THE WELSH POEMS AND NOVELS OF THE ROUND TABLE.

Sun, 13 May 2012 13:55:27 +0200

At no period of history we did busiest chivalrous poetry and various influences that experienced this poetry. Critics have found the largest and yielded results in which there is no coming back, the secondary influences are now setting his eyes. Of these, it is necessary to first line the Welsh traditions. What part these traditions have had the training cycle chivalry of Arthur or the Round Table? That is the question to be resolved.

Mr. Fauriel, who opened with a bang the way to studies on the poems of the Middle Ages, still believe the origin of the epics of the Round Table still unknown and in dispute. M. Ampere, who for several years pursuing the same studies with a sagacity no less rare and such a success, also think we have not yet determined exactly by the Welsh traditions can claim in the Arthurian cycle. Other writers of France, England and even Germany are, indeed, the opposite view, but they can not claim for them serious authorities, their assertions of all points that do not deserve free we stop to discuss them. In the present state of criticism, as well Fauriel said, they must fall of themselves and can no longer reproduce.

Hopes that clarify this obscure point of our ancient poetry hired, two years ago, the Minister of Education to charge me for literary research in Wales. Tuis I flatter myself with having achieved the goal? A distinguished critics I just say the name was good enough to say: it was therefore with some reason for confidence that I will outline the results of my research.

Four simple as possible the question, I stopped at the most important monuments of the cycle of the Round Table, to those that can look like in the basics and are the romantic stories of Arthur, Tristan, Lancelot, Merlin, Perceval, Erec and Yvain of.

It is surprising to find in these stories, overviews, a kind of unity of time, place and action: they look like branches of one tree of poetry. Milton had been struck: the continuity, the contrasts, the originality of the characters did not surprise less. First it was that of Arthur, whose forehead crowned towers above all others, which all belong, whose court is the rendezvous of the most famous knights of the world, the poetic sphere whose center is the table- Round he instituted for them then, CdTe him, Merlin, the old wizard Merlin, his diviner home; puisGauvain the Wise, the herald and his adviser, and then his butler and his seneschal Bedoer master Kay, burlesque character, mocking, boastful, always fool; especially Lancelot, the handsome, generous and courteous Lancelot, lover of Queen Guinevere, who gives as much trouble for her royal husband as the queen of the gods, she recalls from afar , gave in at once Homeric king of Olympus. Here, the emulation of the big blind of Albion caught fire probably in memory of the poet whose muse immortalized their love with those of Paul and Frances. The mutual passion of Tristan and Isolde and their mutual misfortunes offered him a theme even more varied and touching gallantry and tenderness. Finally he found a while to perfection, thanks in chaste and half veiled, to the loves of his paradise in the history of Yvain and the Lady of the Fountain, of Erech and Enide, even Merlin himself and the fairy Viviane, for, to Arthur’s court, all, to witches, mingled with love. But which party would have drawn such a genius of the mysterious tale of the Holy Grail! What developement, what epic proportions had taken into his hands the story of Perceval already so beautiful, this symbol of chivalry and the forfeiture of human rehabilitation! Unfortunately he was unable to complete the project he had to merge all these into a vast epic novels, when the idea came to him, already, to use his beautiful expression, his flute was suspended from the old pine tree that shaded his white hair. One would have liked, however, to give the name of Milton last of the troubadours, it would have ended the cycle of beautifully Roundtable.

The opening of this cycle can scarcely trace, according to Mr. Fauriel, before the year 1150, it was around this time that we must place the date of the oldest poems romantic Provencal or French or whose we are we have to regret the loss. Most of those we are going to look after this date, no one goes beyond. But I think I can say that prior to the second half of the twelfth century, the main actors of the novels in question were celebrated by the Welsh as heroes of their homeland, and became the theme for them, either bardic poems, or popular songs, either orally transmitted traditions, or chronic and memories called triads, or tales of chivalry; topic in a word, a native and national literature.

Round Table Knights

THE WELSH POEMS AND NOVELS OF THE ROUND TABLE.