(no subject)

[felis_ultharus]

I have to say that Chrétien de Troyes is not a page turner, though after the postmodernists he's practically Ursula LeGuin. Still, he could have used some advice from the SCAdians or the good folks who write the Dungeons and Dragons books. They know what the Middle Ages should have been like.

It's not all bad. Running into names like Greslemuef of Estre-Posterne has, if nothing else, given me reason to laugh.

Some of these lines are wonderful out of context:

When King Arthur finally saw his baronage assembled, he was very happy in his heart. Then, to increase the joy, he ordered a hundred youths to bathe...

On the other hand, proper context doesn't help some passages at all:

There was great joy in the palace, but I will spare you the rest of it, and you shall hear the joy and pleasure that were in the bedroom and the bed on that night when they [the newlywed couple] were to unite; bishops and archbishops were present[!]

I was mildly cheered yesterday by flirtations with a gay guy on my Geekiest Message Board. Who knows where that'll go.

Comments

[montrealais.livejournal.com]

It's a wonder that nobles ever reproduced at all, what with all the archbishops hanging around when they were trying to get jiggy with it.

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Apparently it was required, to make sure the woman was a virgin and that the prince was the father.

Still, after a long line of descriptions of how wonderful the wedding was, the poet eagerly telling us that there were lots and lots and lots of clergymen at the deflowering is particularly hilarious.

I mean, Chrétien is trying to emphasize that the king spared no expense by telling us there wasn't just one local priest there on the wedding night, but a whole stable's worth of high clergy.

[montrealais.livejournal.com]

SO, do you suppose that the archbishops watching the wedding night ever...


...oh never mind.

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Indubitably. Shame they had to wait for North American contact to have access to popcorn.