Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature by O. J. Padel (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature by O. J. Padel David James Griffiths Padel, O. J., Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature (Writers of Wales), new edn, Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 2013; paperback; pp. 166; R.R.P. US$25.00; ISBN 9780708326251. Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature is an Important Book. While slight in appearance, its survey of medieval Welsh literary references to Arthur provides a useful compendium for those whose Welsh is a little rusty or even non-existent. Certainly its importance is underscored by its academic reputation: it is a fairly standard ‘go to’ for medieval Welsh and Arthurian study, and I have a fond nostalgia for it based on its appearance on several postgraduate reading lists. The publication of a second edition underscores its ubiquitousness, but unfortunately, the overall approach to updating the text is poorly lacking. The Introduction remains a brief and satisfying frame of what O. J. Padel’s scholarship explores – namely, the various depictions of Arthur and his associated legendarium – across a variety of Welsh texts. The Introduction makes it plain that those looking for deeper analysis and further connections will need to turn to Cornish, Breton, or southern Scottish folklore. The first section of the book briefly deals with the earliest Welsh texts, the Historia Brittonum, the Gododdin and other early heroic lament poetry, and the Welsh Annals. A simple dating of each text is given, with some mention of textual issues, before the focus is shifted to the portrayal of Arthur in the given text. Padel highlights early issues, such as the contradictory portrayal of Arthur in the Historia Brittonum, and makes a few rudimentary comments about other secondary analyses of the text, before moving on. Padel only mentions other scholars to gloss over or refute their interpretations and his assessments are not adequately contextualised within the scholarly disputes. This makes it hard to assess for ourselves and underscores the limitations of the book. [End Page 243] The next section, dealing with Culhwch and the Gatekeeper poem, continues this pattern. The analysis is solid, highlighting the deficiencies in considering a Welsh literary approach that typically casts Arthur not as a central figure but as a supporting character, designed to evoke a certain ethos or suggest a certain setting. Padel uses direct quotations from the text to allow for close reading, but does not make clear which version of the text he relies upon. At this point, Padel draws connections from the overall treatment of Arthur and his band, linking them to the Irish Fianna cycle of stories, and so locates Arthur in a supernatural, monster-infested ‘band of brothers’ routine, somewhat different from the battle lord of the earlier histories. What follows is a range of Welsh texts relating to the central Middle Ages. This includes a consideration of ‘Preiddau Annwn’, various Saints’ Lives, Welsh poetry of the period, and the work of Gerald of Wales. This section also uses the Welsh prophetic poetry of the period to examine a key facet of the portrayal of Arthur: his invariably explained absence. As in the work of Gildas, the Welsh prophetic poetry does not mention Arthur, as supernatural celebrant, war leader, or once and future king. In casting others into the role of restorer of Wales, the prophetic tradition perhaps underscores the use of Arthur by Bretons or Cornish, or as some sort of formative Other to the English. These are uses that Welsh literature does not posit, but literature about the Welsh says they do. Yet the texts discussed in this section have their own complications. The Saints’ Lives cast Arthur as a secular ruler and administrator of justice; while secular he is not evil and he does not oppose the saints so much as form part of society. He is even a ‘king’, possibly. The elegiac poetry and Gerald of Wales echo previous uses of Arthur: the warrior-comparison and the supernatural folk hero, respectively. The next three sections of the survey examine dialogue poems, the matter of Britain, and the context of the Welsh material within a continuing tradition. They continue the use of quotations and analysis that have given the rest of the book its strengths and...