The Mammoth Book of King Arthur (73 page)

MERAUGIS DE PORTLESGUEZ,
Raoul de Houdenc (French,
c
1210s) 5,938 lines.

Possibly by the same author as
La Vengeance Raguidel
, and probably the same as the Beauvais knight Radulfus de Hosdenc. This poem of romantic rivalry cleverly weaves
together playful adventures and a more serious quasi-mystical quest by Gawain to find the Sword of Strange Hangings (which was a key element in the Grail Quests). The main story line concerns the
rivalry between Meraugis and Gorvain for the love of Lidoine and the various exploits Meraugis has to undergo to prove his worth.

YDER,
anon. (French, 1210s) 6,769 lines.

A verse romance about Yder, an illegitimate squire who sets out to find his father Nuc, and falls in love with Queen Guenloie. He saves King Arthur who has been attacked but
when Arthur is less than grateful Yder supports Talac de Rogemont, whose castle Arthur is besieging. Three times Yder defeats Kay, who takes his revenge by trying to poison Yder. He is healed by
Guenloie and saves Guenièvre when she is attacked by a bear. He also fights a duel with his father before realizing who he is. He is accepted into the Round Table but Arthur becomes jealous
of him because Guenièvre states that had she not married Arthur she would have married Yder. Yder successfully completes a quest for Guenloie and marries her, whilst his mother also marries
his father. Yder seems a prototype for Lancelot and some have suggested that Guenloie was a variant for Guenevere.

DANIEL VON DEM BLÜHENDEN TAL
(Daniel of the Flowering Valley), Der Stricker (German,
c
1215) 8,482 lines.

The young Daniel comes to Arthur’s court and undertakes a series of quests against a supernatural foe. The story is one of adventure rather than courtly intrigue, and
Arthur himself takes
part in the exploits, which include the abduction of the Queen. It is clearly influenced not only by the stories of Lancelot and Perceval but also such
Greek and Roman stories as the tale of Medusa. What is most original about the story is that Daniel succeeds more by cunning than strength or force. Indeed the story seems to question current
ideals of warfare.

→ The story was reworked as
Garel vom blühenden Tal
(Garel of the Flowering Valley) by Der Pleier (Austrian,
c
1240s) but with fewer Arthurian
connections.

JAUFRÉ,
anon. (French, c1220s) 10,956 lines.

The only surviving Provençal Arthurian romance, this is a bright, lively, humorous tale of chivalry that verges on the parodic. Dates for its composition have varied from
the 1180s to the 1220s, but the obvious familiarity with the work of Chrétien and the dedication to a young king of Aragon tend to favour dates either around 1204/5 or 1225.

The story is simple but compelling. Jaufré, whom most commentators see as a version of Chrétien’s Girflet, sets out from Arthur’s court to avenge both Arthur and the
knight Melian against the brutal Taulat de Rogimon (see Yder). There are various adventures and misadventures and the inevitable love interest before all is brought to a satisfactory conclusion
when Jaufré rescues and marries Brunissen.

GLIGLOIS,
anon. (French,
c
1220s) 2,942 lines.

A courtly romance which just happens to be set at Carduel. The young Gliglois comes to Arthur’s court, determined to be a knight, and becomes Gawain’s squire. Both
fall in love with the same maiden, Guenevere’s handmaid Beauté, but whilst Gawain assumes she will love him because of his reputation, Gliglois works hard to prove his worth, and
succeeds.

DURMART LE GALLOIS,
anon. (French, late 1220s/1230s) 15,998 lines.

Durmart is the son of the King of Ireland and Denmark, though his name suggests he is Welsh. A lusty young man, he needs to prove himself after having had an affair with the
wife of his father’s seneschal. Learning of the beauty of the Queen of Ireland he determines to win her hand. When they do meet he does not recognize her and continues in his quest. He is
welcomed by Arthur’s court, having rescued Guenevere from a brutish knight, but he refuses to join the Round Table until he has found his love. He finds her in Limerick under siege, but the
culprit flees rather than combat Durmart. Rescued, the queen marries Durmart. At one stage the queen is accused of atheism whilst Durmart undertakes a pilgrimage to Rome. He also, surprisingly,
sits at the Siege Perilous when he visits Camelot, even though that’s against all the rules. The author was evidently modelling Durmart on Perceval, but the end result is unconvincing.

HISTORIA MERIADOCI
(The Story of Meriadoc), anon. (Anglo-Norman, late 1270s).

A Latin prose romance, probably by the same author as
De Ortu Waluuanii.
It concerns Meriadoc, heir to the throne of Cambria in the days of Uther Pendragon.
Meriadoc’s father Caradoc is killed by his brother Griffin, who usurps the throne. Meriadoc and his sister Orwen are raised by the old king’s huntsman. He becomes a knight at
Arthur’s court, and with Arthur’s help wins
back his kingdom and brings his uncle to justice. Meriadoc, however, feeling he is not ready to rule, leaves the
kingdom in the hands of his sister’s husband Urien of Scotland, and returns to serve under King Arthur. He helps in the defeat of the Black Knight of the Black Forest which sets in chain a
series of events that becomes Meriadoc’s quest to help the Emperor of the Alemanni quell the many warring factions in Europe. Although he succeeds, Meriadoc is tricked by the German emperor
and turns to the King of Gaul for his final victory. He is rewarded with many lands which he rules on behalf of the King of Gaul, who has now become the German emperor.

WIGAMUR,
anon. (German,
c
1250s), 6,000 lines.

A minor verse romance which survives only in a few incomplete forms. It is derivative of the story of Lanzelet but otherwise has few recognizable Arthurian traits. Wigamur, the
son of a king, is abducted in his youth and raised by a water fey. He becomes chivalrous and courteous, and enters the service of Arthur’s uncle Yttra. He later accompanies Arthur in support
of Queen Ysope, who is under siege by the heathen King Marroch. Wigamur discovers his true identity and marries his true love.

TANDAREIS UND FLORDIBEL,
Der Pleier (Austrian,
c
1250s), 18,339 lines.

MELERANZ,
Der Pleier (Austrian,
c
1250s), 12,834 lines.

Tandareis
is a courtly romance of minor Arthurian association, of interest because it casts Arthur in a dark light. Tandareis is in love with Flordibel, but Arthur
declares he will kill anyone who claims her love. The couple elope and Arthur pursues, but Gawain achieves an agreement. Tandareis has to prove himself on various quests abroad. He succeeds
admirably but refuses to return to Arthur’s court, even though Arthur now wants him back. All, though, eventually ends happily.

Meleranz
is of even less Arthurian interest, though may be seen as the stereotypical romance. A young prince wants to become a knight at Arthur’s court. On his
way he falls in love with the young queen Tydomie. Meleranz continues to Arthur’s court and after two years becomes a knight. Wishing to return to claim the hand of Tydomie, he undergoes
various adventures and rescues Tydomie from the clutches of King Libers.

TOREC,
Jacob van Maerlant (Dutch,
c
1262), 3,850 lines.

Almost certainly a translation of an anonymous French poem,
Torrez, le chevalier au cercle d’or
, which no longer survives, though we do not know what changes
Maerlant wrought. A precious diadem is stolen from Torec’s grandmother and he searches for it. It comes into the hands of Miraude who has vowed to marry the knight who will defeat all the
other knights of the Round Table. Gawain conspires to help Torec by cutting the saddle girths of the knights so that Torec prevails.

FLORIANT ET FLORETE,
anon. (French,
c
1260s), 8,278 lines.

Another stereotypical romance. Floriant is the posthumous son of the king of Sicily, who has been murdered by his seneschal. Floriant is abducted by Morgan le Fay who educates
him in all the arts and sends him on a magic ship to Arthur’s court. Hardly has he arrived than he learns that his true mother is being besieged by the seneschal in Sicily so returns,
supported by Arthur. Floriant is victorious and marries Florete, daughter of the Emperor of Constantinople. Like Chrétien’s Erec, Floriant is accused of idleness and so sets off across
Europe to Britain with Florete, encountering many adventures including one where she saves him from a dragon. He settles down again in Sicily and, at the end, follows a white stag to Morgan’s
castle. The ending is missing.

CLARIS ET LARIS,
anon. (French, begun 1268), 30,370 lines.

Claris and Laris are two friends at the court of Arthur. Laris is abducted by the fey Madoine, and after much adventuring is rescued by Claris, who then marries Lidoine, widow
of the King of Gascony. Laris professes his love for Marine, sister of Yvain. Marine’s father King Urien is besieged by the king of Denmark, and is helped by the two friends along with Gawain
and Yvain. Laris is taken prisoner, however, and it requires a fair amount of questing and adventuring, plus the help of Merlin, before he is found and marries Marine.

LES MERVEILLES DE RIGOMER
(The Marvels of Rigomer), Jehan (French,
c
1270s), 17,271 lines.

A curious Arthurian romp written more like a parody. A maiden seeks the help of Arthur’s knights to rid her mistress’s castle of enchantment. The castle, called
Rigomer, is purportedly in Ireland. Lancelot undertakes the task, and has many adventures before he reaches the castle, but contact with a magical lance deprives him of all power and he ends up as
a scullion. Gawain and other knights have to rescue Lancelot and they too meet many strange and supernatural foes until at last Gawain triumphs. There is a separate quest where Arthur and Lancelot
manage to right the wrongs done to the heiress of Quintefuele. The ending is missing but this does not detract from the overall gusto of the narrative.

ESCANOR,
Girart d’Amiens (French, late 1270s), nearly 26,000 lines.

A romance dedicated to Eleanor of Castile and her husband Edward I, this is a stereotypical miscellany drawing upon Arthurian motifs to create two new stories. In the first, Kay
falls in love with Andrivete of Northumberland but does not
declare his feelings, so has to rescue her when, after her father’s death, she nearly enters into an enforced
lowly marriage. The second has Gawain accused of murder and disinclined to challenge his accuser, Escanor le Beau. It is left to Galantivet to champion Gawain’s honour. Escanor’s uncle
pursues Gawain but instead captures Galantivet’s brother Gifflet, and only then is Gawain galvanised into action to save the day.

DIE RIDDERE METTER MOUWEN
(The Knight with the Sleeve), anon. (Dutch, late 1290s), 4,020 lines.

A routine late verse romance, probably based on an earlier lost
lai
and only incidentally Arthurian. Miraudijs is a foundling raised in a monastery who comes to
Arthur’s court and is knighted. The love of his life is Clarette whose white sleeve he pennants from his lance, hence his nickname. He goes through the usual adventures, eventually
discovering his parents, who wed, and marries Clarette.