Most titles are followed by a key indicating the original language and style, with the form "(L s)". If the language is not specified, it is English. A "-c" is appended to the style to indicate a chronicle.
1135 Geoffrey of Monmouth, Prophetia Merlini (L pr)
1136 Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniæ (L pr-c)
- this is the work that got the whole ball rolling
- it is the start of Arthurian literature
c.1150 Tristan (F p)
- lost, the others are based on this
Geffroi Gaimar, Estoire des Angles (F p-c)
- adaptation of Geoffrey, extended to the end of the reign of
- William Rufus, but the part of Geoffrey is lost
c.1150-75 Robert Biket, Lai du Cor (p)
1151 Geoffrey of Monmouth, Vita Merlini (L p)
1155 Wace, Roman de Brut (F p-c)
- influential translation of Geoffrey
c.1160-80 Marie de France, Lais (F p)
- collection of shorter poems, probably based on English songs
c.1165-76 Chrétien de Troyes, Cligés (F p)
Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot (F p)
Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain (F p)
Chrétien de Troyes, Erec (F p)
c.1170 Eilhart von Oberge, Tristan (G p)
- faithful translation of the lost French Tristan (1150)
c.1170-5 Thomas, Tristan (F p)
- fragments from the latter part only (see Gottfried von Strassburg)
c.1175-86 Heinrich von Veldeke, Eneit (G p)
c.1184-5 Andreas Capellanus, De Amore (L pr)
- a manual on love and courtship
- one chapter is an Arthurian romance
c.1185-90 Renart(-aud) de Beaujeu, Le Bel Inconnu (F p)
- aka "Guinglain"
c.1190 Layamon, Brut (p)
- expanded trans. of Wace into alliterative verse
- also spelled Lazamon, Lawman
Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval (F p)
- plus 2 anonymous prologues:
"The Elicidation" - lousy
"The Bliocadran" - good intro but poor style
- 4 continuations:
"Gawain's continuation" - good, but doesn't conclude the story
"the Perceval continuation" - good, stiil doesn't conclude
- both before 1200
- second continues the first
Manessier - lower quality, provides conclusion
- c.1214-27 - continues the second
Gerbert de Montreuil - low quality alternate conclusion
- c.1226-30 - continues the second
- some redactors have inserted this before Manessier, with
- slight modifications to preserve continuity
c.1190-2 Hartmann von Aue, Erek (G p)
- from Chrétien's "Erec"
c.1191 Béroul, Tristan (F p)
- only middle part of story remains
c.1190-1210 Perlesvaus (F pr)
- aka "The High Book of the Holy Grail"
c.1194-1203 Ulrich von Zatzikhoven, Lanzelet (G p)
c.1200-1300 Heldris de Cornualle, Le roman de Silence (F p)
- it may not be Arthurian
Ulrich von Turheim, Tristan (G p)
Folie Tristan (Berne) (F p)
Folie Tristan (Oxford) (F p)
- different from above
Tristan als Monch (G p)
Les Enfances Gauvain (F p)
- mostly lost
Januals liódh (N p)
Geitarlauf (N p)
- trans. of Marie de France poems (Lanval and Chevrefeuil)
c.1200 Gereint (B pr)
- same story as Chrétien's "Erec"
Owein (B pr)
- same story as Chrétien's "Yvain"
Peredur (B pr)
- same story as Chrétien's "Perceval"
Melion (p)
- lay, similar to Marie de France
Tyolet (p)
- lay, similar to Marie de France
c.1202-12 Robert de Boron, Joseph d'Arimathie (F p)
- early history of grail (pre-Arthur)
Robert de Boron, Merlin (F p)
- mostly lost but exists in prose redactions
1202 Hartmann von Aue, Iwein (G p)
- from Chrétien's "Yvain"
c.1204-10 Wirnt von Gravenberg, Wigalois (G p)
c.1204-12 Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (G p)
- "the greatest mediæval German epic"
c.1210 Gottfried von Strassburg, Tristan (G p)
- the very end is missing
Le Chevalier à l'Épée (F p)
c.1210-20 Didot Perceval (F pr)
- aka "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal"
- contains a prose Perceval and a prose Mort Artu
- the manuscript also contain prose redactions of Robert de Boron
- suggesting this is one big prose redaction of a Boron
- tetralogy (Perceval and Mort Artu being lost)
- also maybe just the work of a continuator
Paiende Maisières, La Mule sans Frein (F p)
- same story as Diu Krone
Raoul, La Vengeance Raguidel (F p)
- not Raoul de Houdenc
c.1210-25 Yder (F p)
c.1215-30 Vulgate Cycle (F pr)
- very well written - the major canon of the tale
- later added: (both Boron redactions) (precede the others)
- Estoire del Saint Grail (Joseph d'Arimathie)
- Estoire de Merlin (Boron's Merlin + an extended chronicle)
- originally 3 branches: (called "prose Lancelot", "Roman du L."
- Lancelot (Lancelot du Lac)
- The Quest for the Holy Grail (Queste del Saint Graal)
- The Death of Arthur (Mort Artu)
c.1220 Heinrich von dem Turlin, Diu Krône (Austrian p)
Breta sogur (N p-c)
- trans. of Geoffrey
c.1200-18 Gunnlaug Leifsson, Merlínusspá (N p)
- trans. of Geoffrey's "Prophecies of Merlin"
c.1220-50 Durmart le Gallois (F p)
Gliglois (F p)
- about a squire of Gawain
c.1225 Raoul de Houdenc, Meraugis de Portlesguez (F p)
Guillaume le Clerc, Fergus (F p)
c.1225-8 Jaufré (F p)
c.1225-35 Prose Tristan (F pr)
- aka "Le Roman de Tristan de Léonis"
- this unites the Tristan legend with Arthurian legend
Meriadeuc (F p)
- aka "Le Chevalier aux Deux Épées"
1226 Brother Robert, Tristams saga (N p)
- trans. of Thomas
c.1230-40 Roman du Graal (F pr)
- aka "the Pseudo-Borron Cycle"
- includes varaint versions of:
Estoire del Saint Graal
Suite du Merlin
Queste del Saint Graal
Mort Artu
- excludes the Lancelot (by design), forms a very cohesive whole
Livre D'Artus (pr)
- continuation of Boron's "Merlin"
Erex saga (N p)
- trans. of Chrétien's "Erec"
Ivens saga Artuskappa (N p)
- trans. of Chrétien's "Yvain"
Mottuls saga (N p)
c.1235-40 Palamedes (F pr)
- patchwork of adventures
c.1250 L'Atre Perilleux (F p)
Pennic and Pieter Vostaert, Walewein (D p)
- not Pennic Vostaert, just Pennic
Lodewijk van Velthelm, Perchevael (D p)
- trans. of Chrétien
Wigamur (G p)
Parcevals saga (N p)
- trans. of first half of Chrétien's "Perceval"
Valvers páttr (N p)
- trans. of rest of Chrétien's "Perceval"
c.1250-75 Prose Tristan (second version) (F pr)
- rewriting of the previous (1225) prose Tristan
Arthour and Merlin (p)
Hunbaut (F p)
Floriant et Florete (F p)
c.1250-1300 Ferguut (D p)
- trans. of the Guillaume Fergus (1225)
c.1268 Claris et Laris (F p)
c.1260-90 Les Merveilles de Rigomer (F p)
- the conclusion is missing
1261-1326 Joseph-Merlin cycle (D p)
- Jacob van Maerlant
"Historie van den Grale" [1261] - based on Boron
"Merlijns Boeck" - based on Robert de Boron
- Lodewijk van Velthelm
version of "Livre d'Artus" [1326]
- the latter author's work blends in as a continuation
c.1270-80 the compilation of Rusticiano da Pisa (F pr)
- a patchwork of adventures
c.1272-9 Les Prophécies de Merlin (F pr)
c.1280 Girard d'Ameins, Escanor (F p)
- gaps in manuscript
Historia Meriadoci (L pr)
- same author as "De Ortu Walwanii"
De Ortu Walwanii (L pr)
- same author as "Historia Meriadoci"
c.1290 Robert of Gloucester (p-c)
c.1300 Arthur and Gorlagon (L pr)
Sir Tristrem (p)
Le Chevalier du Papegau (F pr)
- bunch of adventures of Arthur, not tied to any cycle
De Ridder metter Mouwen (D p)
1303 Herra Ivan (Norse p)
- trans. of Chrétien's "Yvain"
c.1300-20 Lancelot cycle (D p)
- includes
"Lancelot" from "Roman du Graal"
"Queste del Saint Graal" from Vulgate
"Mort Artu" from Vulgate
c.1320 De Wrake van Ragiesel (D p)
c.1320-40 Thomas Chestre, Libeaus Desconus (p)
- authorship not certain
- see also "Le Bel Inconnnu" and "Wigalois"
Sir Percyvelle of Galles (p)
Thomas Chestre, Sir Launfal (p)
c.1331-6 Claus Wisse and Philipp Colin, Parzifal (G p)
- expansion of Wolfram von Eschenbach
c.1340 alliterative Joseph of Arimathie (p)
- only fragments remain
Moriæn (D p)
c.1350 Ywain and Gawain (p)
- trans. of Chrétien's "Yvain" but very different in character
- from the original
c.1350-1400 Arthur (p)
c.1360 alliterative Morte Arthur (p)
- based loosely on Wace
c.1375-1400 Awntyrs of Arthure (p)
c.1388 Jean Froissart [c.1338-c.1410], Meliador (F p)
- missing conclusion
- see also "Meriadoc"
c.1390 Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight (p)
- the masterpiece of alliterative poetry
c.1392-4 Geoffrey Chaucer, Wife of Bath's Tale (p)
- same story as "Wedding of Gawain" and "Marriage of Gawain"
c.1400-1500 Skikkju rímur (N p)
c.1400 stanzaic Le Morte Arthur (p)
Sir Gawain and the Carl of Carlisle (p)
- a common-man's viewpoint
c.1425 The Avowing of King Arthur (p)
- full title: ..., Sir Gawain, Sir Kay, and Baldwin of Britain
c.1430 Henry Lovelich, Holy Grail (p)
- trans. of Vulgate "Joseph d'Arimathie"
Henry Lovelich, Merlin (p)
- trans. of first half of Vulgate "Merlin"
c.1450 The Gest of Sir Gawain (p)
- somewhat offensive
The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell (p)
- see also "Marriage of Gawain" and Chaucer
- all three from common source
The Marriage of Sir Gawain (p)
- see also "Wedding of Gawain" and Chaucer
prose Merlin (pr)
- straight trans. from Vulgate
1470 Thomas Malory, Morte d'Arthur (pr)
- this defines the Arthur we (20th cent.) know
c.1482-1500 Lancelot du Laik (Scottish p)
Golagros and Gawain (p)
c.1500 The Turk and Gawain (p)
- 1/2 lost (the pages were used to start fires!)
The Green Knight (p)
- telling (from memory) of the same story as "Sir Gawain and ..."
- partially lost
King Arthur's Death (p)
- really 2 poems joined together
c.1500-20 prose Joseph of Arimathie (pr)
King Arthur and King Cornwall (p)
- 1/2 lost (see "Turk" above)
c.1500-1600 The Boy and the Mantle (p)
- ballad
1510 Wynken de Worde, Little Tretys of the Birth and Prophecies
of Merlin
1553 Hans Sachs, Von der strenge lieb herr Tristrant mit der schonen
konigin Isalden (G tr)
1570 Luigi Alamanni, L'Avarchide (I p)
1586 Warner, Albion's England (-c)
1587 Thomas Hughes, The Misfortunes of Arthur
1590-6 Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
- a masterpiece
1597 Christopher Middleton, History of Chinon of England
1601 Robert Chester, Love's Martyr
1603 Thomas Deloney, Sir Lancelot du Lake
1610 Richard Johnson, Romance of Tom a Lincolne
Robert Nicols, Winter Nights Vision
1612 Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion (-c)
c.1615 Michael Drayton [England, 1563-1631], Nimphadia, the Court of Fayrie
1621 History of Tom Thumb, the Little
- not sure if this is Arthurian
1630 Tom Thumb, His Life and Death
- Tom is Arthur's dwarf
1660 Martin Parker, The Most Famous History of That Most Renowned
Christian Worthy Arthur King of the Britaines, and His Famous
Knights of the Round Table
1662 William Rowley, The Birth of Merlin
- burlesque play, actually written much earlier
1687 John Dryden, Albion and Albanicus (opera)
1691 John Dryden, King Arthur, or the British Worthy (opera)
1695 Richard Blackmore, Prince Arthur
1697 Richard Blackmore, King Arthur
1730 Henry Fielding, The Tragedy of Tragedies
- parodistic burlesque play, with Tom Thumb and Arthur
1731 Merlin, or, The British Enchanters
1734 Merlin, or, The Devil of Stonehenge
c.1735 Aaron Hill, Merlin in Love: or, Youth Against Magic
1735 Edward Phillips, The Royal Chace (play)
Edmund Curll, Merlin, and the Royal Hermitage
1736 Edmund Curll, The Rarities of Richmond
1759 William Hilton, Arthur, Monarch of the Britons, A Tragedy
1771 Christoph Wieland, Sommermarchen (G p)
1775-80 Comte de la Vergue de Tressan, Extraits de romans de
chevalerie (F p)
1777 Thomas Warton, Grave of King Arthur
1778 Christoph Wieland, Geron der Adelige (G p)
1789 Richard Hole, Arthur: or, The Northern Enchantment
1801 Johj Thelwall, The Fairy of the Lake
1804 Sir Walter Scott, Sir Tristrem
1809 Sir Walter Scott, The Bridal of Triermain
1812 Baron Creuzé de Lesser, Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde (F p)
c.1818 John Hookham Frere, The Monks and the Giants
- unfinished
1820 William Wordsworth, Artegal and Elidure
1822 William Wordsworth, Ecclesiastical Sonnets
- many of them are Arthurian, but not all
1829 Thomas Love Peacock, Misfortunes of Elphin
1830 William Wordsworth, The Egyptian Maid
1832 Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Lady of Shalott
Karl Immermann, Merlin (G pr)
1841 Reginald Heber, Morte Arthure
- unfinished
1842 Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sir Launcelot and Queen Guinevere
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sir Galahad
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Morte d'Arthur
1848 Lord Lytton, King Arthur
1852 Matthew Arnold, Tristram and Iseult
1856 F. Roeber, Tristran und Isolde (G p)
1858 William Morris, The Defence of Guinevere and other poems
1859 Alfred Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King I
Edgar Quinet, Merlin l'Enchanteur (F pr)
Richard Wagner, Tristan und Isolde (G opera)
1860 Wilhelm Hertz, Lanzelot und Genevra (G p)
1863 R.S. Hawker, Quest of the Sangreal
1865 L. Schneegans, Tristan (G p)
1868 Adam Lindsay Gordon, Rhyme of Joyous Garde
1869 G.A. Simcox, Farewell of Ganore
G.A. Simcox, Gawain and the Lady of Avalon
Alfred Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King II
1870 F. Millard, Tristram and Iseult
1880 J.R Lowell, Sir Launfal
1882 Richard Wagner, Parsifal (G opera)
Algernon Swinburne, Tristram of Lyonesse
1885 Alfred Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King III
1889 Alfred Lord Tennyson, Merlin and the Gleam
John Veitch, Merlin and other poems
1891 R. Hovey, Lancelot and Guinevere
1895 J. Comyns Carr, King Arthur
1896 Algernon Swinburne, Tale of Balen
1898 J. Davidson, The Last Ballad
1900 J. Bédier, Le Roman de Tristran et Iseult (F pr)
1903 Howard Pyle, The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
1905 Howard Pyle, The Story of The Champions of the Round Table
1907 Howard Pyle, The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions
1910 Howard Pyle, The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur
1911 Michael Field, Tragedy of Pardon
Michael Field, Tristan de Leonois
1913 Laurence Binyon, Tristram's End
1917 Arthur Symons, Tristram and Iseult
1923 Thomas Hardy, The Queen of Cornwall
1925 T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land
1927 John Masefield, Midsummer Night
John Masefield, Tristan and Isolt
1928 E.A. Robinson, Tristan
1938 Charles Williams, Taliessin through Logres
1942 Frank Martin, Le Vin Herbe (oratio; text Bédier)
1944 Charles Williams, The Region of the Summer Stars
1976 John Steinbeck, The Tales of King Arthur and the Knights of
the Round Table