โPlease scroll down for an English review.
ืคืจืืคโ ืืืจืกื ืืจืืกืืจืื ื ืกืืคืงื ืื ืฉืขืืช ืืจืชืงืืช ืืืื ืืช ืืงืืจืก ืืงืฆืจ ืฉืื ืขื ืืืชืืกืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื. ืืื ืืืืจืฆืื ืฉืืขืืืจืื ืืช ืืืืืจ ืืืืื ืืขืื ืืื ืืืฉืคื ืคืฉืืื. ืืื ืื ืืืืฆืืช ืฉืืืื ื ืืืจ ืฉื ืืืข ืขืืืง, ืืจืืืื, ืืืืฉ ืืืืืจ ืืง โ ืืจืฆื ืฉืืฆืืืื ืืืืืืง ืืช ืืืืืื ืื ืืจืืชืงืื ืื ืืฉืืื ืืืืจืช ืขื ืฉืืฉืืืช ืืืืืืช ืื ืงืืืฉืื ื ืืืืื. ืืืืื ืืืจืฆืื ืขื ืืืชืืกืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื, ืืื ืืคืืื ืืืื ืืกืืคืืจืื, ืื ืฉืืคื ืืช ืืืจืฆืืืช ืืชืขื ืื ืืืืชื.
ืืืื ืื, ืืฉืืืขืชื ื-โKing Arthur: History and Legendโ, ืืืขืชื ืขื ืฆืืคืืืช ืืืืืืช. ืืงืืจืก ื ืฉืืข ืืื ืืืื ื ืืืกืข ืืคื: ืืื ืืจืชืืจ, ืฉืืืื ืขืืื, ืืื ืกืืื, ืืืืื ืืืืจ ืืืืืืข ืืงืืืฉ. ืื ืืืื ืืืืืช ืืจืืข? ืืืื, ืื ืืจืืข, ืืื ืืจืื ืืืฆืคืื, ืืืคืจืงืื ื ืืจืจ.
ืืงืืจืก ืืื, ืืฉืื ื ืืืงืืจืก ืืงืฆืจ, ืืื ื ืืกืืื ืฉืืคืชื ื ืืืงืืฃ ืืช ืื ืืืงืื ืืืจืชืืจืืื ื โ 24 ืืจืฆืืืช (!) ืฉืื ืกืืช ืืืกืืฃ ืืช ืื ืฉืืจื ืืืืชืืกืื, ืืืงืืจืืช ืืืชืืืื, ืืฉืคืืช ืืืืืืืช ืืืคืืจืืฉืื. ืืืขืื? ืื ืื ืฉืืจ ืืืืช ืืืจืฉ ืืืืืืช ืืืืืช. ืืืืื ืืืจืฆืืืช ืืื ืฉืืคืืช ืืืจ ืื ืขื ืคืื ืืช ืืคืืืช ืฉืืืืช ืืืื ืืืืฉืืจ ืืฆื. ืืืืงืื ืืกืืืืื, ืืืจืฆืืืช ืืคืื ืืืกืข ืืืฉื ื โ ืขื ืงืจืืื ืืช ืฉื ืฉืืจืืช ืฉืืืืช ืืืืื ืืช, ืืืืฉืืช ืขืชืืงื ืืืืืืช โ ืฉืืจืื ืื ืืืจืืืฉ ืืืืื ืืืขืชื ืืงืืจืก ืืืจ ืืืืจื.
ืืขืืืื, ืืืจืกื ืืื ืืืจืกื. ืืฉืืื ืืืืขื ืื ืื ืืืืื โ ืืืงืฉื ืืืืจ, ืืืงืืจืก ืืชืขืืจืจ ืืืืื. ืื, ืืกืืคืืจ ืฉื ืืื ืกืืื ืืืืืื ืืืืจ ืืงืื ืืื ืืืคืื ืขืฉืืจ ืืืืจืื. ืื ืขืื ืจืง ืจืืื ืืกืืจ, ืืื ื ืืชืื ืืืืืง ืฉื ืืืจืืืื ืืื ืืฉืืช ืฉืืืืืจื ืืงืืืฉืื: ืืืืคืืฉ ืืืจื ืืืื, ืืืืืื ืืืืจ, ืืืื ืืืืืืืื, ืืืงืจืข ืฉืืืืื ืืช ื ืคืืืช ืืฆืจื ืฉื ืืจืชืืจ. ืืื, ืืืจืกื ืขืืฉื ืืช ืื ืฉืืื ืืืืขืช ืืขืฉืืช ืืื ืืื โ ืืืคืื ืืงืกื ืขืชืืง ืื ืจืืืื ืื, ืฉืื ืื ืืืืช, ืืืืจ ืื ืืืื ืืจืืืฉืื ืืื ืืืืืืช ืืฉืจ ืืื.
ืืืืืื ืฉืืืชืจ, ืืืืง ืฉืื ืืงืืจืก ืืืืช ืืืจืื ืืื ืืฉืืื ืฆืืืืช ืืืืชืืืืืื ืฉื ืืืืืข ืืงืืืฉ. ืืื, ืืืจืกื ืคืืจืฉืช ืืช ืืื ืืืงืจืื ืืืืืจืื ืืืืจืชืงืื ืืชืืืืืช ืืชืจืืืช โ ืืื ืฆืืืช ืืืฉื ืคืฉืืื ืืืื ื-12, ืืคืื ืืกืื ื ืืฆืจื ืฉืขื ืื ืช ืืืคืฉื ืืฆืื ืืืื ืื ืืืกืขืืช ืฆืื, ืืงืื ืืกืชืืจื ืืกืคืจื ืื ืืจืืื ืืืืืืจ ืืขืจื ืืกืจืื ืืจืคืชืงืืืช, ืงืืืืงืก ืืืืืจืืช. ืืื ืืจืื ืืจืฆืื ืฉืืืืืื ืืืกืืืจ ืืฆืืจื ืื ืืืืจื ืืื ืืืื ื ืืฆืจืช ืืืืคืืช ืืืื ืงืืืฉ, ืืืืื ืช ืืกืฃ.
ืืื ืืืื ืืฉื ื ืชืืืืืช ื ืืกืคืืช โ ืืืืืื ืฉื ืืจืืื ืืืืจื ืืืืฉื ืื ืงืืกื-ืืืฆืจ ืืขืจืืืื, ืืกืืคืืจืื ืืืืืืื ืฉื ืืืืืื ืืืงืจืืฆืืช ืืฉื ืื ืืช ืฉื ืืืจืง ืืืืืื ืโืืื ืืืืืจืืโ ืืื ืื ืจืืขืื ืฉืืฆืืืงื ืืช ืจืืืฉืช ืืงืืจืก.
ืืฆืขืจื, ืื ืฉืืงืฉืื ืืงืืจืก ืืงืฆืจ, ืืืืื ืืืื ื ืชืืืฉืช ืื ืโื-ืื. ืคืจืงืื ืืกืืืืื ืืืืจืื ืขื ืชืื ืื ืืืงืืจืก ืืงืฆืจ, ืจืง ืืคืขื ืขื ืืจืืืืช, ืืคื ืืืช ืื ืืืจื ืขืืืงื ืืืชืจ.
ืืืจืืช ืฉืืงืืจืก ืืื ืื ื ืืฆื ืฅ ืขืืืจื, ืื ืืืืชื ืืืืชืจืช ืขื ืืืืืื ืืืื. ืื ืืชื ืืืืืื ืืืชืืืืืืืช, ืืชืขื ืืื ืื ืืงืฉืจืื ืฉืืื ืืืืจืืช ืืืื ืืช ืืืืจื ืืช, ืื ืกืชื ืจืืฆืื ืืืืื ืืื ืกืืคืืจ ืขื ืืื ืืืืืืื ืืคื ืืืืชืืก ืฉืื ื ืก ืืืื ืื 1,000 ืฉื ืื ืืืจื โ ืืฉ ืืจืื ืื ืืงืืช ืืืงืืจืก ืืื.
ืืืืืฆื ืฉืื? ืืืชืืื ืขื ืืงืืจืก ืืงืฆืจ ืฉืื ืขื ืืืชืืกืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื โ ืืืฉื ืืืืืื ืื ืืฉ ืืื ืืฉืง ืืืืฉืื ืืืจืคืชืงื ืืืจืืื ืืืชืจ ืขื ืืืื ืืจืชืืจ.
King Arthur: History and Legend/ Dorsey Armstrong
Audiable Edition,12 H, 2015
ืืืจืื SIVI โ
ืืืืืช ืืืืื โ
Professor Dorsey Armstrong gave me several fascinating and enjoyable hours in her short course on Medieval Myths. She is one of those rare lecturers who engages with students as if she is speaking directly to them rather than at them. Dorsey combines profound knowledge, charisma, and subtle humor, making her the professor who captivates you, even when discussing forgotten dynasties or obscure saints. She transformed medieval myths into vibrant, compelling stories at that timeโ a course I eagerly devoured.
Thatโs why, when I enrolled in her more comprehensive course titled โKing Arthur: History and Legend,โ I had high expectations. It sounded like an epic adventure: King Arthur, the Round Table, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the Holy Grail. What could go wrong? While things didnโt go awry, the journey was longer than I anticipated and occasionally a bit meandering.
This course is an ambitious effort to cover the entire Arthurian universe, consisting of 24 lectures that aim to explore every fragment of myth, written source, lost language, and interpretation. However, not every fragment requires such a detailed examination. In this series, Dorsey illuminates even the darkest corners that could have comfortably remained in the shadows. At times, the lectures transform into a linguistic journey, featuring complete readings of entire lines in Latin, Old Welsh, and Gaelic, which makes it feel like Iโve stumbled into a completely different course.
Dorsey remains true to herself as the action intensifies when she delves into the essence of the legend, bringing the story to life. For instance, her portrayal of Lancelot and Guinevere is rich and nuanced. Itโs more than just a tale of forbidden love; it offers a deep exploration of the human tragedy behind this clichรฉ: the quest for love, the betrayal of a friend, a king, and an ideal, as well as the rift that ultimately leads to the downfall of Arthurโs court. In this, Dorsey excels at transforming ancient texts into vibrant narratives where every knight, queen, and broken hero is given a genuine and alive voice.
The highlight of the course occurs when she delves into the mythology of the Holy Grail. Dorsey explores one of the most intriguing transformations in cultural history: how a simple serving dish from the 12th century became a Christian symbol, a secret code in Dan Brownโs novels, and inspiration for adventure films, comics, and marketing campaigns. Few lecturers can clearly explain how a legend evolves from a sacred relic into a commercial phenomenon.
Along the way, there are other surprising discoveries โ the evolution of Merlin from a Welsh bard to a cunning court wizard, Layamonโs brutal English tales, and Mark Twainโs sharp jabs at the myth of chivalry โ moments where Dorsey justifies every penny of this course.
Unfortunately, for those who listened to her earlier short course, thereโs a definite sense of dรฉjร vu. Some lectures revisit material from the shorter series, only this time with more detours, references, and deeper dives.
While this course didnโt sparkle for me as I had hoped, I still wouldnโt trade the experience. If you love mythology, are intrigued by the intersections of chivalry and modern art, or want to understand how a tale of a possibly fictional king became a cultural myth that spans the globe. Thereโs plenty to gain from this course.
My advice? Start with her short Medieval Myths course, then decide if youโre ready for the more extended adventure with King Arthur.
ืืืืืช ืขืื ืืืืชืจ Sivi's Books
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