21. "Tristan and Isolde".
Background: the heroes of the legend are the fruit of passionate love. The story of this love is tragic (although there are no obstacles). This story is to justify the birth of a child: the father dies in battle and the mother in childbirth. Its origin is hidden. Courtly education.
Tristan- an exemplary knight (owns all types of weapons, martial arts, invincible). great musician(plays the harp, ancient celtic instrument), knows 7 foreign languages, plays chess, studied shipbuilding, he is also an architect, a foreman; the ideal of man. Faithful in friendship, generous, patient, disinterested. Is it different than other heroes? He is distinguished by dissatisfaction (he travels). He's looking for the dangerous, the strange.
Two topos - the topos of the sea and the forest.
Sea- Looks like the main character. In what? In the ebb and flow of mood; leaves/arrives. Tristan is reminiscent of the stormy North Sea, the sea of the Celts. It carries a threat, but it is also on the side of the protagonist. The sea is the element that it entrusts to itself. He is not a Celt!
His marriage is interesting.: Tristan's love is not the most offensive of all.
Interesting image King Mark: the king is a cuckold.
A golden-haired woman in whose love the hero burns.
Love for freedom (the world is huge, free road).
The NE world is closed, they are trying to open it.
There are works about the fall of learning. Light mocking parody character.
The famous poem is “The Order of the Rich”, the most charismatic. Hence the myth "Alma mater".
The order of the Vagantes is opposed to the church order and knightly unions.
The Union of Vagantes is the basis of wandering songs.
25. "The Romance of the Rose".
French SW literature.
Crossroads of eras.
Urban literature (vagants), allegorical novel.
For the first time translated in our department.
Genre: Vision.
The young man has a dream: he falls in love with Rosa, the beauty is missing, he is in despair. He has lost his Favor and hopes that his friends will help him.
Guillaume de Loris did not finish the novel.
The first part is a courtly-allegorical novel. Sophistication, elegance. .noy poet in a dream falls in love with a beautiful Rose. The skill of describing the garden Where it grows. He is captivated by the outfit of spring, the stream, the voices of birds. Admire the sensual splendor of nature. The garden is a symbol, not an allegory; like a rose. Allegories - Beauty, Pretense, abstract concepts, + types of characters: friend, old women. Full revelry mythological images: Amor, Venus, Fortune, Narcissus. The vision is independent of the real image. Genre implies a certain plot. It was believed that a dream, a vision is a revelation (because it informs about the world). Vision - the truth is revealed. In a dream we live life, in a dream everything is possible. Sleep is a special world. a dream is an insight, a hint, something that we discover for ourselves, an absolute that exists with us. Rose- the majestic symbol of rum (love, mystical revelation). White Rose= Virgin Mary. All the action of the novel garden of love and fun. This garden is an earthly version of paradise. Limited from the outside world. From earthly paradise is on the way to heaven. The garden of love where the hero ends up. Garden - in the style of Cupid, ancient Greek mythology. Kingdom of Flora. Returned Eden. This is the garden of wisdom. The garden is a generalized philosophical idea. Love: a young man wants to pick a rose. From sophisticated courtesy to sensuality.
The second (40 years after the death of Gelom) is a freethinker (author). Jean = Rabelais. He has great erudition and is associated with university science. Belongs to that direction of philosophers - classics. It is said about Plato (whom he prefers), about Aristotle. Deep knowledge of nature (alchemy). It departs far from the courtly traditions of its predecessor. He is a didactic and satirist. It falls upon the feudal-church orders, promotes new philosophical and social ideas. The love story fades into the background. A number of new characters appear (Reason, Nature, Hypocrisy), which are permeated with space. tirades reflect the views of the author. He takes up arms against the clergy and does not spare the pope himself. He laughs at those who believe that the royal power is from God, justifying autocratic despotism by this. Jean's young man plucks a rose. -> the feeling of love is realized. Love is part of nature. Venus conquers philosophy. Here, in this part, there is no plot movement. Discussion of Wisdom and Nature. Jean says for the first time that the main thing is free opinion (a modern idea!).
The main function is that of Amor (mentor of young men) and Venus. Each arrow of Pestilence personifies a certain dignity that defines each hero. Beloved heroes combine absolutely everything.
The novel is written in French. XIII century as a Gothic Cathedral. Trends:
courtly (aristocratic literature, Gelom);
urban freethinking, university scholarship;
university directly.
The novel is called the Gothic Cathedral. “The souls of the poetic rational abyss” (O. Mandelstam).
The art of allegory begins at the dawn of Christian culture. The use of allegory is a tradition when we are talking about philosophy. Example: Macean Copello: “On the battle of philology and Mercury”, a treatise (according to the encyclopedia). Allegorical figures embody various arts.
A system of allegorical images is being created.
26. Icelandic epic .
Iceland is an island, it's a block of ice. A small piece is only suitable for life. People from Norway and Denmark live there - vikings. No government, no state institutions. They lived in clans, farms. Spanish meetings - 2 times a year (Thing), where contracts, unions, marriages were concluded. godi- respected person, judge, authority (most often - a peaceful person). The Icelanders are aggressive, while the godis are peaceful. When he is chosen, he is always right.
Someone is dissatisfied with something - a duel. Sometimes there was no fight. -> to godi. -> killers pay vira.
Arranged marriages. A woman is a friend, comrade, brother. Replaces a man everywhere.
Avarice of description, but an interesting psychological type.
Age of sagasXIIcentury. About the life of famous families. The saga is not a chronicle. The authors are not interested everyday life(the saga is about a bright fate).
A detailed biography is a trick. It testifies to the author's attitude to truthfulness (as in a myth). Accurate biographical and geographical details (description of the farm - the smallest, "through a magnifying glass").
Is there a landscape? Under modern understanding- No. But there is classic description, which belongs to a separate plot (for example, if a stone, then the hero will definitely stumble). It has an image of Iceland.
Detailed description = image of Iceland.
There (in Iceland) there are still the same farms and the same surnames.
2 start:
Love for poetry;
Militancy.
Heroes: the hero is strong, but (!) there is no divine motivation, he is responsible for everything that happens in the world. Unfair accusation - plot(=modern action movie: outlaw man), man hunting (“The Gisle Saga”, “The Saga and Kretira”).
Fantastic Elements: Kretir looks into the eyes of a dead man on a full moon.
The biography of the hero is an atypical biography. Kretir: does not want to work, is not popular with women. A Hercules-style hero (i.e., a bit dumb).
Motive: children -\u003e for education in friends or relatives. Gunlang has an evil, "snake" tongue. He wants everything + to marry Helga (most beautiful girl). After 3 years, he does not return. This is a traditional epic story. They do not like him, they envy him. Birth of Helga = birth of Dehdere (who kills the sons of Usneh). They are trying to get rid of Helga.
Nowhere is it said about the feelings of the characters. The author gives remarks instead of describing feelings. They burn near the river (Gunluag and Helga), but we don't know what. Avarice in the depiction of experiences. During a conversation by the river, Gunluag gives her a blue cloak and she accepts it (but she's married!). -> duel (climax and denouement in the same scene): everyone has their flaws. In Gunluag there is the talent of a skald, the talent of a lover, there is the charm of a man who wants to atone for his guilt. Gunluag wins. The dying man asks to bring him water in a helmet. Gunluag gives him water, and Helga's husband kills Gunluag. Gunluag won in a fair fight, and the first - by deceit.
Helga is getting married, living happily, she has a wonderful husband. Dies on her husband's knees on Gunluag's mine cloak.
Before us is a beauty (1), but she is a resident of the northern world (2). This is the Icelandic saga.
Disclosure of characters: through an act, sometimes author's characteristics. For a portrait - 2 - 3 sentences. The image is in strokes. Helga is blonde, calm, silent, well-mannered.
The heroes are put through a test of catastrophe (the heroes were subjected to astragism).
bersek- a bad Icelandic man, challenges anyone he wants to a duel. Adds extra color.
Heroine (hero's chosen one) corresponds to the hero.
“Saga and Gisli”: Gisli lives outside the law. He is devoted to his family, but his brother betrays him. He is supported by his wife, who is ready for anything for him.
Neasley was tracked down. One of the hunters goes to his wife and says: “Why do you need him? I'll give you money." The maid hears. Thinks that the owner is betraying her husband. The hostess, meanwhile, is silent. -> says he is stupid.
In this calm silence, self-esteem is revealed.
The image of a silent woman: she is a thief, she has the eyes of a thief. This feature of her (a person who can deceive, betray) will destroy her husband.
All sagas from tragic endings. In the end, everyone died. But the last battle of the hero (where the hero dies) justifies the hero. In his image (of the battle) there is a hymn to the hero. The beginning is either a hero, or someone else ... but in the end it is shown to us that this is a real hero. it = tragic genre (Sophocles: the end is something that justifies the hero).
These are heroic sagas.
The concept of the hero in the saga = the concept of the hero in the epic, myth.
The type of hero is one, but different incarnations.
“Saga of the Greenlanders". We saw grapes, swarthy people. They decided they needed it.
In the Icelandic saga, an interesting acquaintance innovation: the introduction of a poetic text into a prose one (as in Irish). At some point, the author wants poetry.
As in Irish sagas, poetic inclusions = emotional outbursts, important point life, the moment of climax. Visa is a poem. There are more poets in Iceland than in any other country.
The sagas are written in a world where Scandic poetry is developing.
27. Scandic poetry.
Its basis is a paraphrase or metaphor.
For example: a sword is a fighting stick.
There is a polynomial paraphrase (Köning -> Scandic poetry is based on it).
Skori Sturuson - “Younger Edda” (textbook of Scandic poetry).
This is complex, sophisticated poetry, poetry for professionals.
Visas to demonstrate their originality.
Today is Valentine's Day, which means it's time to talk about the most famous lovers. The first place is rightfully given to Romeo and Juliet, but the silver goes to Tristan and Isolde, a couple no less passionate.
First, the answer to the question from the title - in fact, such historical characters as Tristan and Isolde did not exist, and the legend about them is just a medieval chivalric romance. But is it really that important, especially since the novel itself, written in the 12th century, is an incredibly interesting artifact. True, some historians are still trying to find legendary lovers among real people, But first things first…
The story of Tristan and Isolde
Tristan is believed by storytellers to have been the Prince of Lionesse, fairyland from the legends of King Arthur. His mother died early, and his father remarried an evil woman. The young man, fleeing the attacks of his stepmother, left his homeland and headed to Tintagel (by the way, a real-life castle in the UK). There he began to live at the court of his uncle, King Mark, who had no children of his own.
In Tintagel, the young man distinguished himself: he freed the kingdom from the evil monster Morhult, who bullied the country. True, Morhult severely wounded Tristan, and the young prince was forced to leave in search of healing. He was helped by the Irish princess Isolde, who was unusually beautiful: her blond curls shone in the sun like gold, and her eyes were more transparent than lakes. However, Tristan did not pay any attention to the girl and, having overcome the disease, returned to his uncle.
Meanwhile, King Mark's subjects urged him to marry and provide the state with an heir. Hearing about this, Tristan remembered Iseult and again went to Ireland, promising to bring his uncle a bride. The girl's mother gave her a love potion with her so that she would drink it with her future husband, but everything went against the plan: on the ship, Tristan and Isolde tried the magic drink by mistake. Thus began a great love.
What about uncle? He was offered Isolde's maid, passing the girl off as the princess herself. This went on for quite a long time: the lovers arranged passionate dates, and a maid lived with the king.
One fine day, everything opened up and the lovers had to run away and live in the forest. King Mark, although angry, later forgave Iseult, ordering her to return, and expelled Tristan from the country.
The young man leaves for Britain and marries there Isolde, but only another. The fact is that the king of Britain had a daughter, whose name was also Iseult. Once, falling asleep in the palace, Tristan said in a dream the name of his beloved. This was passed on to the king, who decided that it was his daughter. He orders to marry a high-ranking young man and a princess, and Tristan, not daring to offend the ruler by refusing, agrees.
However, family life did not ask: Tristan, yearning for his beloved, does not touch his wife, and she is jealous of him and does not find a place for herself.
Finally, the tragic end came. In one of the battles, Tristan was mortally wounded, and the young man asked the servant to bring his beloved to him in order to look at her for the last time. They agreed that if the servant succeeded in fulfilling his plan, the sails of the ship would be white, and if not, black. Upon learning of this, jealous wife Tristana deceived him, saying that a ship with a black sail could be seen on the horizon. In fact, the beloved was already there ...
Tristan died of grief, crying out the name of his beloved three times, and Isolde, who went ashore and saw the lifeless body of her beloved, could not bear the shock, died after him.
Tristan and Isolde were buried on two sides of the temple, and during the night the thorn bush that grew near the grave of Tristan spread over the building and bent over the grave of Isolde. Thus ended the great earthly love.
Historical facts
Although this is a beautiful legend and fiction, historians still tend to believe that some of the characters actually existed. It is believed that the prototype of King Mark was Meirchion the Thin, last king Reged, the ancient British state, and his wife - Essilt top Kilvined - the prototype of Isolde.
It is known that for the first time the legend arose in Ireland and Scotland, from where it came to Britain, and then to France, gradually acquiring new details and details. Features of Greek epics appeared in the legend (Morkhult - the Minotaur, black and white sails - the legend of Theseus).
In the future, this love story served as an inspiration for many poets, artists and musicians. Even astronomers did not remain indifferent, naming the craters of Saturn's satellite Tristan and Iseult.
Well, for us, Tristan and Isolde will forever remain a symbol of eternal love.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
federal state budget educational institution higher education
"Vologda State University"
History department
Department of General History
COURSE WORK
Discipline: "History of the Middle Ages"
Name of the theme: "The image of the ideal knight in the novel "Tristan and Isolde"".
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1
- 1.2 Ammunition, battle tactics
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
Introduction
Any girl at least once in her life thought about the ideal man, while imagining a beautiful, strong knight who would inflame her with an all-encompassing passion and take her to the ends of the world. Where did this image come from in our minds? The answer is simple - it was thrown by the so-called chivalric literature, mainly represented by the chivalric novel. Knightly literature, at one time, was a response to the aesthetic demands of chivalry. The knights wanted, firstly, to see themselves in art, and secondly, to be shown not only as the embodiment physical strength but also as a bearer of moral nobility. Therefore, the positive hero in the novel acted, as a rule, as a kind of cluster of virtues. Thus, the idea of the exclusivity of the knightly class was affirmed, which naturally played into the hands of the knights themselves.
The chivalric romance is a genre of medieval courtly literature that has replaced the heroic epic. In the center, as a rule, there is a knight-hero who performs feats, endangering his life in the name of own glory, love, religion and morality. In most chivalric novels, two components are inextricably linked - this is sublime love and the element of a fairy tale. Vlasov V.G. New Encyclopedic Dictionary visual arts: in 10 t.t. 8. - St. Petersburg: ABC classics, 2008. - p. 147 - 148.
The cycles of epic stories about Tristan and Iseult, as well as the Nibelungenlied, Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart, and other novels about the exploits of the knights of the round table, called the cycle of King Arthur, Perceval, or The Tale of the Grail", "Beowulf", etc.
As N.R. Malinovskaya in her monograph "The myth of Tristan and Isolde is a story about love, which stronger than death, about the guilt of the beloved and the lover before the unloved, about the eternal return of Tristan and the bitter happiness of Isolde, about the generosity and cruelty of King Mark. - 2014. - N 3. - p. 26.
The theme of this work is the image of an ideal knight in the novel "Tristan and Isolde".
Since retellings ancient legend quite a lot is known, I will adhere to the interpretation of the novel in the retelling of Joseph Bedier.
The work received its first literary treatment in the form of a poetic novel in France in the twelfth century. Soon this novel spread throughout Western Europe and caused a large number of imitations on different languages: German, English, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, as well as Czech, Polish, Modern Greek.
Despite the enormous success of the novel, its text has come down to us in a terrible state and not in full. Yes, and from most of his treatments, relating to a later time, only a few fragments have survived, and from many, nothing at all.
The collection of fragments of the legend bit by bit, its restoration and new literary processing was undertaken by the prominent French medievalist and sensitive writer of the early twentieth century, Joseph Bedier, who successfully coped with the task.
The relevance of the work lies in the fact that at present society is very short of that very positive hero, the knight "without fear and reproach"; before writers, artists, musicians again the question arises of who can be attributed to this type of hero. It's time to look back and remember the heroes with pure hearts and good souls.
We take purity, simplicity from the ancients,
Sagas, fairy tales - dragging from the past, -
Because good is good
In the past, future and present!. Vysotsky V. Works: in 2 vols. 1 / V. Vysotsky - M., 1991. - p. 489.
The object of the study is the chivalrous novel "Tristan and Isolde" The novel about Tristan and Isolde: Medieval novel: transl. from fr. - Kaliningrad: Yantar. Tale, 2000. - 136 p. , and the subject of research is literary image knight Tristan.
The purpose of the work is to prove that the knight Tristan meets the requirements of a medieval goodie.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks were defined:
· to select the literature on the given problem
analyze the text of the novel from the point of view of searching for the argumentation of the hypothesis put forward
list the main requirements for a knight, according to the source
The chronological framework of the study covers the period of the end of XI - early XIII centuries.
The territorial framework of the study is medieval Europe.
The study is based on scientific, popular science and educational literature.
The work of Meletinsky E.M. can be attributed to Soviet historiography. "Medieval novel" Meletinsky E.M. Medieval novel / E.M. Meletinsky. - M., 1984. - 303 p. , who in his monograph analyzes the forms of the medieval novel European countries and the countries of the East, reveals and characterizes the main stages of its development, and also reveals the national specifics of individual literary monuments the Middle Ages
No less interesting is the work of Matyushina I.G. "Poetics of the knightly saga". In this work, the author examines the features of the chivalric saga genre in Norwegian and Icelandic literature. The story of Tristan and Isolde is also considered. Matyushina I.G. Poetics of the knightly saga / I.G. Matyushin. - M., 2002. - 296 p.
A significant role in the analysis of this topic was played by the extensive works of M.L. Andreeva, A.D. Mikhailova Andreev M.L. Poetics of the past / M.L. Andreev // Phenomenon of the past / otv. ed. THEM. Savelyeva, A.V. Poletaev. - M., 2005. - S. 67 - 98; Knightly romance in the Renaissance / M.L. Andreev. //From myth to literature: Collection in honor of the 75th anniversary of E.M. Meletinsky. - M., 1993. - S. 312 - 320; Medieval European drama: origin and formation (X - XIII centuries) / M.L. Andreev. - M.: Art, 1989. - 212 p.; Mikhailov A.D. French chivalric romance and issues of genre typology in medieval literature/ A.D. Mikhailov. - M.: Nauka, 1976. - 351 p. dealing with the problem of medieval literary genres.
A great contribution to the development of this topic was made by foreign researchers of medieval European literature Paul Zumtor, Charles Diel Diel Charles. Byzantine portraits: trans. from fr. / Charles Diehl. - M.: Art, 1994. - 448 p.; Zyumtor P. The experience of constructing medieval poetics: per. from fr. / P. Zyumtor. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - 546 p. .
In addition to literary monographs, monographs of historians involved in the period of the Middle Ages Cardini F. The origins of medieval chivalry: per. from Italian. / F. Cardini. - M., 1987. - 384 p.; Karsavin L.: "The origins of medieval chivalry" by the Italian author Cardini F. and "Culture of the Middle Ages" by Karsavin L.P.
When writing the work, the following methods were used: the selection of literature and the analysis of this literature with the search for an answer to the key question of my work.
novel of chivalry tristan isolde
Chapter 1
1.1 Tristan's chivalric qualities as an ideal knight
At the heart of the medieval relationship of man to the world surrounding him and an integral part of which he was, was the feudal system, with its class isolation, the dominance of religion (in this case, Catholicism). medieval man was a canonical personality, almost completely subordinate to religious dogmas. Lukov V.A. History of literature. Foreign literature from the origins to the present day: uch. allowance for students. higher educational institutions / V.A. Lukov. - M.: Academy, 2008. - p. 72.
In the social sphere of the medieval period, chivalry dominates as a military class, which at the same time has some political power. The main difference of this culture is that social relations the lord with the vassal were built on the basis of contracts, personal loyalty, close family ties, as well as devotion and patronage. Mikhailov A.D. French chivalric romance and issues of genre typology in medieval literature / A.D. Mikhailov. - M.: Nauka, 1976. - p. 191.
The attitude towards the knights was twofold, some called them fearless warriors, noble servants of beautiful ladies, others - weak in battle, ambitious liars, rapists, oppressors of the defenseless, but the whole history of the Western European Middle Ages revolved around them, because in those days they were the only real force, which everyone needed: kings for protection from greedy neighbors and recalcitrant vassals, peasants; clergy to fight heretics, kings; peasants against knights of neighboring lords and so on.
Knight translates as rider. But, this is not just a rider, but a rider in armor, with a helmet, shield, spear and sword.
Anyone can pick up a weapon, but you need to be able to use it, and for this you need regular workouts from a very young age, if not from childhood. Therefore, boys from the families of knights with early years taught to wear armor. Artamonov S.D. Literature of the Middle Ages: book. for students Art. classes / S.D. Artamonov. - M.: Enlightenment, 1992. - p. 149; Vlasov V.G. New encyclopedic dictionary of fine arts: in 10 volumes. 9. - St. Petersburg: ABC classics, 2008. - p. 201.
Let us consider in more detail the content of the novel about Tristan and Isolde from the point of view of the glorification in it of the image of an ideal knight of the 12th century.
I repeat that a knight must first of all be noble, fight only with worthy of himself, differ from commoners in a culture of behavior - be respectful, courteous with elders, pleasant in speech and manners, be able to dance, sing, maybe compose poetry and "serve" lady, fulfill her whims, sometimes even taking risks.
So it is fitting for a knight to be of noble birth. Tristan is the son of the King of Loonua Rivalen and his beloved wife Blanchefleur, sister of King Mark of Cornwall. He lost his parents early, he was first brought up by the stableman Roald Solid Word. Out of fear that Morgan, who captured the castle of the boy's parents, would not kill the son of Rivalen, the legitimate heir of Loonua, the equerry gave him own child and raised with his sons.
When Tristan reached the age of seven, he was handed over to a squire, Gorvenal. Gorvenal, in turn, taught Tristan the arts taught by the barons - the medieval nobility. The boy was trained to wield a spear, sword, shield and bow, jump over the widest ditches with one jump, throw stone discs, and hunt. In addition to physical development, the young man also developed moral qualities: Gorvenal instilled in him an aversion to all lies, treachery, taught him to help the weak, to keep given word, sing, play the harp. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 7.
The novel does not say whose squire Gorvenal was and where he acquired the knowledge that he passed on to Tristan, but after teaching the boy, when Tristan matured, he became his squire and close friend.
Then the boy boy entered the pages. Tristan, by the will of fate, ended up in the kingdom of his uncle Mark (he was kidnapped by pirates, but their ship crashed off the coast of Cornwall). During the day, Tristan's duties included accompanying Mark on the hunt, and at night he played the harp to quench the grief of the king when he was sad. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 9.
When, finally, Tristan's mentor told the truth about the young man's birth, King Mark knighted him.
After serving as a page, knights must prove their prowess in battle. Therefore, "having accepted a knighthood from his uncle, Tristan went overseas on Cornish ships, forced his father's military vassals to recognize themselves, challenged the killer Rivalen, struck him to death and took possession of his land" Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J . Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 18. . After that, having proved his valor and invincibility in battle, he returned to King Mark and continued to serve him faithfully. Tristan performs many feats, as befits a knight: he freed Cornwall from the shameful tribute to the king of Ireland, defeating Morold of Ireland in a fair duel.
Morold is known to be a very strong knight. He challenged the knights of King Mark's retinue to a duel, knowing that no one would dare to fight him. Therefore, Tristan, throwing the glove to Morold in this way, as it were, sends him a challenge to a duel. The challenger has no right to refuse the battle. This also characterizes Tristan on the positive side.
Marold is presented in the novel as the antipode of Tristan, his mirror reflection. He is self-confident, unprincipled, ambitious, which is manifested in his preparations for a duel, purple sails on a boat, addressing Tristan as "vassal", although both are of noble birth. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 39. If Tristan relies on an honest and open duel, then Marold, in turn, uses a "military trick" - smears his spear with poison. Nevertheless, the victory remains with Tristan. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 23.
Why exactly for him? Because the legend, satisfying the social demand of chivalry, glorifies and highlights precisely the positive hero, as if saying that no matter how strong you are physically, without high moral principles, you are essentially weak. Therefore, Tristan did not die from poisoning, but thanks to his resourcefulness he escaped the dangers that awaited him in Ireland and returned to his lord, King Mark.
As a faithful and devoted vassal, and fidelity in the Middle Ages is an important Christian valor Gurevich A.Ya. Categories medieval culture classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 198, Tristan defeated the dragon when he went to woo the beautiful Isolde to King Mark. At the same time, he already knew that he might not return alive from the land where he is considered the murderer of the brother of the Queen of Ireland, but this did not stop him, he swears by honor (the most important and significant thing that a knight should have had in professional morally) that will either die or bring a golden-haired queen. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 22.
The novel vividly shows such a quality of a knight as perseverance, the importance of bringing what has been started to the end, loyalty to the oath. This is reflected in the episode when the seneschal tried to marry Iseult and cut off the dragon's hand to prove that it was he who killed him. Tristan, in turn, swore to fulfill the promise to Mark and bring him Isolde, killing the vile seneschal in a fair duel Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 25. .
When Tristan fell out of favor for forbidden love to the wife of his first seigneur, and then his uncle, and was forced to clothe himself in exile, the knight wandered the earth for a long time. He accomplished many feats true friend in the person of Caerdin, brother of Isolde Beloruka, his future wife. So freely he moves from senior to senior, because this was the norm. The service was free and in this case comes from freedom, since the knight himself chooses his master (Tristan thus changes his masters several times during the journey).
Tristan dies from a wound received in battle with enemies. He was hit with a poisoned spear, and there was no escape from this poison, Isolde, his love, did not have time to save him because of female deceit Isolde Beloruka. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 123. .
Thus, the content of the novel reflects how medieval society saw the ideal knight: strong, brave, dexterous, savvy and honest. Therefore, Tristan is shown just like that. His whole short life was devoted to the principles that his once adopted father taught him: a knight is one who acts nobly and leads a noble lifestyle.
1.2 Ammunition, battle tactics
"The chivalric novel absorbed from antiquity its greatness, the exaltation of a man - a warrior, in the Middle Ages a knight" Mikhailov A.D. French chivalric romance ... - p. 197 .
Chivalry, like other classes, was distinguished, first of all, by clothing, in this case, the ammunition of a warrior, in which he was regularly.
Ammunition consisted of weapons, armor and other attributes necessary for the "belligerents" to successfully fulfill their role.
In the novel "Tristan and Isolde" it is mentioned the following types weapons that were at the disposal of the warrior: a long sword, with which the knight usually fought, a short blade, for close combat (it was with the blade that Tristan Marold was hit, drove him into the head with such force that strong jagged marks remained on it) Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 23, long spear, club, bow with arrows.
The direct attire of a knight, which is mentioned in the novel - a warrior, consisted of armor-shell "made of blued steel, light but strong" Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 14, helmet, chain mail - blio, belts, boots with spurs. In this guise, knights usually appeared on the battlefield Cardini F. The origins of medieval chivalry: per. from Italian. / F. Cardini. - M., 1987. - from 281 . The knight also had a horse, without which he could not be fully considered a knight, and a squire.
As a warrior, constantly wandering and participating in battles, a knight must be unpretentious in food and life. Tristan also meets this requirement - for two years, after his exile, he lived in the forest, slept on spruce branches, ate roots, game and felt quite well. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 74-86
After analyzing the novel, it is possible to identify various battle tactics used by the knights.
1. To inflame the fighting spirit, the knights exchanged curses with each other, so Tristan and Marold went to the battlefield "cheering themselves up with swear words" Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 39
2. They often used a not very honest way to surpass their opponent in battle - they smeared the sword with poison. This is mentioned several times in the novel: in the episode of the battle with Marold of Ireland; at the end of the story, Tristan dies from a wound inflicted on him by a poisoned spear. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 154
3. Another not entirely honest, I would say mean, way of fighting is to wound the horse under the rider. Usually a wounded horse fell and crushed the rider under him, thereby injuring him or even killing him. In the novel, this is an episode of the battle between Tristan and Riol Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 112 .
4. The knights often had to ambush, hiding in the bushes with a bow and arrow and waiting for their victim, Tristan resorted to such tactics when he was waiting for a group of patients to whom Mark gave Isolde for reprisal. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 65
5. Often used all sorts of traps and tried to take the enemy by surprise. So King Mark first sat in ambush, and then, under the cover of night, came to the sleeping Isolde and Tristan to kill the infidels. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 87
6. The knight had to be able to fight not only with a spear, sword, but also with other objects, since anything could happen in battle. In the novel, such an object is the branch of the oak, with which Gorvenal killed the patient who accompanied Isolde. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 65
7. In addition to all of the above, the knight had to be able to walk silently if necessary, to communicate with each other, to warn of danger, they used imitative sounds, either an animal roar or birdsong. All this was used by Tristan and other knights appearing in the novel.
8. Another way to successfully conduct military operations and not only that I saw in the novel is to change your appearance. Throughout the story, Tristan addresses him several times, wearing rags to prevent being captured by King Mark's subjects as he roams freely around the city after being driven out of it. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 78-92, 121
9. And also the knights were engaged not only in the affairs of the right, but also in robbery. Tristan with a detachment of knights recaptured the carts of Count Riol, ravaged poorly guarded tents, attacked his convoy, wounded and killed his people and never returned to Caret without any booty Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 69 .
10. The storming of castles is especially interesting: detachments of knights approached the walls, stopped at a distance of a bow shot, and began a battle with detachments of defenders, who, in turn, lined up along the defended walls. Archers stood on the walls of the castle, pouring arrows, "like April rain." The novel describes the battle of Count Riol and Duke Goel, in which Tristan also participated. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 87.
Therefore, like the folk heroic epic the novel about Tristan and Isolde condemns all manifestations of evil and deceit. It glorifies courage, courage, courage and condemns betrayal, lies, treachery, but, nevertheless, if we consider it as a source on the conduct of hostilities, we can see that deceit serves in the name of good, and it does not always seem to be positive in all senses, the hero, so to speak, is sinless. It is impossible to consider in detail the weapons and ammunition of a war in the novel, but general information, necessary for drawing up a portrait of a medieval warrior and ways of successfully fulfilling his immediate knightly duties - battle tactics, he gives.
Chapter 2
2.1 The nature of Tristan and Iseult's love
The basis of the novel "Tristan and Isolde", I repeat, was formed in the XII century. During this period, a form of "courtly love" was actively developing in Western Europe, which was so vividly and colorfully described by the poets of that period. Samarin R.M., Mikhailov A.D. Common features courtly lyrics / R.M. Samarin, A.D. Mikhailov // History world literature: In 8 t.t. 2. - M.: Nauka, 1984. - S. 530 - 531.
Courtly love was very prestigious in that society, it preached a morality based on two virtues: endurance and friendship, since the rules of the game forbade rudely mastering a lady who was (usually) married. But love, or rather a love affair, was not a deep feeling, but rather a fleeting hobby. Duby J. Courtly love and changes in the position of women in France in the 12th century. / J. Duby// Odysseus. Man in history. - M.: 1990.S. 93
The love of Tristan and Isolde has features of courtesy; these include, first of all, the fact that the object of love is not free: Isolde is the uncle’s wife (the limit of youthful dreams in a courtly environment was to seduce the brother’s wife, uncle, as a violation of the most stringent prohibitions Duby J. Courtly love and changes in the position of women in France XII century / Zh. further - this is the accomplishment of various feats in the name of the lady of the heart (Tristan defeated the shaggy giant Urgant to get the magic Petit Cru dog and send it to Isolde (the dog dispelled sadness) Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M .: ABC Atticus , 2011 - p. 83.); help and salvation of the object of love (recaptured Isolde from a gang of lepers, to whom King Mark gave Isolde for her infidelity).
The knight had to keep the secret of love and turn things into signs Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval culture of classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 204 . Such a sign among lovers was a green jasper ring, which Isolde gave in exchange for a dog given to her by Tristan.
The exchange of gifts is not accidental; a particle of the donor passes along with the gifted item, and the recipient of the gift enters into a close connection with it, which strengthens love affair. Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval culture of classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 232 The choice of symbol is also not accidental; as a sign of complete submission, the knight had to kneel before the mistress of his heart and, putting his hands in her, take an unbreakable oath to serve her until death. The union was sealed with a ring, which the lady gave to the knight. Artamonov S.D. Literature of the Middle Ages. - With. 98. The ring symbolizes continuity, is a symbol of unity. Green color implies hope, and jasper as a stone is considered strong amulet. Koons D.F. Gems in myths and legends [Electronic resource] // access mode http: //librebook.ru/dragocennye_kamni_v_mifah_i_legendah// date of access 06.05.2017
But at the same time, the feeling shown in the novel cannot be fully attributed to the form of courtly love, it is not usual hobby- this is a strong and very deep passion, which was born not when the two saw each other, but when both drank a love potion.
Both are tormented by their feelings - Tristan from the fact that he made strong bonds with his uncle's wife, thereby betraying his master, first of all (which contradicted the main Christian virtue-fidelity), and then a relative and friend; Isolde from the fact that she is forced to cheat on her husband, knowing how much he loves her. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 39.
Lovers can neither live nor die without each other. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 84. They all the time invent all sorts of ways to keep in touch with each other. Tristan, trying to call her, imitating songbirds, cut pieces of bark and threw them into the stream, and when they reached Isolde's chambers, she went out to him. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 61.
The love of Tristan and Isolde is initially forbidden. She has a church ban, and royal, and state. But there are other prohibitions - the blood of Morold, Uncle Isolde, shed by Tristan, the trust of the deceived Mark, the love of Isolde the Beloruka. Tristan decides to marry the sister of his friend Gorvenal only because he decided that Isolde had allegedly stopped loving him, that he would not see her again. But lying with Isolde Beloruka, he remembers his Isolde and says that he allegedly vowed to the Mother of God not to be in the arms of a woman for a year. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 94. In turn, the fair-haired Isolde, even more unhappy, because among the strangers who followed her, she had to pretend all day to pretend fun and laughter, and at night, lying near King Mark, not to move, holding back the trembling in everything body and bouts of fever. She wants to run to Tristan Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 54.
Another confirmation strong passion between them is that when Isolde drives Tristan away, after the news of the appearance of a rival, she repents, puts on the hair shirt of Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 121., and Tristan, in revenge for the exile, wants the queen to know that he died precisely because of her. What is actually happening. Following her lover, Isolde also dies.
Blackthorn grows on their graves, which they try to remove several times, but in vain.
The fact that on the graves loving friend friend during the life of people, not accidental. different peoples consider the blackthorn a symbol of resistance to adversity and overcoming them, no matter what. The Celts, the people who were the progenitor of the novel, considered the turn to be a kind of house in which good spirits hide, this house protects them. In the novel, the thorn bush protects lovers from the outside world, and based on the meaning of the thorn, as the personification of purity, sacrifice in Christianity, it is a symbol of a redemptive voluntary sacrifice. About the world of plants [Electronic resource] // access mode http: //www.botanichka.ru/blog/2011/08/14/blackthorn-2// accessed 03.05.2017
The difference between the novel about Tristan and Isolde and a number of other chivalric novels lies in the fact that the nature of love reflected in the novel cannot be fully attributed to the courtly, since there are features that show love as a primitive passion, an ancient and mysterious feeling that absorbs people completely, remains with them until death. The suffering that Tristan experiences, a prominent place is occupied by the painful consciousness of the hopeless contradiction between his passion and the moral foundations of society, he languishes with the consciousness of the lawlessness of his love and the insult that he inflicts on King Mark, endowed in the novel with features of rare nobility and generosity.
2.2 The image of the Beautiful Lady in the novel
A huge place in the life and consciousness of any person of the heyday of the Middle Ages was occupied by the church.
The XII century is the heyday of the material cult, the one and only Virgin Mary, associated with the church dogma of the Ascension of the Mother of God. Andreev M.L. Knightly romance in the Renaissance / M.L. Andreev. //From myth to literature: Collection in honor of the 75th anniversary of E.M. Meletinsky. - M., 1993. - S. 314.
Respect for a woman, her exaltation and veneration, sung in poetic works the bards of that time created the cult of the Beautiful Lady and the idea of serving her.
Consider how the Beautiful Lady is represented in the novel.
To begin, I think, it is worth first of all from the social position. Isolde is not a simple servant or anyone else, she is a queen who has won the love of her subjects.
Choosing a name for the main character of the novel is also not easy: "Isolde", translated from Celtic, means "beauty".
The name largely determines the character of a person, his qualities. If you believe the horoscope, then Isolde is very sensual, voluptuous, sometimes insidious, proud. Tsimbalova L. Secret of the name / L. Tsimbalova. - M., Ripol Klassik, 2004. - S. 158 It is this, by nature, that Isolde Blond appears before us: she completely surrenders to her love, is very reverent, sensual (in one episode she even loses consciousness from an overabundance of feelings, finally seeing of her Tristan Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier - M .: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 131.), but at the same time proud and unapproachable, when Tristan, dressed in rags, humbly asks her to recognize herself, she Bedier J. turns away. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 114. .
External favorite image also has great importance. In many novels of this period, he is stereotyped, troubadours sing of beautiful blond hair, white foreheads, long thin fingers. Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval culture of classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 202 Iseult has the same appearance in the novel. She is beautiful in shape, with a face whiter than snow Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 107; when she rode out of the thicket on her horse, the whole road lit up from her beauty.
The lady of the heart should have been dressed appropriately. Isolde wears chic jewelry to match her social status, dresses in dresses made of expensive purple fabric. Why purple? Because this color means greatness, nobility, kings could afford it, know to be different and thereby show their social status. And in Christianity, the purple color means peace of mind and a clear conscience Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval culture of classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 120, which, perhaps, does not entirely apply to our heroine, but we will not lose sight of this fact, given the trends of that time to establish the image of an ideal lady.
The fact that the main character is a blonde, and not a brown-haired, brunette or red-haired woman, is due to the same material cult, on which the image of the Ideal Lady was guided. Take a look at the pictures of the Virgin Mary - she's blonde!
"She was wearing a rich dress, her figure was graceful, her eyes shone, her hair was light as the sun's rays" Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 79. .
Another important component of the image of a beautiful lady is the skills and abilities that she possesses. Since usually, in our case, this is also a lady from the upper class, she must know the rules of court etiquette, handle musical instruments, sing and dance, handle graceful style. Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval culture of classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 196 The fulfillment of these court duties was laid from childhood in Isolde.
But, in addition to being able to be sweet and courteous at court, a lady, at that turbulent time, knowledge in the field of medicine was needed. She had to understand all kinds of roots, leaves, powders, herbs; be able to make various potions and ointments, so that in case of illness or injury of his knight to help him. And not only to him.
Isolde knew how to heal perfectly, several times in the novel she saves lives. The first meeting with Tristan occurs when she is the only healer who helped Tristan, who was wounded by a poisoned spear in a fight with Marold, to heal the wound and not die. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 21.
The novel gives us a generalized and collective image beautiful lady, you can trace the main moral qualities, appearance and life skills that a woman must have who takes the heart of a knight. This image is built on the ideas and vision of the beautiful in the XII century, based, I repeat, on the cult of the Mother of God, her veneration and praise.
Conclusion
Summarizing the above, the following can be noted.
Speaking about the image of the "ideal knight", one can establish a number of moral and psychological categories that form this image, reflected in the novel. Among them, valor occupies the first place. This quality of a knight is determined by his social existence as a professional warrior. It receives primarily ethical justification and is directly linked to the idea of moral perfection. Valor motivates the actions of a knight, makes him look for adventures - "adventure".
The code of chivalry demanded many virtues from a person, for a knight is one who acts nobly and leads a noble lifestyle. A knight-errant had to obey four laws: never refuse a duel; in the tournament to play on the side of the weak; to help everyone whose cause is just; in case of war to support a just cause. Tristan has never violated a single provision of this code.
In addition to moral psychological portrait warrior, the novel gives a general idea of the battle tactics, weapons and attire of a knight in this era.
But above all, the novel about Tristan and Isolde is a story about love that is stronger than death, about the guilt of the beloved and the one who loves before the unloved, the myth of the eternal return of Tristan and the bitter happiness of the queen, the generosity and cruelty of King Mark.
Ideas of valor, honor, fidelity, mutual respect, noble morals and the cult of the lady fascinated people of other cultural epochs. The novel gives a general idea and gives a collective image of an ideal lady worthy of the worship of a great warrior. This image is a reflection of the era, the cult of veneration of the Mother of God.
"The novel embodies the dream of happiness, a sense of strength, the will to defeat evil. This, no doubt, was his primary social function: she survived for many centuries the conditions that called her to life "Zyumtor P. Experience in building medieval poetics: translated from French / P. Zyumtor. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - p. 383. .
Bibliography
Tristan — main character tales of Tristan and Iseult, son of King Rivalen (in some versions, Meliaduk, Canelangres) and Princess Blanchefleur (Beliabelle, Blancebil). T.'s father dies in a fight with the enemy, and his mother - in labor pains. Dying, she asks to name the newborn baby Tristan from the French triste, that is, “sad”, because he was conceived and born in sadness and sadness. One day T. enters a Norwegian ship and starts playing chess with the merchants. Carried away by the game, T. does not notice how the ship is sailing, T. thus becomes a prisoner. Merchants intend to sell it on occasion, and for the time being they use it either as a translator or as a navigator. The ship is caught in a terrible storm. It lasts a whole week. The storm subsides, and the merchants land T. on an unfamiliar island. This island turns out to be the domain of King Mark, brother of T.
Gradually it turns out that he is the king's nephew. The king loves him like his son, and the barons are not happy about it. One day, Cornwall, where Mark rules, is attacked by the giant Morholt, who demands an annual tribute. T. is the only one who dares to fight Morholt. In a furious battle, T. defeats the giant, but a piece of Morholt's sword, soaked in a poisoned composition, remains in his wound. No one can cure T. Then Mark orders to put him in a boat without oars and sails and let him go at the behest of the waves. The boat is docking in Ireland. There, T. is cured of her wounds by a girl with golden hair (in some versions, her mother).
One day, King Mark sees two swallows with golden hair in their beaks flying in the sky. He says that he will marry a girl who has such hair. No one knows where such a girl might be. T. remembers seeing her in Ireland and volunteers to bring her to King Mark. T. goes to Ireland and woo Isolde for his uncle. In later versions, a tournament is described with the participation of the knights of King Arthur, in which T. fought so well that the Irish king - Isolde's father - invited him to ask for everything he wanted.
The image of T. has deep folklore origins. He is associated with the Celtic Drestan (Drustan), thus, the etymology of his name from the word triste is nothing more than a desire, characteristic of medieval consciousness, to recognize an unfamiliar name as familiar. In T., the features of a fairy-tale hero are guessed: he alone fights a giant, almost a dragon (it is no coincidence that the tribute that Morholt asks is more suitable for a tribute to a snake), according to some versions, he fights a dragon in Ireland, for which the king offers him choose your reward. Traveling in the boat of the dying T. is connected with the corresponding burial rites, and staying on the island of Ireland may well be correlated with staying in the afterlife and, accordingly, with the extraction of a bride from another world, which always ends badly for an earthly person. It is also characteristic that T. is the son of Mark's sister, which again takes us into the element of ancient phratric relations (the same can be said about Isolde's attempt to avenge her uncle, about the relationship between T. and Caerdin, his wife's brother).
At the same time, T. in all versions of the plot is a courtly knight. His semi-magical abilities are due not to a miraculous origin, but to an unusually good upbringing and education. He is a warrior, musician, poet, hunter, navigator, he is fluent in the "seven arts" and many languages. In addition, he is versed in the properties of herbs, can prepare ointments and infusions that change not only the color of his skin, but also facial features. He plays chess very well. T. of all versions is a man who subtly feels and experiences the duality of his position: love for Isolde struggles in his soul with love (and vassal duty) for his uncle. As for the hero of a chivalric novel, love for T. is a kind of vital core. It is tragic, but it defines his life. The love potion drunk by T. and which became the source of further events is associated with the folklore and mythological idea of love as witchcraft. Different versions of the plot define the role of the love potion in different ways. So, in Tom's novel, the duration of the drink is not limited, and in Berul's novel it is limited to three years, but even after this period T. continues to love Isolde. Later versions, as already mentioned, tend to somewhat reduce the role of the drink: their authors emphasize that love for Isolde appears in T.'s heart even before swimming. The love potion becomes a symbol of the irresistible love of the characters and serves as some justification for their illicit relationship.
Isolde and Tristan are the main characters of many works of courtly literature of the Middle Ages. The legend of the beautiful and poetic love of Queen Isolde (who was first the bride and then the wife of Mark, the Cornish king) and the knight Tristan (who was this king's nephew) appeared in the 8-9th century in the poetry of the British Celts, was also part of the epic about the knights of the "Round table" and King Arthur.
History of literary adaptations of the plot
The legend of Tristan and Isolde was first processed in literature in France, where the legend was brought, probably by the descendants of the British Celts, Breton jugglers. First french novel about these lovers appeared in the middle of the 12th century, but has not been preserved. Later, the legend of Tristan and Iseult was used by many French poets of the 12th century, for example, the juggler Beroul, the truver Thomas (otherwise Thomas), Chretien de Troy, and at the beginning of the 13th century, Gottfried of Strasbourg and many others. Known are Italian, English, Spanish versions of this legend dating back to the 13th century, Czech processing (14th century), as well as Serbian (15th century) and others. The novels about Tristan and Isolde were very popular. Their plot is the story of the relationship between three characters: Isolde, Tristan, and also Mark.
Tristan and Isolde: the content of the story
Let us retell the plot of the most ancient novel of the 12th century, which has not come down to us, but to which all other versions go back. The brilliant knight Tristan, raised by King Mark himself, frees Ireland from the need to pay tribute, while he himself is seriously injured and asks to give his boat to the will of the waves.
Meeting with Isolde
So the young man ends up in Ireland, in which the queen, the sister of Morolt, the Irish hero killed by him, heals Tristan from his wounds. Returning to Cornwall, he tells Mark about how beautiful the princess is, and then sets off to woo the beautiful Isolde for his uncle. The Queen of Ireland, Isolde's mother, gives her a drink of love before leaving, which she must drink with Mark.
Fatal mistake
However, on the way to Cornwall, Iseult and Tristan drink the potion by mistake and immediately fall in love with each other. Having become Mark's wife, the girl continues secret meetings with Tristan. The lovers are exposed, the trial begins, at which Isolde, as proof that she was only in the arms of the king, must swear and take a piece of red-hot iron in her hands to confirm the correctness of her words. Tristan appears dressed as a pilgrim at the trial. Isolde suddenly stumbles and falls right into his arms, after which she takes the iron in her hands and swears that she was only in the arms of the pilgrim and the king. Isolde and Tristan triumph.
Isolda Belorukaya
Tristan soon goes on a journey and marries another girl, whose name is the same - Isolde (Belorukaya). But he cannot forget his love. The story of Tristan and Isolde ends with the death of the first wounded Tristan (the second Isolde deceived him by saying that the ship was moving under black sails - a sign that the girl did not want to respond to the call of this hero), and then his beloved, who could not survive this death . Isolde and Tristan are buried side by side. The thorn that grew on Tristan's grave grows into the girl's grave.
Brief analysis
The conflict between the free personal feeling of those who love and the requirements of public morality, which permeates the entire work, reflects the deep contradictions that existed at that time in the knightly environment and the worldview of the era. Depicting this love with ardent sympathy, and all those who are trying to interfere with happiness - sharply negatively, the author at the same time does not dare to protest openly against existing institutions and concepts and "justifies" the heroes with the fatal effect of a love drink. However, objectively, this work is a deep criticism of feudal concepts and norms.
Meaning of the legend
The story of Tristan and Isolde is a treasure trove of human culture. The French writer and scientist J. Bedier in 1900 recreated the original version of the novel (dating back to the middle of the 12th century) from the surviving sources. were created and musical works according to this legend. One of them, the opera "Tristan and Isolde", was created in the 1860s by the great composer Richard Wagner.
Modern art also uses this plot. For example, recently, in 2006, a film adaptation was released this work, created by American director Kevin Reynolds.
