Fierce and prolonged has been the debate as to the original birthplace
of Arthurian legend, authorities of the first rank, the 'Senior
Wranglers' of the study, as Nutt has called them, hotly advancing the
several claims of Wales, England, Scotland, and Brittany. In this
place it would be neither fitting nor necessary to traverse the whole
ground of argument, and we must content ourselves with the examination
of Brittany's claim to the invention of Arthurian story--and this we
will do briefly, passing on to some of the tales which relate the
deeds of the King or his knights on Breton soil.
Confining ourselves, then, to the proof of the existence of a body of
Arthurian legend in Brittany, we are, perhaps, a little alarmed at the
outset to find that our manuscript sources are scanty. "It had to be
acknowledged," says Professor Saintsbury, "that Brittany could supply
_no ancient texts whatever_, and hardly any ancient traditions."[54]
But are either of these conditions essential to a belief in the Breton
origin of Arthurian romance?
The two great hypotheses regarding Arthurian origins have been dubbed
the 'Continental' and the 'Insular' theories. The first has as its
leading protagonist Professor Wendelin Förster of Bonn, who believes
that the immigrant Britons brought the Arthur legend with them to
Brittany and that the Normans of Normandy received it from their
descendants and gave it wider territorial scope. The second school,
headed by the brilliant M. Gaston Paris, believes that it originated
in Wales.
If we consider the first theory, then, we can readily see that ancient
_texts_ are not essential to its acceptance. In any case the entire
body of Arthurian texts prior to the twelfth century is so small as to
be almost negligible. The statement that "hardly any ancient
traditions" of the Arthurian legend exist in Brittany is an
extraordinary one. In view of the circumstances that in extended
passages of Arthurian story the scene is laid in Brittany (as in the
Merlin and Vivien incident and the episode of Yseult of the White Hand
in the story of Tristrem), that Geoffrey of Monmouth speaks of "the
Breton book" from which he took his matter, and that Marie de France
states that her tales are drawn from old Breton sources, not to admit
the possible existence of a body of Arthurian tradition in Brittany
appears capricious. Thomas's _Sir Tristrem_ is professedly based on
the poem of the Breton Bréri, and there is no reason why Brittany,
drawing sap and fibre as it did from Britain, should not have produced
Arthurian stories of its own.
On the whole, however, that seems to represent the sum of its
pretensions as a main source of Arthurian romance. The Arthurian story
seems to be indigenous to British soil, and if we trace the origin of
certain episodes to Brittany we may safely connect these with the
early British immigrants to the peninsula. This is not to say,
however, that Brittany did not influence Norman appreciation of the
Arthurian saga. But that it did so more than did Wales is unlikely, in
view of documentary evidence. Both Wales and Brittany, then, supplied
matter which the Norman and French poets shaped into verse, and if
Brittany was not the birthplace of the legend it was, in truth, one of
its cradle-domains.
_The Sword of Arthur_
Let us collect, then, Arthurian incidents which take place in
Brittany. First, Arthur's finding of the marvellous sword Excalibur
would seem to happen there, as Vivien, or Nimue, the Lady of the Lake,
was undoubtedly a fairy of Breton origin who does not appear in
British myth.
For the manner in which Arthur acquired the renowned Excalibur, or
Caliburn, the _Morte d'Arthur_ is the authority. The King had broken
his sword in two pieces in a combat with Sir Pellinore of Wales, and
had been saved by Merlin, who threw Sir Pellinore into an enchanted
sleep.
"And so Merlin and Arthur departed, and as they rode along King Arthur
said, 'I have no sword.' 'No force,'[55] said Merlin; 'here is a sword
that shall be yours, an I may.' So they rode till they came to a lake,
which was a fair water and a broad; and in the midst of the lake King
Arthur was aware of an arm clothed in white samite, that held a fair
sword in the hand. 'Lo,' said Merlin unto the King, 'yonder is the
sword that I spoke of.' With that they saw a damsel going upon the
lake. 'What damsel is that?' said the King. 'That is the Lady of the
Lake,' said Merlin; 'and within that lake is a rock, and therein is as
fair a place as any on earth, and richly beseen; and this damsel will
come to you anon, and then speak fair to her that she will give you
that sword.' Therewith came the damsel to King Arthur and saluted him,
and he her again. 'Damsel,' said the King, 'what sword is that which
the arm holdeth yonder above the water? I would it were mine, for I
have no sword.' 'Sir King,' said the damsel of the lake, 'that sword
is mine, and if ye will give me a gift when I ask it you, ye shall
have it.' 'By my faith,' said King Arthur, 'I will give you any gift
that you will ask or desire.' 'Well,' said the damsel, 'go into yonder
barge, and row yourself unto the sword, and take it and the scabbard
with you; and I will ask my gift when I see my time.' So King Arthur
and Merlin alighted, tied their horses to two trees, and so they went
into the barge. And when they came to the sword that the hand held,
King Arthur took it up by the handles, and took it with him, and the
arm and the hand went under the water; and so came to the land and
rode forth. King Arthur looked upon the sword, and liked it passing
well. 'Whether liketh you better,' said Merlin, 'the sword or the
scabbard?' 'Me liketh better the sword,' said King Arthur. 'Ye are
more unwise,' said Merlin, 'for the scabbard is worth ten of the
sword; for while ye have the scabbard upon you, ye shall lose no
blood, be ye never so sore wounded; therefore keep well the scabbard
alway with you.'"
[Illustration: KING ARTHUR AND MERLIN AT THE LAKE]
Sir Lancelot du Lac, son of King Ban of Benwik, was stolen and brought
up by the Lady of the Lake, from whose enchanted realm he took his
name. But he does not appear at all in true Celtic legend, and is a
mere Norman new-comer.
_Tristrem and Ysonde_
Following the Arthurian 'chronology' as set forth in the _Morte
d'Arthur_, we reach the great episode of Sir Tristrem of Lyonesse, a
legendary country off the coast of Cornwall. This most romantic yet
most human tale must be accounted one of the world's supreme love
stories. It has inspired some of our greatest poets, and moved Richard
Wagner to the composition of a splendid opera.
One of the first to bring this literary treasure to public notice was
Sir Walter Scott, who felt a strong chord vibrate in his romantic soul
when perusing that version of the tale of which Thomas of Ercildoune
is the reputed author. Taking this as the best and most ancient
version of _Tristrem_, we may detail its circumstances as follows:
The Duke Morgan and Roland Rise, Lord of Ermonie, two Cymric
chieftains, had long been at feud, and at length the smouldering
embers of enmity burst into open flame. In the contest that ensued the
doughty Roland prevailed, but he was a generous foe, and granted a
seven years' truce to his defeated adversary. Some time after this
event Roland journeyed into Cornwall to the Court of Mark, where he
carried off the honours in a tourney. But he was to win a more
precious prize in the love of the fair Princess Blancheflour, sister
of King Mark, who grew to adore him passionately.
Meanwhile Duke Morgan took foul advantage of the absence of Roland,
and invaded his land. Rohand, a trusty vassal of Roland, repaired to
Cornwall, where he sought out his master and told him of Morgan's
broken faith. Then Roland told Blancheflour of his plight, how that he
must return to his own realm, and she, fearing her brother Mark,
because she had given her love to Roland without the King's knowledge,
resolved to fly with her lover. The pair left Cornwall hurriedly, and,
reaching one of Roland's castles, were wed there. Roland, however, had
soon to don his armour, for news was brought to him that Duke Morgan
was coming against him with a great army. A fierce battle ensued, in
which Roland at first had the advantage, but the Duke, being
reinforced, pressed him hotly, and in the end Roland was defeated and
slain. Blancheflour received news of her lord's death immediately
before the birth of her son, and, sore stricken by the woeful news,
she named him Tristrem, or 'Child of Sorrow.' Then, recommending him
to the care of Rohand, to whom she gave a ring which had belonged to
King Mark, her brother, to prove Tristrem's relationship to that
prince, she expired, to the intense grief of all her attendants. To
secure the safety of his ward, Rohand passed him off as his own child,
inverting the form of his name to 'Tremtris.' Duke Morgan now ruled
over the land of Ermonie, and Rohand had perforce to pay him a
constrained homage.
When he arrived at a fitting age Tristrem was duly instructed in all
knightly games and exercises by his foster-father, and grew apace in
strength and skill. Once a Norwegian vessel arrived upon the coast of
Ermonie laden with a freight of hawks and treasure (hawks at that
period were often worth their weight in gold). The captain challenged
anyone to a game of chess with him for a stake of twenty shillings,
and Rohand and his sons, with Tristrem, went on board to play with
him. Tristrem moved so skilfully that he overcame the captain, and won
from him, in many games, six hawks and the sum of a hundred pounds.
While the games were proceeding Rohand went on shore, leaving Tristrem
in the care of his preceptor, and the false captain, to avoid paying
what he had lost, forced the preceptor to go on shore alone and put to
sea with the young noble.
The ship had no sooner sailed away than a furious gale arose, and as
it continued for some days the mariners became convinced that the
tempest was due to the injustice of their captain, and being in sore
dread, they paid Tristrem his winnings and set him ashore. Dressed in
a robe of 'blihand brown' (blue-brown), Tristrem found himself alone
on a rocky beach. First he knelt and requested Divine protection,
after which he ate some food which had been left him by the
Norwegians, and started to journey through a forest, in which he
encountered two palmers, who told him that he was in Cornwall. He
offered these men gold to guide him to the Court of the king of the
country, which they willingly undertook to do. On their way the
travellers fell in with a hunting party of nobles, and Tristrem was
shocked to see the awkward manner in which the huntsmen cut up some
stags they had slain. He could not restrain his feeling, and disputed
with the nobles upon the laws of venerie. Then he proceeded to skin a
buck for their instruction, like a right good forester, and ended by
blowing the _mort_ or death-token on a horn.
_Tristrem as Forester_
The nobles who beheld his skill were amazed, and speedily carried the
news to King Mark, who was highly interested. Tristrem was brought to
his presence and told his story, but Mark did not recognize that he
was speaking to his own nephew. The King's favourable impression was
confirmed by Tristrem's skill in playing the harp, and soon the youth
had endeared himself to the heart of the King, and was firmly settled
at the Court.
Meanwhile Rohand, distracted by the loss of his foster-son, searched
for him from one land to another without even renewing his tattered
garments. At last he encountered one of the palmers who had guided
Tristrem to the Court of King Mark, and learned of the great honour
accorded to his ward. At Rohand's request the palmer took him to
Mark's hall; but when Rohand arrived thither his tattered and forlorn
appearance aroused the contempt of the porter and usher and they
refused him entrance. Upon bestowing liberal largess, however, he was
at length brought to Tristrem, who presented him to King Mark as his
father, acquainting him at the same time with the cause of their
separation. When Rohand had been refreshed by a bath, and richly
attired by order of King Mark, the whole Court marvelled at his
majestic appearance.
Rohand, seated by King Mark's side at the banquet, imparted to him the
secret of Tristrem's birth, and in proof showed him the ring given him
by Blancheflour, whereupon Mark at once joyfully recognized Tristrem
as his nephew. Rohand further told of the tragic fate of Tristrem's
parents through the treachery of Duke Morgan, and Tristrem, fired by
the tale of wrong, vowed to return at once to Ermonie to avenge his
father's death.
_Tristrem Returns to Ermonie_
Although applauding his pious intention, Mark attempted to dissuade
his nephew from such an enterprise of peril, until, seeing that
Tristrem would not be gainsaid, the King conferred upon him the honour
of knighthood, and furnished him with a thousand men-at-arms. Thus
equipped, Tristrem set sail for Ermonie, and, safely arrived in that
kingdom, he garrisoned Rohand's castle with his Cornish forces.
He had no intention of remaining inactive, however, and once his men
were cared for, he repaired to the Court of the usurper, Duke Morgan,
accompanied by fifteen knights, each bearing a boar's head as a gift.
But Rohand, apprehending rashness on the part of his foster-son, took
the precaution of following with the Cornish men-at-arms and his own
vassals.
When Tristrem arrived the Duke was at the feast-board, and he demanded
Tristrem's name and business. Tristrem boldly declared himself, and at
the end of an angry parley the Duke struck him a sore blow. A moment
later swords were flashing, and it might have gone ill with Tristrem
had not Rohand with his men come up in the nick of time. In the end
Duke Morgan was slain and his followers routed. Having now recovered
his paternal domains Sir Tristrem conferred them upon Rohand, to be
held of himself as liege lord, and having done so he took leave of his
foster-father and returned to Cornwall.
_The Combat with Moraunt_
On arriving at the palace of Mark, Tristrem found the Court in dismay,
because of a demand for tribute made by the King of England. Moraunt,
the Irish ambassador to England, was charged with the duty of claiming
the tribute, which was no less than three hundred pounds of gold, as
many of coined silver, as many of tin, and a levy every fourth year of
three hundred Cornish children. Mark protested bitterly, and Tristrem
urged him to bid defiance to the English, swearing that he would
himself defend the freedom of Cornwall. His aid was reluctantly
accepted by the Grand Council, and he delivered to Moraunt a
declaration that no tribute was due. Moraunt retorted by giving
Tristrem the lie, and the champions exchanged defiance. They sailed in
separate boats to a small island to decide the issue in single combat,
and when they had landed Tristrem turned his boat adrift, saying
sternly that one vessel would suffice to take back the victor. The
champions mounted their steeds at the outset, but after the first
encounter Tristrem, leaping lightly from the saddle, engaged his
adversary on foot. The Knight of Ermonie was desperately wounded in
the thigh, but, rallying all his strength, he cleft Moraunt to the
chine, and, his sword splintering, a piece of the blade remained in
the wound.
Tristrem now returned to the mainland, where so great was the joy over
his return that he was appointed heir to Cornwall and successor to
Mark the Good. But his wound, having been inflicted by a poisoned
blade, grew more grievous day by day. No leech might cure it, and the
evil odour arising from the gangrene drove every one from his presence
save his faithful servitor Gouvernayl.
_Fytte the Second_
Fytte (or Part) the Second commences by telling how Tristrem, forsaken
by all, begged King Mark for a ship that he might leave the land of
Cornwall. Mark reluctantly granted his request, and the luckless
Tristrem embarked with Gouvernayl, his one attendant, and his harp as
his only solace. He steered for Caerleon, and remained nine weeks at
sea, but meeting contrary winds he was driven out of his course, and
at length came to the Irish coast, where he sought the haven of
Dublin. On arriving there he feigned that he had been wounded by
pirates, and learning that he was in Ireland, and recollecting that
Moraunt, whom he had slain, was the brother to the Queen of that land,
he thought it wise to assume once more the name of Tremtris.
Soon his fame as a minstrel reached the ears of the Queen of Ireland,
a lady deeply versed in the art of healing. She was, indeed, "the best
Couthe of Medicine"[56] Tristrem had seen, and in order to heal his
wound she applied to it "a plaster kene." Later she invited him to the
Court, where his skill in chess and games astonished every one. So
interested in him did the royal lady become at last that she undertook
to cure him, and effected her object by means of a medicated bath and
other medieval remedies. Then, on account of his fame as a minstrel,
he was given the task of instructing the Princess Ysonde--as the name
'Yseult' is written in this particular version.
This princess was much attached to minstrelsy and poetry, and under
the tuition of Tristrem she rapidly advanced in these arts, until at
length she had no equal in Ireland save her preceptor. And now
Tristrem, his health restored, and having completed Ysonde's
instruction, felt a strong desire to return to the Court of King Mark.
His request to be allowed to depart was most unwillingly granted by
the Queen, who at the leave-taking loaded him with gifts. With the
faithful Gouvernayl he arrived safely in Cornwall, where Mark received
him joyfully. When the King inquired curiously how his wound had been
cured, Tristrem told him of the great kindness of the Irish Queen, and
praised Ysonde so highly that the ardour of his uncle was aroused and
he requested Tristrem to procure him the hand of the damsel in
marriage. He assured Tristrem that no marriage he, the King, might
contract would annul the arrangement whereby Tristrem was to succeed
to the throne of Cornwall. The nobles were opposed to the King's
desires, which but strengthened Tristrem in his resolve to undertake
the embassage, for he thought that otherwise it might appear that he
desired the King to remain unmarried.
_The Marriage Embassy_
With a retinue of fifteen knights Tristrem sailed to Dublin in a ship
richly laden with gifts. Arrived at the Irish capital, he sent
magnificent presents to the King, Queen, and Princess, but did not
announce the nature of his errand. Hardly had his messengers departed
than he was informed that the people of Dublin were panic-stricken at
the approach of a terrible dragon. This monster had so affrighted the
neighbourhood that the hand of the Princess had been offered to anyone
who would slay it. Tristrem dared his knights to attack the dragon,
but one and all declined, so he himself rode out to give it battle. At
the first shock his lance broke on the monster's impenetrable hide,
his horse was slain, and he was forced to continue the fight on foot.
At length, despite its fiery breath, he succeeded in slaying the
dragon, and cut out its tongue as a trophy. But this exuded a subtle
poison which deprived him of his senses.
Thus overcome, Tristrem was discovered by the King's steward, who cut
off the dragon's head and returned with it to Court to demand the hand
of Ysonde. But the Queen and her daughter were dubious of the man's
story, and upon visiting the place where the dragon had been slain,
they came upon Tristrem himself. Their ministrations revived him, and
he showed them the dragon's tongue as proof that he had slain the
dread beast. He described himself as a merchant, and Ysonde, who did
not at first recognize him, expressed her regret that he was not a
knight. The Queen now caused him to be conveyed to the palace, where
he was refreshed by a bath, and the false steward was cast into
prison.
Meanwhile the suspicions of the Princess had been aroused, and the
belief grew that this 'merchant' who had slain the dragon was none
other than Tremtris, her old instructor. In searching for evidence to
confirm this conjecture she examined his sword, from which, she found,
a piece had been broken. Now, she possessed a fragment of a
sword-blade which had been taken out of the skull of Moraunt, her
uncle, and she discovered that this fragment fitted into the broken
place in Tristrem's sword, wherefore she concluded that the weapon
must have been that which slew the Irish ambassador. She reproached
Tristrem, and in her passion rushed upon him with his own sword. At
this instant her mother returned, and upon learning the identity of
Tristrem she was about to assist Ysonde to slay him in his bath when
the King arrived and saved him from the infuriated women. Tristrem
defended himself as having killed Moraunt in fair fight, and, smiling
upon Ysonde, he told her that she had had many opportunities of
slaying him while he was her preceptor Tremtris. He then proceeded to
make known the object of his embassy. He engaged that his uncle, King
Mark, should marry Ysonde, and it was agreed that she should be sent
under his escort to Cornwall.
It is clear that the Queen's knowledge of medicine was accompanied by
an acquaintance with the black art, for on the eve of her daughter's
departure she entrusted to Brengwain, a lady of Ysonde's suite, a
powerful philtre or love potion, with directions that Mark and his
bride should partake of it on the night of their marriage. While at
sea the party met with contrary winds, and the mariners were forced to
take to their oars. Tristrem exerted himself in rowing, and Ysonde,
remarking that he seemed much fatigued, called for drink to refresh
him. Brengwain, by a fateful error, presented the cup which held the
love potion. Both Tristrem and Ysonde unwittingly partook of this, and
a favourite dog, Hodain,
That many a forest day of fiery mirth
Had plied his craft before them,[57]
licked the cup. The consequence of this mistake was, of course, the
awakening of a consuming passion each for the other in Tristrem and
Ysonde. A fortnight later the ship arrived at Cornwall. Ysonde was
duly wed to King Mark, but her passion for Tristrem moved her to
induce her attendant Brengwain to take her place on the first night of
her nuptials.
Afterward, terrified lest Brengwain should disclose the secret in her
possession, Ysonde hired two ruffians to dispatch her. But the
damsel's entreaties softened the hearts of the assassins and they
spared her life. Subsequently Ysonde repented of her action and
Brengwain was reinstated in full favour.
_The Minstrel's Boon_
An Irish earl, a former admirer of Ysonde, arrived one day at the
Court of Cornwall disguised as a minstrel and bearing a harp of
curious workmanship, the appearance of which excited the curiosity of
King Mark, who requested him to perform upon it. The visitor demanded
that the King should first promise to grant him a boon, and the King
having pledged his royal word, the minstrel sang to the harp a lay in
which he claimed Ysonde as the promised gift.[58] Mark, having pledged
his honour, had no alternative but to become forsworn or to deliver
his wife to the harper, and he reluctantly complied with the
minstrel's demand. Tristrem, who had been away hunting, returned
immediately after the adventurous earl had departed with his fair
prize. He upbraided the King for his extravagant sense of honour, and,
snatching up his rote, or harp, hastened to the seashore, where Ysonde
had already embarked. There he sat down and played, and the sound so
deeply affected Ysonde that she became seriously ill, so that the earl
was induced to return with her to land. Ysonde pretended that
Tristrem's music was necessary to her recovery, and the earl, to whom
Tristrem was unknown, offered to take him in his train to Ireland. The
earl had dismounted from the horse he was riding and was preparing to
return on board, when Tristrem sprang into the saddle, and, seizing
Ysonde's horse by the bridle, plunged into the forest. Here the lovers
remained for a week, after which Tristrem restored Ysonde to her
husband.
[Illustration: TRISTREM AND YSONDE]
Not unnaturally suspicion was aroused regarding the relations between
Tristrem and Ysonde. Meriadok, a knight of Cornwall, and an intimate
friend of Tristrem, was perhaps the most suspicious of all, and one
snowy evening he traced his friend to Ysonde's bower, to which
Tristrem gained entrance by a sliding panel. In this a piece of
Tristrem's green kirtle was left, and Meriadok bore the fragment to
the King, to whom he unfolded his suspicions. To test the truth of
these Mark pretended that he was going on a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, and asked his wife to whose care she would wish to be committed.
Ysonde at first named Tristrem, but on the advice of Brengwain resumed
the subject later and feigned a mortal hatred for her lover, which she
ascribed to the scandal she had suffered on his account. The fears of
the simple Mark were thus lulled to sleep; but those of Meriadok were
by no means laid at rest. On his advice Mark definitely separated the
lovers, confining Ysonde to a bower and sending Tristrem to a
neighbouring city. But Tristrem succeeded in communicating with Ysonde
by means of leafy twigs thrown into the river which ran through her
garden, and they continued to meet.
Their interviews were, however, discovered by the aid of a dwarf who
concealed himself in a tree. One night Mark took the dwarf's place,
but the lovers were made aware of his presence by his shadow and
pretended to be quarrelling, Tristrem saying that Ysonde had
supplanted him in the King's affections. Mark's suspicions were thus
soothed for the time being. On another occasion Tristrem was not so
fortunate, and, being discovered, was forced to flee the country.
_The Ordeal by Fire_
Mark now resolved to test his wife's innocence by the dread ordeal by
fire, and he journeyed with his Court to Westminster, where the trial
was to take place. Tristrem, disguised as a peasant, joined the
retinue, and when the party arrived in the Thames he carried Ysonde
from the ship to the shore. When the moment for the ordeal came the
Queen protested her innocence, saying that no man had ever laid hands
upon her save the King and the peasant who had carried her from the
ship. Mark, satisfied by her evident sincerity, refused to proceed
further with the trial, and Ysonde thus escaped the awful test.
Tristrem then betook him to Wales, and the fame of his prowess in that
land came at length to Cornwall, so that at last his uncle grew heavy
at heart for his absence and desired sight of him. Once more he
returned, but his fatal passion for Ysonde was not abated, and became
at length so grievous to the good King that he banished both of the
lovers from his sight. The two fled to a forest, and there dwelt in a
cavern, subsisting upon venison, the spoil of Tristrem's bow. One day,
weary with the chase, Tristrem lay down to rest by the side of the
sleeping Ysonde, placing his drawn sword between them. Mark, passing
that way, espied them, and from the naked sword inferring their
innocence, became reconciled to them once more. But again suspicion
fell upon them, and again Tristrem was forced to flee.
_Tristrem in Brittany_
After many adventures in Spain Tristrem arrived in Brittany, where he
aided the Duke of that country with his sword. The Duke's daughter,
known as Ysonde of the White Hand, hearing him sing one night a song
of the beauty of Ysonde, thought that Tristrem was in love with her.
The Duke therefore offered Tristrem his daughter's hand, and, in
despair of seeing Ysonde of Ireland again, he accepted the honour. But
on the wedding-day the first Ysonde's ring dropped from his finger as
if reproaching him with infidelity, and in deep remorse he vowed that
Ysonde of Brittany should be his wife in name only.
Now the Duke of Brittany bestowed on Tristrem a fair demesne divided
by an arm of the sea from the land of a powerful and savage giant
named Beliagog, and he warned his son-in-law not to incur the
resentment of this dangerous neighbour. But one day Tristrem's hounds
strayed into the forest land of Beliagog, and their master, following
them, was confronted by the wrathful owner. A long and cruel combat
ensued, and at last Tristrem lopped off one of the giant's feet.
Thereupon the monster craved mercy, which was granted on the condition
that he should build a hall in honour of Ysonde of Ireland and her
maiden, Brengwain. This hall was duly raised, and upon its walls was
portrayed to the life the whole history of Tristrem, with pictures of
Ysonde of Ireland, Brengwain, Mark, and other characters in the tale.
Tristrem, the Duke, Ysonde of Brittany, and Ganhardin, her brother,
were riding to see this marvel when Ysonde confessed to Ganhardin that
Tristrem did not regard her as his wife. Ganhardin, angered,
questioned Tristrem, who concealed nothing from him and recounted to
him the story of his love for the Queen of Cornwall. Ganhardin was
deeply interested, and on beholding the picture of Brengwain in the
newly erected hall he fell violently in love with her.
_The Forest Lovers_
Tristrem now returned to Cornwall with Ganhardin, and encountered
Ysonde the Queen and the fair Brengwain. But one Canados, the King's
Constable, discovered them and carried the ladies back to Court.
Ganhardin made the best of his way home to Brittany, but Tristrem
remained in Cornwall, disguised as a beggar.
Our story now tells of a great tournament at the Cornish Court, and
how Ganhardin hied him from Brittany and rejoined Tristrem. The two
entered the lists and took up the challenge of Meriadok and Canados.
Tristrem, tilting at his old enemy, wounded him desperately. The issue
of the combat between Canados and Ganhardin hung in the balance when
Tristrem, charging at the Constable, overthrew and slew him. Then,
fired with the lust of conquest, Tristrem bore down upon his foes and
exacted a heavy toll of lives. So great was the scathe done that day
that Tristrem and Ganhardin were forced once more to fly to Brittany,
where in an adventure Tristrem received an arrow in his old wound.
_The French Manuscript_
At this point the Auchinleck MS., from which this account is taken,
breaks off, and the story is concluded, in language similar to that of
the original, by Sir Walter Scott, who got his materials from an old
French version of the tale.
We read that Tristrem suffered sorely from his wound, in which, as
before, gangrene set in. Aware that none but Ysonde of Ireland could
cure him, the stricken knight called Ganhardin to his side and urged
him to go with all speed to Cornwall and tell the Queen of his mortal
extremity. He entrusted him with his ring, and finally requested the
Breton knight to take with him two sails, one white and the other
black, the first to be hoisted upon his return should Ysonde accompany
him back to Brittany, the sable sail to be raised should his embassy
fail of success. Now Ysonde of Brittany overheard all that was said,
her jealous fears were confirmed, and she resolved to be revenged upon
her husband.
Ganhardin voyaged quickly to Cornwall, and arrived at the Court of
King Mark disguised as a merchant. In order to speed his mission he
presented rich gifts to the King, and also a cup to Ysonde, into which
he dropped Tristrem's ring. This token procured him a private audience
with the Queen, and when she learned the deadly peril of her lover,
Ysonde hastily disguised herself and fled to the ship with Ganhardin.
In due course the vessel arrived off the coast of Brittany, carrying
the white sail which was to signify to Tristrem that Ysonde was
hastening to his aid. But Ysonde of Brittany was watching, and
perceiving from the signal that her rival was on board she hurried to
her husband's couch. Tristrem begged her to tell him the colour of the
sail, and in the madness of jealousy Ysonde said that it was black,
upon which, believing himself forsaken by his old love, the knight
sank back and expired.
Tristrem had scarce breathed his last when Ysonde entered the castle.
At the gate an old man was mourning Tristrem's death, and hearing the
ominous words which he uttered she hastened to the chamber where the
corpse of him she had loved so well was lying. With a moan she cast
herself upon the body, covering the dead face with kisses and pleading
upon the silent lips to speak. Realizing at last that the spirit had
indeed quitted its mortal tenement, she raised herself to her feet and
stood for a moment gazing wildly into the fixed and glassy eyes; then
with a great cry she fell forward upon the breast of her lover and was
united with him in death.
Other versions of the story, with all the wealth of circumstance dear
to the writer of romance, tell of the grievous mourning made at the
death of the lovers, whom no fault of their own had doomed to the
tyranny of a mutual passion, and it is recounted that even King Mark,
wronged and shamed as he was, was unable to repress his grief at their
pitiful end.
Despite the clumsiness of much of its machinery, despite its tiresome
repetitions and its minor blemishes, this tale of a grand passion must
ever remain one of the world's priceless literary possessions. "Dull
must he be of soul" who, even in these days when folk no longer expire
from an excess of the tender passion, can fail to be moved by the sad
fate of the fair Queen and of her gallant minstrel-knight.
Swiche lovers als thei
Never schal be moe.
And so they take their place with Hero and Leander, with Abélard and
Héloïse, with Romeo and Juliet.
It would be unfitting here to tell how mythology has claimed the story
of Tristrem and Ysonde and has attempted to show in what manner the
circumstances of their lives and adventures have been adapted to the
old world-wide myth of the progress of the sun from dawn to
darkness.[59] The evidence seems very complete, and the theory is
probably well founded. The circumstances of the great epic of the
sun-god fits most hero-tales. And it is well to recollect that even if
romance-makers seized upon the plot of the old myth they did so
unconscious of its mythic significance, and probably because it may
have been employed in the heroic literature of "Rome la grant."
_The Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel_
It was when he arrived in Brittany to ward off the projected invasion
of England by the Roman Emperor Lucius that King Arthur encountered
and slew a giant of "marvellous bigness" at St Michael's Mount, near
Pontorson. This monster, who had come from Spain, had made his lair on
the summit of the rocky island, whither he had carried off the Lady
Helena, niece of Duke Hoel of Brittany. Many were the knights who
surrounded the giant's fastness, but none might come at him, for when
they attacked him he would sink their ships by hurling mighty boulders
upon them, while those who succeeded in swimming to the island were
slain by him ere they could get a proper footing. But Arthur,
undismayed by what he had heard, waited until nightfall; then, when
all were asleep, with Kay the seneschal and Bedivere the butler, he
started on his way to the Mount.
As the three approached the rugged height they beheld a fire blazing
brightly on its summit, and saw also that upon a lesser eminence in
the sea some distance away a smaller fire was burning. Bedivere was
dispatched in a boat to discover who had lit the fire on the smaller
island. Having landed there, he found an old woman lamenting loudly.
"Good mother," said he, "wherefore do you mourn? What has befallen you
in this place that you weep so sorely?"
"Ah, young sir," replied the dame, drying her tears, "get thee back
from this place, I beseech thee, for as thou livest the monster who
inhabits yonder mount will rend thee limb from limb and sup on thy
flesh. But yesterday I was the nurse of the fair Helena, niece to Duke
Hoel, who lies buried here by me."
"Alas! then, the lady is no more?" cried Bedivere, in distress.
"So it is," replied the old woman, weeping more bitterly than ever,
"for when that accursed giant did seize upon her terror did so
overcome her that her spirit took flight. But tarry not on this dread
spot, noble youth, for if her fierce slayer should encounter thee he
will put thee to a shameful death, and afterward devour thee as is his
wont with all those whom he kills."
Bedivere comforted the old woman as best he might, and, returning to
Arthur, told him what he had heard. Now on hearing of the damsel's
death great anger took hold upon the King, so that he resolved to
search out the giant forthwith and slay or be slain by him. Desiring
Kay and Bedivere to follow, he dismounted and commenced to climb St
Michael's Mount, closely attended by his companions.
[Illustration: KING ARTHUR AND THE GIANT OF MONT-SAINT-MICHEL]
On reaching the summit a gruesome spectacle awaited them. The great
fire that they had seen in the distance was blazing fiercely, and
bending over it was the giant, his cruel and contorted features
besmeared with the blood of swine, portions of which he was toasting
on spits. Startled at the sight of the knights, the monster rushed to
where his club lay. This purpose Arthur deemed he might prevent, and,
covering himself with his shield, he ran at him while yet he fumbled
for the weapon. But with all his agility he was too late, for the
giant seized the mighty sapling and, whirling it in the air, brought
it down on the King's shield with such force that the sound of the
stroke echoed afar. Nothing daunted, Arthur dealt a trenchant stroke
with Excalibur, and gave the giant a cut on the forehead which made
the blood gush forth over his eyes so as nearly to blind him. But
shrewd as was the blow, the giant had warded his forehead with his
club in such wise that he had not received a deadly wound, and,
watching his chance with great cunning, he rushed in within the sweep
of Arthur's sword, gripped him round the middle, and forced him to the
ground.
Iron indeed would have been the grasp which could have held a knight
so doughty as Arthur. Slipping from the monster's clutches, the King
hacked at his adversary now in one place, now in another, till at
length he smote the giant so mightily that Excalibur was buried deep
in his brain-pan. The giant fell like an oak torn up by the roots in
the fury of the winds. Rushing up as he crashed to the earth, Sir
Bedivere struck off the hideous head, grinning in death, to be a show
to those in the tents below.
"But let them behold it in silence and without laughter," the King
charged Sir Bedivere, "for never since I slew the giant Ritho upon
Mount Eryri have I encountered so mighty an adversary."
And so they returned to their tents with daybreak.
_A Doubting Thomas_
It is strange to think that Brittany, one of the cradles of Arthurian
legend, could have produced a disbeliever in that legend so early as
the year of grace 1113. It is on record that some monks from Brittany
journeyed to England in that year, and were shown by the men of Devon
"the chair and the oven of that King Arthur renowned in the stories of
the Britons." They passed on to Cornwall, and when, in the church at
Bodmin, one of their servants dared to question the statement of a
certain Cornishman that Arthur still lived, he received such a buffet
for his temerity that a small riot ensued.[60] Does not this seem to
be evidence that the legend was more whole-heartedly believed in in
the Celtic parts of England, and was therefore more exclusively native
to those parts than to Continental Brittany? The Cornish allegiance to
the memory of Arthur seems to have left little to be desired.
_Arthur and the Dragon_
The manner in which Arthur slew a dragon at the Lieue de Grève, and at
the same time made the acquaintance of St Efflam of Ireland, is told
by Albert le Grand, monk of Morlaix. Arthur had been sojourning at the
Court of Hoel, Duke of Armorica, and, having freed his own land of
dragons and other monsters, was engaged in hunting down the great
beasts with which Armorica abounded. But the monster which infested
the Lieue de Grève was no ordinary dragon. Indeed, he was the most
cunning saurian in Europe, and was wont to retire backward into the
great cavern in which he lived so that when traced to it those who
tracked him would believe that he had just quitted it.
In this manner he succeeded in deceiving Arthur and his knights, who
for days lingered in the vicinity of his cave in the hope of
encountering him. One day as they stood on the seashore waiting for
the dragon a sail hove in sight, and soon a large coracle made of
wicker-work covered with skins appeared. The vessel grounded and its
occupants leapt ashore, headed by a young man of princely mien, who
advanced toward Arthur and saluted him courteously.
"Fair sir," he said, "to what shore have I come? I am Efflam, the
King's son, of Ireland. The winds have driven us out of our course,
and full long have we laboured in the sea."
Now when Arthur heard the young man's name he embraced him heartily.
"Welcome, cousin," he said. "You are in the land of Brittany. I am
Arthur of Britain, and I rejoice at this meeting, since it may chance
from it that I can serve you."
Then Efflam told Arthur the reason of his voyaging. He had been wed to
the Princess Enora, daughter of a petty king of Britain, but on his
wedding night a strong impulse had come upon him to leave all and make
his penitence within some lonely wood, where he could be at peace from
the world. Rising from beside his sleeping wife, he stole away, and
rousing several trusty servitors he set sail from his native shores.
Soon his frail craft was caught in a tempest, and after many days
driven ashore as had been seen.
Arthur marvelled at the impulse which had prompted Efflam to seek
retirement, and was about to express his surprise when the youth
startled him by telling him that as his vessel had approached the
shore he and his men had caught sight of the dragon entering his
cave.
At these words Arthur armed himself without delay with his sword
Excalibur and his lance Ron, and, followed by his knights and by
Efflam, drew near the cavern. As he came before the entrance the
dragon issued forth, roaring in so terrible a manner that all but the
King were daunted and drew back. The creature's appearance was
fearsome in the extreme. He had one red eye in the centre of his
forehead, his shoulders were covered with green scales like plates of
mail, his long, powerful tail was black and twisted, and his vast
mouth was furnished with tusks like those of a wild boar.
Grim and great was the combat. For three days did it rage, man and
beast struggling through the long hours for the mastery which neither
seemed able to obtain. At the end of that time the dragon retired for
a space into his lair, and Arthur, worn out and well-nigh broken by
the long-drawn strife, threw himself down beside Efflam in a state of
exhaustion.
"A draught of water, fair cousin," he cried in a choking voice. "I
perish with thirst."
But no water was to be found in that place save that of the salt sea
which lapped the sands of Grève. Efflam, however, was possessed of a
faith that could overcome all difficulties. Kneeling, he engaged in
earnest prayer, and, arising, struck the hard rock three times with
his rod. "Our blessed Lord will send us water," he exclaimed, and no
sooner had he spoken than from the stone a fountain of pure crystal
water gushed and bubbled.
With a cry of ecstasy Arthur placed his lips to the stream and quaffed
the much-needed refreshment. His vigour restored, he was about to
return to the dragon's cavern to renew the combat when he was
restrained by Efflam.
"Cousin," said he of Ireland, "you have tried what can be done by
force; now let us see what can be achieved by prayer."
Arthur, marvelling and humbled, sat near the young man as he prayed.
All night he was busied in devotions, and at sunrise he arose and
walked boldly to the mouth of the cavern.
"Thou spawn of Satan," he cried, "in the name of God I charge thee to
come forth!"
A noise as of a thousand serpents hissing in unison followed this
challenge, and from out his lair trailed the great length of the
dragon, howling and vomiting fire and blood. Mounting to the summit of
a neighbouring rock, he vented a final bellow and then cast himself
into the sea. The blue water was disturbed as by a maelstrom; then all
was peace again.
So perished the dragon of the Lieue de Grève, and so was proved the
superiority of prayer over human strength and valour. St Efflam and
his men settled on the spot as hermits, and were miraculously fed by
angels. Efflam's wife, Enora, was borne to him by angels in that
place, only to die when she had joined him. And when they came to tell
Efflam that his new-found lady was no more and was lying cold in the
cell he had provided for her, their news fell on deaf ears, for he too
had passed away. He is buried in Plestin Church, and his effigy,
standing triumphant above an open-mouthed dragon, graces one of its
many niches.
_The Isle of Avalon_
The Bretons believe that an island off Trégastel, on the coast of the
department of Côtes-du-Nord, is the fabled Isle of Avalon to which
King Arthur, sore wounded after his last battle, was borne to be
healed of his hurts. With straining eyes the fisherman watches the
mist-wrapped islet, and, peering through the evening haze, cheats
himself into the belief that giant forms are moving upon its shores
and that spectral shapes flit across its sands--that the dark hours
bring back the activities of the attendant knights and enchantresses
of the mighty hero of Celtdom, who, refreshed by his long repose, will
one day return to the world of men and right the great wrongs which
afflict humanity.
FOOTNOTES:
[54] _The Flourishing of Romance and the Rise of Allegory_, p. 135.
[55] No matter.
[56] _I.e._ had the best knowledge of medicine. _Couthe_, from A.S.
_cunnan_ to know.
[57] Swinburne, _Tristram of Lyonesse_.
[58] This incident is common in Celtic romance, and seems to have been
widely used in nearly all medieval literatures.
[59] See Rev. Sir G. W. Cox, _Introduction to Mythology_, p. 326 ff.
[60] See Zimmer, _Zeitschrift für Französische Sprache und Literatur_,
xii, pp. 106 ff.