The Seeing Stone
Encyclopedia
The Seeing Stone is a novel written by Kevin Crossley
and published in hardcover
in August 2000, along with an audio tape version
. This was followed by a paperback
version in June 2001 and an audio CD in July 2003. The paperback version was re-published in September 2006, under a different and more contemporary cover.
The Seeing Stone deals with the life of a young boy named Arthur de Caldicot living in the Wales Middle Marches
in 1199, just before the Fourth Crusade
. The book is part of a trilogy which includes At the Crossing-Places and King of the Middle March. The story is a contemporary retelling of the Arthurian Legends
, told by Arthur de Caldicot through a first-person
viewpoint, as he follows the events leading up to King Arthur's rise to power as King of England through his seeing stone.
The book was awarded the Guardian Children's Fiction Award
, the Tir na n-Og prize, and the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
bronze medal. It was also shortlisted for the Whitbread Awards.
. Young Arthur de Caldicot, thirteen years of age at the time, is the second son of a knight
living in Caldicot manor in the England
/Wales
Middle Marches
. Most of the first book deals with the stresses associated with medieval life
, most importantly to Arthur the fact that he is Sir John's second son, and as such is not applicable for inheritance of land. In order to have a life of his own, he must become a squire
and then a knight
, and create his own manor and farmland. One obstacle in his way is that his yard-skills are lacking in some respects, most notably jousting
and sword-play
. This is in no small part because he is left-handed
, considered a dangerous oddity in those days, and so he must practice with his off-hand. Another obstacle is that he is very good at reading and writing, and so his father is considering making him a scribe
, which he does not want to be. These obstacles are removed, however, when, on his fourteenth birthday, he learns that Sir William de Gortanore, another knight, and his uncle, is really his father, and he is placed into the inheritance of a large manor. This starts a subplot dealing with the identity of his mother, as it seems that his mother's husband was murdered by Sir William, who was jealous of him. It also meant the end of the relationship between Arthur and Grace, Sir William's daughter, who were to be betrothed but now know they cannot, as Grace is Arthur's half-sister. The plot in the world of Arthur de Caldicot ends with Arthur being accepted as squire to Lord Stephen de Holt, the lord
of the Middle Marches.
and his rise to power as King of Britain. Many of the characters look exactly like or very similar to characters in Arthur's life. The most notable resemblance is that between Arthur and young King Arthur himself, which leads him at first to believe that the Arthur in the stone is actually him in the near future. This belief is accentuated when he finds that, like the young King Arthur, the people he believes to be his parents are actually his foster parents. Later into the story, it becomes clear that King Arthur inhabits more of a parallel universe
, with various events in both worlds reflecting one another. The story of the stone begins with the marriage of King Uther and Ygerna. They conceive a child, who is named Arthur. Arthur is taken away by Merlin to foster parents. Years later, when King Uther dies, Arthur comes to be king by taking over Uther's throne.
Kevin Crossley-Holland
Kevin John William Crossley-Holland is an English translator, children's author and poet.-Life and career:Born in Mursley, north Buckinghamshire, Holland grew up in Whiteleaf, a small village in the Chilterns...
and published in hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
in August 2000, along with an audio tape version
Audio book
An audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
. This was followed by a paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
version in June 2001 and an audio CD in July 2003. The paperback version was re-published in September 2006, under a different and more contemporary cover.
The Seeing Stone deals with the life of a young boy named Arthur de Caldicot living in the Wales Middle Marches
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
in 1199, just before the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
. The book is part of a trilogy which includes At the Crossing-Places and King of the Middle March. The story is a contemporary retelling of the Arthurian Legends
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, told by Arthur de Caldicot through a first-person
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
viewpoint, as he follows the events leading up to King Arthur's rise to power as King of England through his seeing stone.
The book was awarded the Guardian Children's Fiction Award
Guardian Award
The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize or Guardian Award is a prominent award for works of children's literature by British or Commonwealth authors, published in the United Kingdom during the preceding year. The award has been given annually since 1967, and is decided by a panel of authors and the...
, the Tir na n-Og prize, and the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
The Nestlé Children's Book Prize, also known as the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, was an annual award given to children's books written in the previous year by a UK citizen or resident. The prize was administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and reading, and sponsored by...
bronze medal. It was also shortlisted for the Whitbread Awards.
Plot in the Real World
The story begins in the year 1199, just before the beginning of the Fourth CrusadeFourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
. Young Arthur de Caldicot, thirteen years of age at the time, is the second son of a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
living in Caldicot manor in the England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
/Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Middle Marches
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
. Most of the first book deals with the stresses associated with medieval life
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, most importantly to Arthur the fact that he is Sir John's second son, and as such is not applicable for inheritance of land. In order to have a life of his own, he must become a squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
and then a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, and create his own manor and farmland. One obstacle in his way is that his yard-skills are lacking in some respects, most notably jousting
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
and sword-play
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
. This is in no small part because he is left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
, considered a dangerous oddity in those days, and so he must practice with his off-hand. Another obstacle is that he is very good at reading and writing, and so his father is considering making him a scribe
Scribe
A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...
, which he does not want to be. These obstacles are removed, however, when, on his fourteenth birthday, he learns that Sir William de Gortanore, another knight, and his uncle, is really his father, and he is placed into the inheritance of a large manor. This starts a subplot dealing with the identity of his mother, as it seems that his mother's husband was murdered by Sir William, who was jealous of him. It also meant the end of the relationship between Arthur and Grace, Sir William's daughter, who were to be betrothed but now know they cannot, as Grace is Arthur's half-sister. The plot in the world of Arthur de Caldicot ends with Arthur being accepted as squire to Lord Stephen de Holt, the lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of the Middle Marches.
Plot in the Seeing Stone
The Seeing Stone, which plays a large part of the plot of the trilogy, is given to Arthur de Caldicot early in the story by Merlin, along with the warning that should anyone else be privy to the knowledge of the stone, it will cease to work. Through the stone, Arthur is able to observe the life of the mythical King ArthurKing Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and his rise to power as King of Britain. Many of the characters look exactly like or very similar to characters in Arthur's life. The most notable resemblance is that between Arthur and young King Arthur himself, which leads him at first to believe that the Arthur in the stone is actually him in the near future. This belief is accentuated when he finds that, like the young King Arthur, the people he believes to be his parents are actually his foster parents. Later into the story, it becomes clear that King Arthur inhabits more of a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, with various events in both worlds reflecting one another. The story of the stone begins with the marriage of King Uther and Ygerna. They conceive a child, who is named Arthur. Arthur is taken away by Merlin to foster parents. Years later, when King Uther dies, Arthur comes to be king by taking over Uther's throne.