The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature & Legend is both a critical history of the Arthurian tradition & a reference guide to Arthurian works names & symbols. It offers a comprehensive survey of the legends in all of their manifestations from their origins in medieval literature to their adaptation in modern literature arts film & popular culture. Not only does it analyse familiar Arthurian characters & themes it also demonstrates the tremendous continuity of the legends by examining the ways that they have been reinterpreted over the years. For instance the motif of the abduction of Guinevere can be traced from Chretien de Troyess Lancelot or the Knight of the Cart & the vulgate cycle of French romances in the 13th century to Malorys retelling of the story in the Morte d Arthur through various modern adaptations like those in T. H. Whites The Once & Future King & the contemporary film First Knight. This indispensable reference guide contains seven essays that trace the development of the Arthurian legend encyclopedic entries bibliographies & a comprehensive index. The essays explore the chronicle & romance traditions the influence of Malory the Grail legend the figures of Gawain & Merlin & the story of Tristan & Isolt. The entries which highlight key Arthurian characters symbols & places offer quick & easy references. The extensive chapter-by-chapter bibliographies which are subdivided by topic augment the general bibliography of Arthurian resources. Comprehensive in its analysis & hypertextual in its approach The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature & Legend is an essential reference book for Arthurian scholars medievalists & for those interested in cultural studies of myth & legend.