omantic,
which probably antedated the extant prose versions of the same tales.
Eleven of these were translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, and entitled
Mabinogion (Tales for Children), although only four out of the eleven
deserve that name. But some of these tales are connected with the
great Arthurian cycle, as Arthur is the hero _par excellence_ of
Southern Wales, where many places are identified with him or his
court.

Although almost as little is known of the historical Arthur as of the
historical Roland, both are heroes of important epic cycles. Leader
probably of a small band of warriors, Arthur gradually became, in the
epics, first general-in-chief, then king, and finally emperor of all
Britain. It is conjectured that the Arthurian legends must have passed
from South Wales into Cornwall, and thence into Armorica, "where it is
probable the Round Table was invented." Enriched by new accretions
from time to time, the Arthurian cycle finally included the legend of
the Holy Grail, which must have originated in Provence and have been
carried into Brittany by jongleurs or travelling minstrels.

It has been ascertained that the legend of Arthur was familiar among
the Normans before Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote his books, and it
certainly had an incalculable formative influence on European
literature, much of which can be "traced back directly or indirectly
to these legends." It was also a vehicle for that element which we
call chivalry, which the church infused into it to fashion and mould
the rude soldiers of feudal times into Christian knights, and, as it
"expanded the imagination and incited the minds of men to inquiry
beyond the conventional notions of things," it materially assisted in
creating modern society.

After thus tracing the Celtic germs and influence in English
literature, it becomes necessary to hark back to the time of the
Teutonic invasions, since English thought and speech, manners and
customs are all of Teutonic origin. The invaders brought with them an
already formed language and literature, both of which were imposed
upon the people. The only complete extant northern epic of
Danish-English origin is Beowulf, of which a synopsis follows, and
which was evidently sung by gleemen in the homes of the great chiefs.
Apart from Beowulf, some remains of national epic poetry have come
down to us in the fine fragments of Finnsburgh and Waldhere, another
version of Walter of Aquitaine.

There are also the Lege