Arthur… Christ?

Marilyn Braxton mentioned something in class this past week about the similarity between Arthur and Christ, and how that affects our reading of the legend. If I recall correctly, the general thrust of Marilyn's comment was that Arthur could in some ways replace Christ as a returning king, because Arthur's deeds are "more realistic"; it was something like that (Marilyn, if you read this please chime in—I could use a reminder of exactly what you said). In any case, Geoffrey Ashe says something similar:

"Arthur is not only a magnificent prince: he is occasionally symbolic of Christ. Spenser writes during the war with Spain, and pushes the Tudors' messianic pretensions farther than ever. Elizabeth, he implies, presides over a realm which is God's instrument for overthrowing the powers of evil and achieving the Apocalypse. The Arthurian Monarchy has a tincture of the divine."[1]

What's interesting about Ashe's point here is that it makes an observation similar to Marilyn's, but arrives at almost the opposite conclusion. Whereas Arthur-as-humanized-Christ may seem to some more relatable, Arthur-as-Christified-(human-)king is more politically justifiable, especially for those who could claim their descent from him. The paradox is simply that the identification cuts both ways. On the one hand, Arthur is a political analogue to a religious trend that occurred in Britain during the same millennium, and on the other he is a political figure turned national myth.[2] It is no wonder this legend has been used and reused to justify whatever monarchy is in power, or as the rationale for some incumbent or another when the succession was in doubt. Nor is it a surprise that people continue to return to the legend for hope, or for a reminiscence on a time when things were the way they should be.

 I am unabashedly interested in fantasy literature and its medieval roots for this very reason. On the one hand, fairy stories such as the ones we've read this semester can be manipulated into propaganda. On the other, they evoke from the reader significant responses based on his/her desires to see specific outcomes in society. As such, fantasy and fairy stories are similar to knives: they are either tools used to teach, or weapons used to slash society to pieces.

1. Ashe, Geoffrey, et. al. The Quest for Arthur's Britain (New York: Frederick A. Praeger Publishers, 1968.
   
2. This seems like a good place to note that religion is inherently tied to myth. While myth need not grow into religion, when and where religion develops behind it there is myth. See the Mythopoeic Society's Statement of Editorial Purpose, which states: "Religion and myth are intertwined expressions of the same impulse in humankind; therefore, it is inevitable that the religious views of an essayist may at times be discernible in a paper. However, keep in mind that our audience is very broadly ecumenical, and that any denigration, explicit or implied, of another's religion or lack of it is against our editorial policies."