Thursday, March 12, 2015

Top ten knights in literature

Thomas Asbridge is reader in medieval history at Queen Mary, University of London and the author of The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones. One of his top ten knights in literature, as shared at the Guardian:
Beowulf, anonymous

More than 1,000 years ago, audiences were transfixed by the stirring tale of Beowulf’s battle with the monster Grendel, and the story - replete with magical swords, an evil witch and even a dragon - retains its power to this day. In strict terms, Beowulf was not a knight, but rather a Scandinavian warrior, immortalised in an epic Old English poem composed in the early middle ages (but perhaps not written down until the eighth century). JRR Tolkien was one of the work’s greatest (and most influential) fans.
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue