The meaning of the name White Guard Bulgakov. Novel "The White Guard" (1925)
Tristan and Isolde
TRISTAN AND IZOLDA (French Tristan et Iseut, old French Tristran et Isolt) -
1) heroes literary monuments Middle Ages. The legendary prototypes of T. and I. are considered to be images of Celtic, Irish and Scottish legends. The name T. is first found in the form Droostan (Drost, Drest) in the genealogies of the Pictish kings of VIII»Sv. Many plot parallels to T. and I. can be found in two Irish sagas - “The Expulsion of the Sons of Usnech” and “The Flight of Di-Armaid and Grainne.” L.D. Mikhailov believes that I. inherited many of the features of her Celtic predecessors. Her name in the form Eselt is found in an Anglo-Saxon source of 967. During the Norman conquest of England, the images of T. and I. passed into French literature (the name T. is consonant with the French triste - “sad”). There is also an assumption that mythological roots The images of T. and I. go back to the Japhetic (inhabitants of Afreurasia) legends about the cosmic elements, about the Sun - T. and about water - I.
The literary genealogy of these heroes goes back to the so-called. “Prototype” - the first French novel about T. and I. (entirely lost). Only two poetic adaptations of the “Prototype” have survived, dating back to the second. floor. XII "Sw.: poem by Bérul and fragments of the novel by Trouver Thomas. The German version of the novel about T. and I. was created by Eilgart von Oberg (about 1190) - according to Beruul and Gottfried of Strasbourg (beginning of XIII) - according to Tom. In addition, there is a prose French novel, a Norwegian saga, an English poem "Sir Tristrem", a French poem "Tristan the Fool", "le" by Mary of France "Honeysuckle" - all of them belong to the 13th century. IN medieval literature T. and I. became synonymous ideal lovers and were often chosen as pseudonyms by troubadours and those ladies to whom they dedicated their love poems. There are three versions of the image of T. and I.: epic (Berul - his I. is infinitely far from the courtly heroines of chivalric novels, she is constant in her feelings, decisive, frank); lyrical (Toma - T. turns out to be a hero, constantly torn apart by two opposing and mutually exclusive feelings: affection for Mark, I.’s husband, and love for I.); knightly, where T. from a lover, completely absorbed in his feelings, turns into an ordinary knight errant. The images of T. and I. were fundamentally different from the characters courtly literature. A.N. Veselovsky noted that T. and I. love each other equally passionately, carried away by the same force: it was difficult to make T. sergent d’amour. I. had nothing to beg for. Therefore, during the Renaissance, the story of T. and I. was practically forgotten. (The only exception is Pierre Sala’s novel “Tristan” (beginning of the 16th century). In it, the love of T. and I. has a happy ending.) Only from the end of the 18th century. Dozens of new adaptations of this legend appear. The poets Wieland, A.V. Schlegel, Rückert, Immermann, Wackernagel, Platen, M. Arnold, Tennyson, and Swinbury turn to the images of T. and I. 2) Heroes of the musical drama (opera) by R. Wagner “Tristan and Isolde” (1859). Wagner saw in the images of T. and I., first of all, the tragedy of loving and suffering people: “Their feeling goes through all the phases of fruitless love to the end with a flame burning them in the depths of the soul, starting from the most timid complaints, in which an untiringly passionate desire expresses itself, from the most tender trembling - to a flash of terrible despair upon realizing the hopelessness of this love, until, finally, the helplessly sinking feeling of T. and I. fades away, as if dissolving in death.” 3) Heroes of the novel French writer and the philologist J. Bedier “The Romance of Tristan and Isolde” (1900). Bedier created his version of T. and I. based on the versions of Béroul, Thom, Eilhart von Oberg and Gottfried of Strasbourg. Gaston Paris, in the preface to Bedier's novel, wrote that its meaning is in the fatal nature of love, rising above all laws. The love of T. and I. overcomes internal obstacles: jealousy, suspicion, a cruel desire to take revenge for an imaginary betrayal. The images of T. and I. symbolize such deep antinomies of human life as the contradiction between legal and illegal love, between love and duty, between friendship and betrayal, and, finally, between love and passion. At the end of the novel, Bedier seems to dedicate the images of T. and I. to the reader: “They send greetings through me to all those who are yearning and happy, who are offended by love and who thirst for it, who are joyful and who are yearning, to all those who love. Let them find here consolation in impermanence and injustice, in annoyances and adversities, in all the sufferings of love.”
Lit.: Le roman de Tristan par Tomas, public par Joseph Bedier. Paris, 1902-190S; Tristan and Isolde - from the heroine of love of feudal Europe to the goddess of matriarchal Afreurasia // Collection of scientific works. works L., 1932; Veselovsky A.N. Introduction // Bedier J. A novel about Tristan and Isolde. L., 1938; // Smirnov A.A. Novel about Tristan and Isolde // Ibid.; Frappier J. Structure et sens du Tristan: version commune, version courtoise. "Cahiers de Civilization medievale". 1963, no. 24; Varvaro A. II “Roman de Tristan” di Beroul. Torino, 1963; Mikhailov A.D. The legend of Tristan and Isolde and its completion (Pierre Sala’s novel “Tristan”) // Philologica. Studies in language and literature. In memory of academician V.M. Zhirmunsky. L., 1973.
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 (masters all types of weapons, martial arts, invincible). Great musician (plays the harp, an ancient Celtic instrument), knows 7 foreign languages, plays chess, studied shipbuilding, he is also an architect, a formal engineer; ideal person. Faithful in friendship, generous, patient, selfless. How is it different from other heroes? He is characterized by dissatisfaction (he travels). He is looking for the dangerous, the strange.
Two topoi - the topos of the sea and the forest.
Sea- looks like the main character. What? In the ebb and flow of mood; leaves/comes. Tristan resembles the stormy North Sea, the sea of the Celts. It poses a threat, but it is also on the side of the protagonist. The sea is the element that it entrusts to itself. He's not a Celt!
His marriage is interesting: It is not Tristan's love that is most offensive.
Interesting image King Mark: the king is a cuckold.
The golden-haired woman in whose love the hero burns.
Mark- a good king who is ashamed to deceive. He didn’t really want to get married, the barons forced marriage on him. Tristan himself gives Mark his betrothed. A kind, gentle and weak king. Tristan suffers because of this. This love triangle has a psychological character: duality and inconsistency in the Tristan-Mark relationship.
Tristan: changeability of feelings.
In SV: “The Romance of Tristan.”
Isolde: a woman is strong, has integrity and a strong character; a man of one passion. She doesn't look like courtly heroines. Loves Tristan. She is offended when Tristan decides to take her to another (for example, the scene of Isolde’s tests for purity. The author’s task is a hymn of passion, a hymn of love, => victories of lovers).
In this novel, the right to choice and passion is established equally for both men and women.
She is being given in marriage; but she remains true to her choice.
Isolde is a healer, she can cure.
Several scholars speak of Isolde's gloomy character.
What is the legend about?? About the fact that nothing can contain passion. This legend does not idealize its heroes. The legend makes you think about the fact that life has everything: betrayal, love, passion. Tristan and Isolde are very lively, unpredictability of feelings, => variability of the plot.
The love of the heroes is initially associated with betrayal, life is on the edge, => the motive of love is as strong as death.
This legend allows us to connect the universal with the individual. Tells about the twists of fate, => the heroes are interesting to us.
22. “Flamenca”.
Old Provençal novel. Found in early XIX centuries, by chance. A manuscript was discovered. Revoir named this novel after the main character. He dated the novel: mid-13th century, later novel.
The novel begins with a wedding. The lord marries Flamenca. The bride is beautiful, courtly, => the king is in complete excitement, he likes the bride, => he is jealous. After the feast, the young husband imprisons his wife in a tower, and he himself goes wild. The husband (according to the courtly version) must be patient if courtly gifts of admiration are brought to her.
At this time, in the neighboring area, a flawless courtly knight Gelyom(handsome, wins tournaments) hears the story of Flamenca, falls in love with her in absentia. The motive of distant love. He decides to help her. He arrives and stays at the hotel. The owners treat him with sympathy. He is treated well by the church's copelan. He sees Flamenca for the first time in the temple. Meetings begin in the temple. It all ends with the desire to be together. Gelom hires miners to dig. Imaginary betrayal -> real. Then the heroes are separated.
The husband is cured of jealousy. Clarifications between Guelom and Flamenca. Tournament where Guelom meets Flamenca again. Archibal is not jealous.
Another character - Amor(an allegorical character who helps the main character), an abstract concept in a concrete image.
Famous The allegorical novel is “The Romance of the Rose,” where the main character is Amor. The entire novel is imbued with symbolism. 2 characters - Amor and Venus, she is opposed to each other (although both mean love). Amor is courtly love (a very complex model of behavior, based on excellent knowledge of ritual).
Amor guides the hero's actions.
Love conquers evil. Amor makes everyone wake up best feelings hero. Cartoonous love here is a way of self-improvement, a source of goodness and nobility. To recover from jealousy, you need to overcome this evil in yourself.
The complex relationship between lovers and the church. From the very beginning something was wrong. Archibal is not happy with the length of the wedding. It is the church that bothers them, but the church also becomes a dating place! The complete victory of Amor and all religious feelings recede into the background. Who does our hero become? He becomes an assistant to the clergy. Using church for dating is becoming a classic. The church is not a place for prayer, but a meeting place for lovers.
What's Provencal here? There is a lot of love in Provence. Love = religion of Provence. In “Flamenca” there is an elegant substitution. Amor crowds out prayers. All conversations are about God, about how to achieve what you want.
Where does the parody come from? This is the influence of urban literature. The entire institution of the church is ridiculed. Who lies all the time? Of course... priests! Criticism of the church institution did not affect religiosity.
“Flamenca” - in the era of decline of Provençal literature; => syncretic nature of its plot (i.e. the combination of different motives: urban literature + Provençal lyrics).
Characters: nothing original. The heroine is traditionally beautiful, we recognize her as a woman - an aristocrat, her behavior fits into the courtly canon (which is what the novel is about!). Guelom: noble, but also savvy.
The heroes of urban literature are rogues.
"The Romance of Tristan and Isolde" preserved in two incomplete versions recorded by Norman trouvères Berulem(90s) and Tom(70-80s of the 12th century), however, they go back to earlier editions and are based on the Celtic epic-mythological tradition.
Bérul's novel is closer to its Celtic prototypes, especially in its depiction of the image of Isolde. One of the most poetic episodes of the novel is the episode in the forest of Morois, where King Mark, having found Tristan and Isolde sleeping and seeing a naked sword between them, readily forgives them (in the Celtic sagas, a naked sword separated the bodies of heroes before they became lovers, Berulya is a hoax). The love of Tristan and Isolde in Béroul is devoid of courtliness: they are possessed by a passion that does not interrupt even after the cessation of the love potion (this period is limited to three years in Béroul).
Thoma's novel has traditionally been viewed as a courtly version of Béroul's work. This is not only knightly etiquette in the behavior of the characters, the courtly upbringing of Tristan and his Deity, the presence of “informers” seeking to destroy the heroes, etc., but also the courtly sublimation of the love feeling itself, clearly manifested, for example, in Tristan’s deification of Isolde, whose statue he worships in the grotto. All this, however, is only more or less external features. More important is the presence in the novel of a knightly-epic system of values, which comes into conflict with the very archaic meaning of the plot itself, which creates a problematic situation specific to “Tristan and Isolde.” The novel is characterized by the theme of suffering, separation, tragic love, for whom happiness is unthinkable.
Love passion is depicted in the novel as a result of the action of a dark principle, invading the bright world of the social world order and threatening to destroy it to the ground. This clash of two irreconcilable principles already contains the possibility of a tragic conflict, which makes the novel about Tristan and Isolde a fundamentally pre-courtly work in the sense that courtly love can be as dramatic as desired, but it is not tragic: it is always joy, not sorrow, always has harmonizing force.
At first glance, Tristan and Isolde are concerned with only one thing - to hide from others and prolong their criminal passion at all costs. This is the role of Tristan’s heroic leap, his numerous “pretense”, Isolde’s ambiguous oath during “God’s judgment”, her cruelty towards Brangien, whom Isolde wants to destroy for knowing too much, etc. Consumed by an irresistible desire To be together, lovers trample both human and divine laws, moreover, they condemn not only Mark’s honor to desecration, but also their own.
The novel is permeated with motifs from Celtic mythology. These are not only such frankly magical images as the dragon and giant defeated by Tristan, not only the birds traditional for Irish mythology, connected by a golden chain in pairs (in the novel - swallows carrying Isolde’s hair), but, first of all, the theme of courtship to the daughter of a hostile ruler other world(cf. Irish saga“Matchmaking to Emer”). This is exactly how the novel shows Ireland - the country of Morolt and the dragon, where the wounded Tristan sails on a boat without oars or sails, a country where the sorceress queen brews a love potion, and her golden-haired daughter (a sign of otherworldliness) Isolde forever destroys the peace of those who love her, King Mark and Tristana.
The mythological identity of love and death permeates the novel from the very beginning. Tristan's loving parents die; Isolde feels love for the slayer of the dragon, but, recognizing him as her uncle’s killer, she wants to kill him; the heroes drink the drink of love, thinking that they are drinking the drink of death; They find the highest happiness of love in the forest of Morois, where they hide, having escaped execution; finally, Isolde dies of love for Tristan, but after death they are united by a wonderful rose hip. The image of Isolde goes back to the idea of a beautiful and deadly mistress of another world, whose love is destructive, and her arrival in the world of people threatens her with death, and people with troubles. All this is in the novel, but in the most ancient mythological images new content is inserted: Isolde appears as a passionate and tender woman who does not want to recognize the power of either her father, her husband, or human and divine laws over herself: for her, the law is her love.
The image of King Mark undergoes an even greater transformation. In the mythological plot, this is an old ruler hostile to the heroes, directly or indirectly embodying the forces of death. However, before us is one of the noblest heroes, humanly forgiving what he must punish as a king. Loving his nephew and his wife, he wants to be deceived by them, and this is not weakness, but the greatness of his image.
Tristan is the most traditional. The laws of the plot require him to be a powerful knight, educated and beautiful, to be an ardent lover who overcomes any obstacles. But the uniqueness of the hero of the legend lies in the fact that he simultaneously loves Isolde and remains faithful to Mark (and is therefore doomed to be tormented by the choice between these feelings). He tries to cut the Gordian knot by marrying another Isolde.
Isolde Belorukaya acts as the human double of the otherworldly heroine. In mythology, such duality turns into death, and in the novel White-Armed Isolde leads lovers to death. And yet, it is wrong to see in her only a destructive double - just like other heroes of the novel, she appears not as an archaic image, but as a living person, an insulted woman.
Tristan's feigned madness. Serves two purposes - to get to Isolde unrecognized and to check whether his beloved recognizes him. Interestingly, the mask of the holy fool allows Tristan to directly tell the king who he is, why he came, and describe events known only to him and Isolde. He can freely enter the queen's chambers for three days.
Miracle with thorns. A similar miracle representing posthumous union loving souls, described in many lyrical love works. Lovers are buried not far from each other, and their dying wish to be buried in the same coffin (grave) is often violated. Plants grow on the graves (rose hips, thorns, most often a plant with thorns), which intertwine branches, or, as in “Tristan and Isolde,” grow into both graves, connecting them with a kind of bridge. Typical for ballads about unhappy lovers. More often, wild rose still grows. But apparently, since Tristan and Isolde endured so much, the thorn tree is apparently some kind of symbol of their special, transcendental suffering.
Sympathy is evoked by the completeness with which they experience the suffering that befalls them, but for which they are innocent: in their fatal love not much happiness, but a lot of agony and pain. They drink the cup prepared for them to the end, because their role in the novel is not at all to demonstrate the blind power of fate, but to embody a feeling whose power can trample even death.
Among other works, noteworthy is Marie of France’s “Honeysuckle,” which describes only one episode of the legend: Tristan, who secretly arrived in Cornwall, leaves a branch with his name on Isolde’s path, and she hurries to a date. The poetess compares lovers to hazel and honeysuckle, which gives the name to the le, captivating with its graceful touchingness.
Over the next centuries, many authors turned to the legend; it became involved in the cycle of Arthurian tales. These later works lose the poetic merits of the 12th century novels, the image of Isolde fades into the background, and other heroes find themselves depicted in a straightforward and more crude manner.
Interest in oldest form The novel appears at the beginning of the 19th century with the publication by W. Scott of the medieval poem “Sir Tristrem”. In the 1850s R. Wagner writes his famous musical drama “Tristan and Isolde”, and in 1900 the French researcher J. Bédier tries to reconstruct the original text and on the basis of this creates his “Roman about Tristan and Isolde”, which is at the same time a recreated archetypal plot and a beautiful literary work.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tristan- the main character of the tales of Tristan and Isolde, the son of King Rivalen (in some versions Meliaduc, Kanelangres) and Princess Blanchefleur (Beliabel, Blancebil). T.'s father dies in a battle with the enemy, and his mother dies in birth pangs. Dying, she asks to name the newborn baby Tristan from the French triste, i.e. “sad,” for he was both conceived and born in sadness and sadness. One day T. boards a Norwegian ship and begins to play chess with the merchants. Carried away by the game, T. does not notice how the ship is sailing, T. thus finds himself captured. The 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 encounters 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 possession of King Mark, brother of T.'s mother.
It gradually becomes clear that he is the king's nephew. The king loves him like his son, and the barons are unhappy about this. One day, Cornwall, where Mark rules, is attacked by the giant Morholt, demanding annual tribute. T. is the only one who dares to fight Morholt. In a fierce battle, T. defeats the giant, but a piece of Morholt’s sword, soaked in a poisonous compound, remains in his wound. No one can cure T. Then Mark orders him to be put in a boat without oars or sails and set free at the mercy of the waves. The boat lands in Ireland. There T. is healed of his wounds by a girl with golden hair (in some versions, her mother).
One day, King Mark sees two swallows flying in the sky with golden hair in their beaks. He says he will marry a girl who has hair like that. Nobody knows where such a girl could be. T. remembers that he saw her in Ireland and volunteers to bring her to King Mark. T. goes to Ireland and wooes Isolde for his uncle. Later versions describe a tournament with the participation of King Arthur's knights, 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 the desire, characteristic of medieval consciousness, to recognize an unfamiliar name as familiar. In T. one can discern the features of a fairy-tale hero: he alone fights a giant, almost a dragon (it is no coincidence that the tribute that Morholt asks for 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. The journey in the boat of the dying T. is connected with the corresponding burial rites, and a stay on the island of Ireland may well be correlated with a stay 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 phratrial relations (the same can be said about Isolde’s attempt to avenge her uncle, about the relationship between T. and Kaerdin, his wife’s brother).
At the same time, T. in all versions of the plot is a courtly knight. His semi-magical abilities are explained not by a miraculous origin, but by an extraordinary good upbringing and education. He is a warrior, musician, poet, hunter, navigator, and is fluent in the “seven arts” and many languages. In addition, he is knowledgeable in the properties of herbs and can prepare rubs and infusions that change not only the color of his skin, but also his 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 fights in his soul with love (and vassal duty) for his uncle. As for the hero of a chivalric novel, love for T. represents a certain core of life. She is tragic, but she defines his life. The love potion drunk by T. and becoming the source further developments, is associated with the folklore and mythological idea of love as witchcraft. Different versions of the plot define the role of the love potion differently. So, in Tom’s novel the validity of the drink is not limited, but in Béroul’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 heroes and serves as some justification for their illicit relationship.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RF
federal state budget educational institution higher education
"Vologda State University"
History department
Department of General History
COURSE WORK
Discipline: "History of the Middle Ages"
Topic name: “The image of the ideal knight in the novel “Tristan and Isolde”.”
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1. Knight as warrior
- 1.2 Ammunition, battle tactics
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
Introduction
Every girl has thought about it at least once in her life. 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 introduced by the so-called chivalric literature, mainly represented by the chivalric romance. 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 of 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 bundle of virtues. This confirmed the idea of the exclusivity of the knightly class, which naturally benefited the knights themselves.
The chivalric romance is a genre of medieval courtly literature that replaced the heroic epic. In the center, as a rule, there is a knight-hero who performs feats, putting his life in danger in the name of his own glory, love, religion and morality. In most chivalric romances, two inextricably linked components are sublime love and a fairy tale element. Vlasov V.G. New encyclopedic Dictionary visual arts: in 10 t.T. 8. - St. Petersburg: ABC-classics, 2008. - p. 147 - 148.
Cycles found extensive ground for the development of the novel in chivalric literature. epic stories about Tristan and Isolde, as well as “The Song of the Nibelungs”, “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. writes Malinovskaya in her monograph “The Myth of Tristan and Isolde is a story about love that 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." Malinovskaya N.R. Doves of meetings and eagles of separation / N.R. Malinovskaya // Literature. - First of September . - 2014. - N 3. - p. 26.
The topic of this work is the image of the ideal knight in the novel “Tristan and Isolde”.
Since retellings ancient legend Quite a lot is known, I will stick to the interpretation of the novel as retold by 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 called a large number of imitations on different languages: German, English, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, as well as Czech, Polish, Modern Greek.
Despite the colossal success of the novel, its text has reached us in a terrible state and incomplete. And from most of his treatments dating back to a later time, only a few fragments have survived, and from many, nothing at all.
The prominent French medievalist and sensitive writer of the early twentieth century, Joseph Bedier, began collecting fragments of the legend bit by bit, restoring it and reworking it in a new literary form, and successfully completed the task.
The relevance of the work lies in the fact that currently society really lacks that same positive hero, a knight “without fear and reproach”; Writers, artists, and musicians are once again faced with the acute question of who can be classified as this type of hero. It's time to look back and remember the heroes with a pure heart and a kind soul.
We take purity and simplicity from the ancients,
Sagas, fairy tales - we drag from the past, -
Because good remains 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 knightly novel "Tristan and Isolde" The Romance of Tristan and Isolde: A Medieval Novel: trans. from fr. - Kaliningrad: Yantar. Skaz, 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 positive hero.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks were identified:
· select literature on this issue
· analyze the text of the novel from the point of view of searching for the argumentation of the hypothesis put forward
· list the basic requirements for a knight, according to the source
The chronological framework of the study covers the period of the late XI - early XIII centuries.
The territorial scope of the study is medieval Europe.
The research is based on scientific, popular science and educational literature.
Soviet historiography includes the work of E.M. Meletinsky. "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 of European and Eastern countries, identifies and characterizes the main stages of its development, and also reveals the national specificity of individual literary monuments of the Middle Ages
No less interesting is the work of I.G. Matyushina. "The Poetics of a Knight's Saga". In this work, the author examines the features of the genre of chivalric saga romance in Norwegian and Icelandic literature. The story of Tristan and Isolde is also considered. Matyushina I.G. Poetics of the knight's saga / I.G. Matyushina. - 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 / resp. ed. THEM. Savelyeva, A.V. Poletaev. - M., 2005. - P. 67 - 98; Chivalric romance in the Renaissance / M.L. Andreev. //From myth to literature: Collection in honor of the 75th anniversary of E.M. Meletinsky. - M., 1993. - P. 312 - 320; Medieval European drama: origin and formation (X - XIII centuries) / M.L. Andreev. - M.: Art, 1989. - 212 p.; Mikhailov A.D. French chivalric novel and questions of genre typology in medieval literature / A.D. Mikhailov. - M.: Nauka, 1976. - 351 p. dealing with the problem of medieval literary genres.
Foreign researchers of medieval history made a great contribution to the development of this topic. European literature Paul Zumthor, Charles Dil Dil Charles. Byzantine portraits: trans. from fr. / Charles Diehl. - M.: Art, 1994. - 448 p.; Zyumtor P. Construction experience medieval poetics: per. from fr. / P. Zyumtor. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - 546 p. .
In addition to literary monographs, monographs by historians dealing with the Middle Ages were involved. Cardini F. Origins of medieval chivalry: trans. 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: selection of literature and analysis of this literature in search of an answer to the key question of my work.
chivalric romance Tristan Isolde
Chapter 1. Knight as warrior
1.1 Tristan's chivalric qualities as an ideal knight
The basis of the medieval attitude of man to the world that surrounded him and of which he was an integral part was the feudal system, with its class isolation, the dominance of religion (in this case, Catholicism). The medieval man was a canonical personality, almost completely subordinate to religious dogma. Lukov V.A. History of literature. Foreign literature from origins to the present day: textbook. aid for students higher textbook institutions / V.A. Lukov. - M.: Academy, 2008. - p. 72.
In the social sphere medieval period Knighthood dominates as a military class, which also has some political power. The main difference between this culture is that social relations lord and vassal were built on the basis of contracts, personal loyalty, close family connections, as well as devotion and patronage. Mikhailov A.D. French chivalric novel and questions 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 rebellious vassals, peasants; clergy to fight heretics, kings; peasants against knights of neighboring lords and so on.
Knight is translated as horseman. But, this is not just a horseman, but a horseman in armor, with a helmet, shield, spear and sword.
Anyone can pick up a weapon, but you need to know how to use it, and this requires regular training from a very young age, if not from childhood. Therefore, boys from 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.: Education, 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 take a closer look at the content of the novel about Tristan and Isolde from the point of view of its glorification of the image of the ideal knight of the 12th century.
I repeat that a knight, first of all, must be noble, fight only with those 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 write poetry and “serve” lady, to 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 at an early age and was first raised by the equerry Roald Hard Word. Out of fear that Morgan, who had seized the castle of the boy’s parents, would kill the son of Rivalen, the legal heir of Loonua, the groom passed him off as his own child and raised him with his sons.
When Tristan reached the age of seven, he was handed over to his squire, Gorvenal. Gorvenal, in turn, taught Tristan the arts that were taught to the barons - the medieval nobility. The boy was trained to wield a spear, sword, shield and bow, jump over the widest ditches in 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 and treachery, taught him to help the weak, to hold 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 training the boy, when Tristan grew up, he became his squire and close friend.
Next, the boy became a page. 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 a hunt, and at night he played the harp to quench the king's grief when he was sad. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 9.
When Tristan's mentor finally told the truth about the young man's birth, King Mark knighted him.
After serving as a page, knights must prove their valor in battle. Therefore, “having been knighted by his uncle, Tristan went overseas on Cornish ships, forced his father’s military vassals to recognize himself, challenged the murderer of Rivalen to battle, struck him to death and took possession of his land” Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J . Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 18. . After this, having proven his valor and indestructibility 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 a shameful tribute to the king of Ireland, defeating Morold of Ireland in a fair fight.
Morold is known to be a very strong knight. He challenged the knights from King Mark's retinue to a duel, knowing that no one would risk fighting him. Therefore, Tristan, throwing the gauntlet to Morold in this way, seems to be sending 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, and ambitious, which is manifested in his preparations for the duel, purple sails on the boat, and addressing Tristan as “vassal,” although both are of noble origin. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 39. If Tristan bets on a fair and open fight, then Marold, in turn, uses a “stratagem” - smears his spear with poison. Nevertheless, victory remains with Tristan. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 23.
Why behind him? Because the legend, satisfying the social demand of chivalry, glorifies and highlights the positive hero, as if saying that no matter how physically strong you are, without high moral principles you are essentially weak. Therefore, Tristan did not die from poisoning, but thanks to his resourcefulness, he avoided the dangers that awaited him in Ireland and returned to his lord, King Mark.
As a faithful and devoted vassal, and loyalty in the Middle Ages is an important Christian valor Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval Culture of 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 was considered the murderer of the brother of the Queen of Ireland, but this did not stop him, he swears on honor (the most important and significant thing that a knight should have in his professional morally), that he will either die or bring the golden-haired queen. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 22.
The novel clearly shows such qualities of a knight as persistence, the importance of finishing what is started, and loyalty to the oath. This is reflected in the episode when the seneschal tried to marry Isolde and cut off the dragon's hand to prove that it was he who killed him. Tristan, in turn, vowed to fulfill his 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 did Tristan fall out of favor for forbidden love to the wife of his first lord, and then his uncle, and was forced to face exile, the knight wandered the earth for a long time. He accomplished many feats, gained true friend in the person of Kaerdin, brother of Isolde Belorukaya, his future wife. He moves so freely from senior to senior because that was the norm. 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 his journey).
Tristan dies from a wound received in battle with enemies. He was struck with a poisoned spear, and there was no salvation from this poison. Isolde, his love, did not have time to save him because of the female cunning of Isolde the White-handed. 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. That's why Tristan is shown this way. All short life he was dedicated to the principles that his adoptive father once taught him: a knight is one who acts nobly and leads a noble lifestyle.
1.2 Ammunition, battle tactics
“The chivalric romance absorbed its greatness from antiquity, the exaltation of a man - a warrior, a knight in the Middle Ages” Mikhailov A.D. French chivalric romance... - p. 197.
Chivalry, like other classes, was distinguished, first of all, by clothing, in this case the warrior’s ammunition, in which he was regularly worn.
The ammunition consisted of weapons, armor and other attributes necessary for the “combatants” to successfully fulfill their role.
The novel "Tristan and Isolde" mentions the following types of weapons that were at the warrior's disposal: a long sword, with which the knight usually fought, a short blade, for close combat (it was with the blade that Tristan struck Marold, drove him into the head with such force that he there were strong jagged marks on it) Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 23, long spear, club, bow and arrows.
The immediate attire of the knight referred to in the novel - the warrior - consisted of armor-plate “made of blued steel, light but strong” Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 14, helmet, chain mail - blio, belt, boots with spurs. In this guise knights usually appeared on the battlefield Cardini F. Origins of medieval chivalry: trans. from Italian / F. Cardini. - M., 1987. - p. 281. The knight also had a horse, without which he could not fully be considered a knight, and a squire.
As a warrior who constantly travels and takes part in battles, a knight must be unpretentious in food and living. Tristan also meets this requirement - for two years, after his expulsion, he lived in the forest, slept on spruce branches, ate roots and game and felt quite well. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 74-86
After analyzing the novel, one can identify the various combat tactics used by the knights.
1. To inflame the fighting spirit, the knights exchanged curses with each other, so Tristan and Marold walked to the battlefield “encouraging themselves with swear words” Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde / J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 39
2. They often used a not very honest method 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 vile, way of fighting is to wound the horse under the rider. Usually a wounded horse fell and crushed the rider, 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. Knights often had to set up ambushes, hiding in the bushes with a bow and arrows and waiting for their prey; Tristan resorted to such tactics when he was waiting for a group of patients to whom Mark gave Isolde to be killed. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 65
5. They often used all kinds of traps and tried to take the enemy by surprise. So King Mark first sat in ambush, and then, under the cover of darkness, 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 oak branch with which Gorvenal killed the sick man 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 and warn of danger, they used imitative sounds, either an animal roar or the singing of birds. All this was used by Tristan and other knights appearing in the novel.
8. Another way to successfully conduct combat operations and more, which I saw in the novel, is changing your appearance. Throughout the story, Tristan addresses him several times, wearing rags so that King Mark's subjects do not capture him when he moves freely around the city, having been expelled from it. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 78-92, 121
9. And the knights were also engaged not only in righteous deeds, but also in robbery. Tristan and a detachment of knights repulsed the carts of Count Riol, plundered poorly guarded tents, attacked his convoy, wounded and killed his people and never returned to Carais without some kind of booty Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 69.
10. Particularly interesting is the storming of castles: detachments of knights approached the walls, stopped within range of a bow shot, and began battle with detachments of defenders, who, in turn, lined up along the defended walls. Archers stood on the castle walls, raining arrows “like April rain.” The novel describes the battle between Count Riol and Duke Goel, in which Tristan also participated. Bedier J. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011 - p. 87.
Consequently, like the folk heroic epic, the novel about Tristan and Isolde condemns all manifestations of evil and deceit. It glorifies courage, daring, bravery and condemns betrayal, lies, perfidy, but, nevertheless, if we consider it as a source on issues of conducting military operations, we can see that deceit serves in the name of good, and not always as it seems The hero, positive in every sense, is, so to speak, sinless. It is impossible to examine in detail the weapons and ammunition of war in the novel, but general information necessary for drawing up a portrait medieval warrior and ways to successfully fulfill his immediate knightly duties - battle tactics, he gives.
Chapter 2. The feeling of love in the novel
2.1 The nature of the love of Tristan and Isolde
The basis of the novel "Tristan and Isolde", I repeat, took shape in the 12th century. During this period, the form of “courtly love”, so vividly and colorfully described by the poets of that period, was actively developing in Western Europe. Samarin R.M., Mikhailov A.D. Common features courtly lyrics / R.M. Samarin, A.D. Mikhailov // History world literature: At 8 t.T. 2. - M.: Nauka, 1984. - P. 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 possessing a lady who was (usually) married. But love, or rather a love affair, was not a deep feeling, but rather a fleeting infatuation. 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 the characteristics of a courteous; these include, first of all, the fact that the object of love is not free: Isolde is his uncle’s wife (the limit of youthful dreams in a courtly environment was to seduce the wife of his brother, uncle, as a violation of the strictest prohibitions Duby J. Courtly love and changes in the status of women in France XII century / J. Duby // Odysseus. Man in history. - M.: 1990. P. 94); further - this is the performance of various feats in the name of the lady of his heart (Tristan defeated the shaggy giant Urgant to get the magic dog Petit Cru 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 reprisal 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. This sign for the lovers was a ring made of green jasper, which Isolde gave in exchange for the dog given to her by Tristan.
The exchange of gifts is not accidental; a particle of the giver passes along with the given object and the recipient of the gift enters into a close relationship with him, 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, placing his hands in hers, make 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 a strong amulet. Koons D.F. Gems in myths and legends [Electronic resource] //access mode http: //librebook.ru/dragocennye_kamni_v_mifah_i_legendah// access date 05/06/2017
But at the same time, the feeling shown in the novel cannot be fully attributed to the form of courtly love, this is not an ordinary hobby - it is a strong and very deep passion that arose not when the two saw each other, but when both drank the love drink - potion.
Both are tormented by their feelings - Tristan from the fact that he formed strong bonds with his uncle’s wife, thereby betraying his master, first of all (which contradicted the main Christian valor-loyalty), and then a relative and friend; Isolde 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 constantly invent all sorts of ways to keep in touch with each other. Tristan, trying to call her, imitating songbirds, whittled pieces of bark and threw them into the stream, and when they reached Isolde’s chambers, she came 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. There is a church, royal and state ban on it. But there are other prohibitions - the blood of Morold, Isolde’s uncle, shed by Tristan, the trust of the deceived Mark, the love of Isolde the White-handed. Tristan decides to marry the sister of his friend Gorvenal only because he decided that Isolde allegedly stopped loving him and that he would not see her again. But lying with Isolde Belorukaya, he remembers his Isolde and says that he supposedly made a vow 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, blond Isolde, even more unhappy, because among strangers who were watching her, she had to pretend to be feigned fun and laughter all day, and at night, lying near King Mark, not move, holding back trembling throughout body and attacks 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 her 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 expulsion, wants the queen to know that he died precisely because of her. Which is exactly what is happening. Following her lover, Isolde also dies.
Thorn bushes grow on their graves, which they try to remove several times, but in vain.
The fact that on the graves loving friend friend during people's lifetimes is not accidental. Different nations They consider the thorn tree a symbol of resistance to adversity and overcoming it, no matter what. The Celts, the people who were the progenitors of the novel, considered the thorn 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 and sacrifice in Christianity, it is a symbol of redemptive voluntary sacrifice. About the world of plants [Electronic resource] //access mode http: //www.botanichka.ru/blog/2011/08/14/blackthorn-2// date of access 03.05.2017
The difference between the novel about Tristan and Isolde from a number of other knightly novels is that the nature of love reflected in the novel cannot be fully attributed to courtly, since there are features here 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 is prominently occupied by the painful awareness of the hopeless contradiction between his passion and the moral foundations of society; he is tormented by the awareness of the lawlessness of his love and the insult that he inflicts on King Mark, endowed in the novel with traits of rare nobility and generosity.
2.2 The image of the Beautiful Lady in the novel
The church occupied a huge place in the life and consciousness of any person during the heyday of the Middle Ages.
The 12th 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. Chivalric romance in the Renaissance / M.L. Andreev. //From myth to literature: Collection in honor of the 75th anniversary of E.M. Meletinsky. - M., 1993. - P. 314.
The respectful attitude towards a woman, her exaltation and veneration, glorified in the poetic works of the bards of that time, created the cult of the Beautiful Lady and the ideas of serving her.
Let's consider how the Beautiful Lady is presented in the novel.
I think it’s worth starting, first of all, with social status. 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, and proud. Tsimbalova L. The Secret of the Name / L. Tsimbalova. - M., Ripol Classic, 2004. - P. 158 This is exactly the character that Isolde Blonde appears to us in: she completely surrenders to her love, is very reverent, sensual (in one episode she even loses consciousness from an overabundance of feelings, having finally seen 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, humiliatingly asks her to recognize herself, she Bedieu J. turns away. Tristan and Isolde/J. Bedier. - M.: Azbuka Atticus, 2011. - p. 114. .
The external favorite image also has great importance. In many novels of this period he is stereotyped, troubadours sing of the beautiful blonde hair, white forehead, long thin fingers. Gurevich A.Ya. Categories of Medieval Culture of Classes /A.Ya. Gurevich. - M.: Art, 1984. - p. 202 Isolde has the same appearance in the novel. She is beautiful in figure, 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 and nobility could afford it in order to be different and thereby show their social status. And in Christianity, the color purple 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 may 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.
What main character blonde, and not brown-haired, brunette or red-haired, is due to the same maternal cult, which guided the image of the Ideal Lady. Look at the pictures of the Virgin Mary - she's blonde!
“She was wearing a rich dress, her figure was graceful, her eyes sparkled, her hair was as light as Sun 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, and in our case, too, this is a lady from the upper class, she is obliged to know the rules of court etiquette, to deal with musical instruments, sing and dance, handle with 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 ingrained in Isolde from childhood.
But, in addition to being able to be sweet and courteous at court, a lady at that turbulent time needed knowledge in the field of medicine. She had to understand all kinds of roots, leaves, powders, herbs; be able to compose various potions and ointments in order to help him in case of illness or injury of his knight. And not only him.
Isolde was a perfect healer; several times in the novel she saves lives. Their first meeting with Tristan occurs when she is the only one of the healers who helped Tristan, who was wounded by a poisoned spear in a fight with Marold, heal his 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 of a beautiful lady; we can trace the basic moral qualities, appearance and life skills that a woman who takes the heart of a knight should have. This image is built on the ideas and vision of beauty in the 12th century, based, I repeat, on the cult of the Mother of God, her veneration and praise.
Conclusion
Summarizing the above, we can note the following.
Speaking about the image of the “ideal knight”, we can establish a number of moral and psychological categories that form this image, reflected in the novel. Among them, valor ranks first. This quality of a knight is determined by his social existence as a professional warrior. It receives, first of all, ethical justification and is directly linked to the idea of moral perfection. Valor motivates the actions of a knight, makes him seek adventures - “adventures”.
The code of chivalry required 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 a tournament, take the side of the weak; help everyone whose cause is just; in case of war, support a just cause. Tristan has never violated any 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 the indicated 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 lover before the unloved, the myth about the eternal return of Tristan and the bitter happiness of the queen, about the generosity and cruelty of King Mark.
Ideas about valor, honor, fidelity, mutual respect, noble morals and the cult of ladies fascinated people of other cultural eras. The novel gives a general idea and provides 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, without a doubt, was its primary social function: she survived for many centuries the conditions that brought her to life" Zyumtor P. Experience in the construction of medieval poetics: translated from French / P. Zyumtor. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - p. 383. .
Bibliography
