(Romania VIII. 1879) from a MS. in the Bibliotheque Nationale, and
previously unknown. It will be seen that it really consists of two
distinct stories: (_a_) Tyolet's _Enfances_; (_b_) his achieving of
the adventure of the white-footed stag. Whether these two stories
originally related to the same hero is doubtful, but both are of
considerable importance for the criticism of the Arthurian legend.
(_a_) Tyolet's _Enfances_.--This story certainly bears a strong
resemblance to the "Perceval" story as related by Chretien de Troyes
and Wolfram von Eschenbach; but while in some points it seems to have
preserved more archaic features, in others it is distinctly more
modern. Thus the lad's confusion of the knight with a beast seems a
primitive trait, as does also his fairy gift of attracting beasts
by whistling, and the curious transformation of the stag, while
his behaviour on arriving at court, on the other hand, is far more
civilised than that of Perceval. One naturally asks where had he
learnt of tourneys and joustings and the knightly duty of "largesse"?
The probability is that we have here a revised, and independent,
version of the popular folk-tale which under the hands of certain
twelfth-century poets developed into the Perceval romance.
(_b_) _Le cerf au pied blanc._ This story is also found in the vast
compilation of Arthurian romance known as the Dutch _Lancelot_.
There the adventure is attributed to Lancelot, but with certain
variants--_e.g._, Kay, and not Lodoer, is the first to attempt the
adventure, and to fail through cowardice (a trait entirely in accord
with the role played by Kay in the later Arthurian story); Lancelot
slays the lions _before_ cutting off the foot of the stag; and he
does not marry the lady, who in this version has not herself visited
Arthur's court but has sent a messenger. This at once points to a later
redaction of the story; the hero certainly ought to marry the maiden at
whose instigation he undertakes the adventure.
The part played by the traitor knight did not, I venture to think,
originally belong to the story; it is part of a very widely spread
Aryan folk-tale, generally relating to the slaying of a dragon or
similar monster. Mr. Hartland has given a long list of the variants
of this in _The Legend of Perseus_, vol. iii. A very fine specimen is
contained in the early _Tristan_ poems, notably that of Gottfried von
Strassburg, and another version, that contained in the poem of _Morien_
ascribes the adventure to _Lancelot_. It may be remarked that in both
the "Lancelot" versions, as in this _lai_ of Tyolet, it is Gawain who
seeks the hero, and chivalrously defends his claim against that of
the traitor. The story certainly must have become connected with the
Arthurian legend at a time when Gawain was still the _beau-ideal_ of
knightly courtesy.
The original tale at the root of the _Cerf au pied blanc_ was, I
believe, a transformation tale; the stag was the enchanted relative
of the lady who instigated the adventure, and the spell could only
be broken by smiting off the animal's foot (as in many instances it
is necessary to cut off the head of the victim of magic spells); this
seems to me the only explanation of what is here a pointless act of
cruelty. Probably the connecting link with the tale of Tyolet is
the mysterious stag-knight of the first part, not the fairy gift of
whistling as M. Gaston Paris suggested. I believe the story to be the
origin of the white stag guarded by _six_ lions in the Prose Lancelot,
which in the "Queste" changes with its _four_ attendant lions into Our
Lord and the Four Evangelists. The real meaning of the story has here
been preserved. This solution is also indicated by the fact that one of
the shapes assumed by Merlin in his numerous transformations is that of
a stag _with one white foot_ (_cf._ "Merlin," Sommer's edition, xxiii.
p. 302).
In connection with this it may be noted that a story published in the
_Scottish Celtic Review_, vol. i., "Macphie's Black Dog," contains a
striking parallel to _Tyolet_. The hero goes forth to shoot and sees a
royal stag, but whenever he raises his gun to fire the animal changes
into a woman. I think it is clear that in _Tyolet_ we have the Perceval
Enfances plus a transformation tale.
THE WERE-WOLF.
The source of this is the _Lai du Bisclavaret_, by Marie de France. She
was evidently relating a popular tradition, and there can be little
doubt that it is the story referred to by Malory in the passage quoted
at the heading of the tale. In Marie's _Lai_ none of the characters are
named.
The same story appears to be at the root of a Celtic folk-tale,
_Morraha_, published by Mr. Jacobs in his collection entitled, "More
Celtic Fairy Tales," here, however, being only subsidiary, a story
within a story. Elsewhere I have found no trace of it, but the
reference in Malory appeared to justify its inclusion among Arthurian
tales.
Since writing this note Mr. Nutt has drawn my attention to a tale
published in the _Scottish Celtic Review_, referred to above, "How
the Great Tuairisgeul was put to Death." This tale strongly resembles
_Morraha_, only the transformation is brought about by the spells of
a witch employed by the stepmother, and is not the deed of the wife.
_Morraha_ seems to occupy a position between our tale and this. It
may be suggested that there is a certain resemblance between the name
Morraha, and that given by Malory for the hero of the story _Marrok_.
It is worth noting that in both these tales the sympathy of the reader
is invited for the wolf. As a rule a were-wolf is an object of dread
and abhorrence.
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