Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

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Record Number: 9741 Author(s)/Creator(s): Aronstein , Susan. Contributor(s): Title: When Arthur Held Court in Caer Llion: Love, Marriage, and the Politics of Centralization in "Gereint" and "Owein" Source: Viator 25, ( 1994): Pages 215 - 228. Description: Article Type: Journal Article Subject (See Also): Gereint vab Erbin, Middle Welsh Romance Literature- Prose Llewelyn ap Iowerth, Prince of Wales Marriage Owein, Middle Welsh Romance Politics Welsh Literature Award Note: Geographic Area: British Isles Century: 12-13 Primary Evidence: Illustrations: Table: Abstract: Owein and "Gereint" chronicle the process by which a group of independent kingdoms becomes subject to a central government, a process that focuses on the major concerns of the rulers of Gwynedd, most notably those of Llewelyn ap Iowerth: the desire to justify a feudal Wales united under a single monarch, the attempt to standardize law codes and introduce a central judicial system, and the need to manipulate political alliances through a careful program of advantageous marriages. The romances' call to unification profoundly affects their telling of the basic stories common to them and their French counterparts. The Welsh narratives systematically displace the French's discussion of "fin armor" in favor of tales in which marriage functions as a metaphor for political alliance. Thus, these tales present not only an argument for central government but also a vindication of the means by which Llewelyn sought to attain that government. [Reproduced by permission of the University of California Press.] Related Resources: Author's Affiliation: University of Wyoming Conference Info: - , - Year of Publication: 1994. Language: English ISSN/ISBN: 00835897

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