Fifteenth-century English writer, author of *Le Morte d'Arthur*, a vast prose compilation of the Arthurian legends. His work, published by Caxton in 1485, became the definitive source of the King Arthur myth in the English-speaking world.
Thomas Malory(1405 — 1471)
Thomas Malory
royaume d'Angleterre
5 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born around 1405 in England, probably in Warwickshire
- Wrote *Le Morte d'Arthur* during his years of imprisonment, completing it around 1469-1470
- Compiled and synthesized the French and English sources of the Arthurian legend
- Died in 1471, before his work was published
- His text was printed by William Caxton in 1485, one of the first major books of English printing
Works & Achievements
A vast compilation in English prose of the Arthurian legends, which became the definitive source of the Arthur myth in the English-speaking world.
Opening section recounting Arthur's rise to power, the sword Excalibur and the founding of the Round Table.
Part devoted to the mystical quest for the Grail, dominated by the knights Galahad, Percival and Bors.
The story of the tragic love between Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, the seed of the downfall of Arthur's kingdom.
The conclusion that gives the whole work its title: the civil war, the final battle and Arthur's passing to the isle of Avalon.
The first printing of the work, divided into twenty-one books, which ensured its circulation and fixed its famous title.
Anecdotes
Almost nothing is known about Thomas Malory: several men of that name lived in 15th-century England, and historians still debate which one wrote the *Morte d'Arthur*. The most likely candidate is a knight from Warwickshire who was imprisoned on several occasions.
Malory is thought to have written much of his work while in prison. At the end of the book, he describes himself as “a knight-prisoner” and asks readers to pray for his deliverance.
Malory died in 1471, fourteen years before his book was published. It was the printer William Caxton who, in 1485, gave the work its famous title and brought it to public attention thanks to the brand-new technology of printing.
For centuries, Malory's text was known only through Caxton's printed edition. In 1934, a librarian accidentally discovered an old manuscript in the library of Winchester College: it revealed that Caxton had reworked and divided Malory's original text.
The *Morte d'Arthur* has inspired countless artists and writers, from English Romantic poets like Tennyson to modern retellings of King Arthur. Without Malory, the Arthurian myth as the English-speaking world knows it would not exist in this form.
Primary Sources
Here ends this noble and joyous book entitled the Morte d'Arthur [...] composed by Sir Thomas Malory, knight, may God grant him good deliverance. Amen.
I have, according to my copy, printed this book [...] all gathered into one volume, and have divided it into twenty-one books, and each book into chapters.
A handwritten copy of Malory's text made shortly after his death, rediscovered in 1934, which preserves a version closer to the original than Caxton's printed edition.
Key Places
Family estate associated with the knight Thomas Malory of Warwickshire, the most likely candidate for the author's identity.
London jail where Malory was held; it was probably in prison that he wrote much of the Morte d'Arthur.
England's first printing press, where William Caxton published the Morte d'Arthur in 1485, thirteen years after Malory's death.
English school in whose library the oldest manuscript of Malory's text was rediscovered in 1934.
Franciscan church in London where Thomas Malory is said to have been buried upon his death in 1471.
Typical Objects
Quires of parchment or paper on which Malory wrote out his vast Arthurian compilation by hand. The Winchester Manuscript is its surviving witness.
The movable-type printing press set up by William Caxton at Westminster, which printed the *Morte d'Arthur* in 1485 and spread the work beyond the circle of copyists.
The weapon and symbol of the medieval knight that Malory was; the sword also holds a central place in his tale, with King Arthur's legendary Excalibur.
A cut goose-feather quill and ink for writing on parchment, the everyday tools of any fifteenth-century author or copyist.
Metal harness worn by English knights in the battles of the Wars of the Roses, as in the tournaments and combats described in the *Morte d'Arthur*.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
As a knight of Warwickshire, Malory could begin his day with Mass and the management of his estate. In prison, his mornings were far more constrained, paced by waiting and, no doubt, by writing in the daylight.
Afternoon
A gentleman's afternoon was divided between matters of land, local justice, and military exercises. As a prisoner, Malory probably devoted these hours to reading his French and English sources and composing his narrative.
Evening
In the evening, by candlelight, people read aloud or listened to tales of chivalry. It was this world of evening gatherings and stories that Malory sought to set down in writing.
Food
The diet of a 15th-century English nobleman was based on bread, game and beef, fish on lean days, and ale. In prison, the food was meager and often depended on the prisoner's means.
Clothing
A knight wore garments of wool and linen, sometimes trimmed with fur, and plate armour in battle. Such attire clearly signalled the social rank of the one who wore it.
Housing
The manor of a country gentleman like Newbold Revel included a great hall, outbuildings, and lands. By contrast, London prisons such as Newgate were dark, unsanitary, and overcrowded places.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Le Morte d'Arthur
achevé vers 1469-1470
L'histoire du roi Arthur et de ses chevaliers (premier livre)
vers 1469
La quête du Saint Graal
vers 1469
Le livre de Lancelot et Guenièvre
vers 1469
La mort d'Arthur (dernier livre)
vers 1470
Édition imprimée par William Caxton
1485
