.

lănds Sif (sēf) Sighvat (sĭg´ văt) Snorri (snŏr´ r[+e]) Sôl´ fĭ Thor (thôr) Thôr´ bĭ ôrn Thôr´ fĭnn Thôr´ gĕst Thôr´ hĭld Thôr´ kĕl Thôr´ leīf Thôr´ ôlf Thôr´ steīn Tyrker (tẽr´ kẽr) Văl hăl´ lȧ Valkyria (văl kĭr´ yȧ) Vī´ kĭng

A Guide to Pronunciation

       Table of Contents

ā	as in āle	ē	as in ēve	+o]	as in [+o]bey´
ă	as in ădd	+e]	as in [+e]vent´	ŏ	as in ŏdd
ă	as in finăl	ĕ	as in ĕnd	ô	as in lôrd
ȧ	as in ȧsk	ẽ	as in hẽr	ŭ	as in ŭp
ȧ	as in sofȧ	ī	as in īce	ŭ	as in circŭs
ä	as in ärm	ĭ	as in ĭt	ṳ	as in rṳde
a̤	as in a̤ll	ō	as in ōld	ȳ	as in flȳ

      Silent letters are italicized.

Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table

      (Andrew Lang)

       Table of Contents

       INTRODUCTION

       PART I. THE DRAWING OF THE SWORD.

       THE SWORD EXCALIBUR.

       HOW THE ROUND TABLE BEGAN.

       THE STORY OF SIR BALIN.

       WHAT BEAUMAINS ASKED OF THE KING.

       HOW MORGAN LE FAY TRIED TO KILL KING ARTHUR.

       THE PASSING OF MERLIN.

       PART II. THE QUEST OF THE HOLY GRAAL.

       I. How the King went on Pilgrimage and his Squire was slain in a Dream.

       II. The Coming of the Holy Graal.

       III. The Adventure of Sir Galahad.

       IV. How Sir Lancelot saw a Vision, and repented of his Sins.

       V. The Adventure of Sir Percivale.

       VI. An Adventure of Sir Lancelot.

       VII. An Adventure of Sir Gawaine.

       VIII. The Adventure of Sir Bors.

       IX. Adventure of Sir Galahad.

       X. Sir Lancelot meets Sir Galahad, and they part for Ever.

       XI. How Sir Galahad found the Graal and died of that Finding.

       PART III. THE FIGHT FOR THE QUEEN.

       THE FAIR MAID OF ASTOLAT.

       PART IV. LANCELOT AND GUENEVERE.

       THE END OF IT ALL.

      INTRODUCTION

       Table of Contents

      The tales of King Arthur and his Knights are of Celtic origin. The Celts were the people who occupied Britain at the time when the history of the country opens, and a few words are necessary to explain why the characters in the stories act and speak as though they belonged to a later age.

      It is believed that King Arthur lived in the sixth century, just after the Romans withdrew from Britain, and when the Britons, left to defend themselves against the attacks of the marauding Saxons, rose and defeated them at Mount Badon, securing to themselves peace for many years. It was probably about this time that King Arthur and his company of Knights performed the deeds which were to become the themes of stories and lays for generations afterwards.

      In olden times, it was the custom of minstrels and story-tellers to travel through the land from court to court, telling of