What is the Kingdom Of Memory as it pertains to Western Civilization, if the mythic idea of “Camelot” is not included? Not an idyllic kingdom, or a Western Kingdom, at all, it seems, without King Arthur’s ultimate world included. This series highlights a dozen posts from leading and emerging scholars from the fields of medieval and renaissance literature, Arthurian studies, and Inklings studies–as well as poets, writers, artists, and students. Thanks again to Brenton Dickieson for his dedication to this world of thought, that of the Inklings, which, I feel, is a modern key to the defense and preservation of Western thought and our way of life as Westerners (see Aragorn’s speech at the Black Gate and its inspiration… Shakespeare’s Crispian’s Day Speech by King Henry V in the play of that name…).
It was as an ‘Arthurian’ that I first consciously encountered Charles Williams, with that adjective applying to both him and me. (I, ever since I was given Emma Gelders Sterne and Barbara Lindsay’s retelling, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, as a little fellow, however hair-raising were Gustaf Tenggren’s depictions of Lancelot’s sword splitting Meliagrance’s helmeted head in half and the giant Taulurd’s severed arm in mid-air as Sir Tor hewed it off.) It was only later that I realized I had already happily encountered him, enriching Dorothy Sayers’ notes in her translation of Dante’s Comedy.
However, it was not until I thought to ‘work on him’ seriously that I came to learn how many of Williams’ Arthurian writings were still unpublished. In this adventure of reading I ended up as a textual editor. But I have also been in awe of that other kind…
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The Kingdom of Memory 