research

[rivendellrose]

If anyone out there has a favorite source or sources for semi-obscure medieval legends, particularly around either King Arthur or the knights of Charlemagne, I'm in the market for some recommendations. ♥

And in return, if you want a recommendation for the perfect antidote to all the Twilight silliness, I'm really enjoying "The Strain" by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. High literature it ain't, but it's a fun, if predictable, suitably disgusting take on the vampire mythos, and fellow fans of Del Toro's cinematic work won't be disappointed by the visuals and the way scenes are set up.

Comments

[vega-ofthe-lyre.livejournal.com]

We used the Camelot Project fairly extensively for my Arthurian Lit class last year - it's as thorough a database I've ever seen for the legends. Not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for, but you'll definitely find something there! :D

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Cool, thank you! I'm kind of looking for anything, at the moment - just jumping-off points for stories, things that I can absorb consider. My battered old Bulfinch's Mythology only gets me so far. ;)

Of course I'm going to start babbling about webcomics.

[darthparadox.livejournal.com]

Honestly, my current favorite source for Arthuriana is Arthur, King of Time and Space - but he's got several links to his source material, so it should still be reasonably helpful. (It's also the best MSPaint-created comic I read, with the understanding that I still haven't seriously attempted to read MSPaint Adventures yet.)

In fact, speaking of webcomics based on classic English literature, you'd probably enjoy Lit Brick quite a bit - it's a cartoonist drawing comics about the entirety of the Norton Anthology, in order.

Re: Of course I'm going to start babbling about webcomics.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I'm actually on for the original (or at least pre-1960) stuff, as the foundation for a project, but I'll have to see about taking a look at these - as you said, the links to source material at the very least should be useful. ;)

[websandwhiskers.livejournal.com]

I actually *was* a little disappointed in The Strain - it certainly had all Del Toro's usual attention to detail, all the pieces fit and worked, but it lacked that sense of poetry that I expect from his films. I think he communicates more effectively in visual form than in words.

It also reminded me far, far too much of Salem's Lot - it is, to all intents and purposes, the same story. Now, Salem's Lot is an intentional riff on Dracula, so I can't claim it's all that original either, but still.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I'm perhaps a little... unspoiled for this, as I've been avoiding vampire literature like the, um, plague, ever since early college. A few too many crappy novels gobbled down in those years. I lost the ability to appreciate the genre anymore. And I've never read Salem's Lot. It is a lot like Dracula, but hell - it's vampire lit that isn't all about how sexy they are. It's bound to be a lot like Dracula. ;)

You're right about the loss of some of Del Toro's poetry, but I felt like it captured his style well enough, particularly for what it was. This read like the first Hellboy movie, more or less, and that's roughly what I was hoping for out of it. (...Including the distinct resemblance of whatshisname the Van Helsing guy to Professor Bruttenholm.)

Now, if he were ever to write a book of his fairy stuff, then I would be far more exacting in my expectations. That's a theme I would expect far more from him on.

[maymargaret.livejournal.com]

Have you read Marie de France yet, she's my favorite. I also just finished a lecture series from the library on grail myth. It shouldn't be too hard to find. If you want source material, Chretien de troyes is quite good and kinda started the whole Lancelot thing. Also, I quite like Tennyson. He certainly has the most beautiful take on the lady of shallot. If you run across any good modern sources that recognize that a large part of current Arthurian mythos is in fact modern, please let me know. You could also try welsh mythology which is weird as all get out but a lot of the older Arthurian stuff starts there.