Two Beautifully Done Literature Sites

I ran across this first website while researching castles for a literature group class. It's called The Knight with the Lion. It "comes from a poem written around the year 1177 A.D. by a Frenchman named Chrétien de Troyes" (quote from the intro to the site) and it retells stories based on King Arthur and his knights. Not only are the stories interesting on its own, but the pages are beautifully illustrated, and there are links all over the place that help you to understand what's being described in a historical context. What do they mean by chivalry? What part of the castle is that? I'd say this site would be best suited to junior high or high schoolers, since it's pretty big, but I'm sure younger students would also enjoy the story. It is a wonderful resource for literature or history studies of that time frame.

I was so impressed, I dug around for anything else that might be similar. The same team had also created a site for that World Literature staple, Beowulf. Granted, if you've got a good translation of it, the story is already enjoyable, but this site not only has a translation, it's got photos. Yes, you read me right. What does an Anglo-Saxon burial look like? What about armor? The adventures are peppered with links to archaeological photos, a glossary (thank you), illustrations, and even recordings. Check these out now for an interesting read, and bookmark them for later with your homeschool studies.

Have a great weekend!