(aside my annoyance at that

one scene in the Fire Swamp,

where she was petrified. I was

a bit annoyed at that one, her

letting her rescuing lover get all

torn up while she just stood

there) and while she let herself

go within the clutches of Prince

Humperdinck, there is still a bit

Elora Carmen Shore has been writing for almost fifteen years, has published a short story titled Eloise and her first collection of poetry titled A Road to Count the Days By last year, available on Amazon Kindle. It should also become available in print later this year. Her poems have appeared in several magazines, such as Moon Drenched Fables, Moon Washed Kisses, and Vox Poetica. She is currently working on a romcom and a fantasy trilogy. She likes to keep things diverse. Elora can be found at her blogs, Pendragon and Out My Front Door.

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NEXT TIME: The Fisher King Lost The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Teen Wolf Severus Snape A Snicker of Magic Inkheart Orson Scott Card Winter’s Tale Percy Jackson

“Magical Realism”

Coming Oct 1st!

The genre of “Magical Realism” are magical tales set in a real-world environment, so that the magic itself and its trappings (including otherworldly creatures) is the only

major deviation from reality. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and Harry Potter are prime examples.

HALLOWEEN: “Villainesses” The Evil Queen, Gertrude, Jadis, Dolorus Umbridge, Wicked Witch of Oz, Catherine de Medici, Morgana, Maleficent, Asajj Ventress, and more.

NOV/DEC: “Renaissance” Michelangelo, Ever After, Jodhaa Akbar, Thomas Becket, Queen Elizabeth I, Katherine von Bora Luther, Da Vinci, and much more!