From this notable and engaging study we learn that the education of the Arthurian hero is a romance motif as significant to the hero's exploits as his beseiged damsel or his fierce joust. Accounts of the births and childhoods of religious and mythical protagonists at once prefigure and explaining their later powers. Originally published in 1966. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.