Medieval
Imagination:
Tristan and
Iseult Resources
Questions? Problems?
Broken Links? Contact
Me!
A.
Resources for Tristan and Iseult and the Medieval Romance
See also the
On-line Booknotes on the Medieval Imagination Homepage. |
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Texts, Images, Basic Information Menu from the Camelot Project. Follow the hyperlinks |
The Romance of Tristan and Iseult Text A slightly shortened form of the Bédier text we are using (5-6 chapters are missing or abbreviated), but invaluable for searching for key words. Part of Harvard’s Geoffrey Chaucer Page |
Discusses the importance of Celtic sources and themes in the Romance form (esp. Tristan) |
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Timeless
Myths: Tristan and Isolde A summary of the full story from the early traditions
with briefer alternative accounts from the later legend. See also related articles on Brangwain (Brangien), Morholt,
Isolde,
King
Mark |
From
Romance to Fable: Popular Genres in the Middle Ages “Not surprisingly, important themes in the chansons, such as loyalty to one's lord, and . . . passion to one's lover, also appear in the romances and are on occasion pitted against one another” |
Tristan:
The Basic Tale and Its Variations Explores the Celtic origins and the later variations of the tale, including the two categories of medieval Tristan tales: courtly and common. “This difference allows for great variety in the Medieval re-workings of the archetype” |
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The actual formula used for the “Judgment of the Glowing Iron” (like the one Iseult endured) |
Medieval Literature: The Romance History and development of the Medieval Romance from its oral origins to later courtly works |
Click on the name of Tristan,
and then click on Isuelt
[sic] to trace the evolution of their
stories |
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Reflections on Love
and Marriage in Medieval Literature Essay discussing marriage in Tristan and Iseult, among other works |
Australia’s Radio National “Great Lovers” Discussion of Tristan and Iseult Fascinating discussion of “one of the great foundation myths of Western culture” |
Beowulf and Tristan and Iseult A brief essay which compares and contrasts the two works. A bit superficial but worth reading and definitely worth thinking about |
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Relates the Tristan story to Arthurian folklore |
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August Hunt’s exploration of the Welsh and Cornish origins of the story |
B. Courtly
Love Resources
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A very well-done two-part page which recounts the
origins of Courtly Love. Be sure to follow the link to Part II |
Backgrounds to Romance:
"Courtly Love" An excellent introduction to the subject, with links |
Courtly Love: Amour Courtois 1100-1300 Literary Encyclopedia article giving useful background information on this literary phenomenon |
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The
Art of Courtly Love (12th century) Peter Beidler’s lecture on courtly love and on Capellanus’s work |
Lovely to look at and valuable for its links. Worth a visit |
Chivalry and
Courtly Love at DePaul Somewhat simplistic background information and definition |
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Notes
on C. S. Lewis' The Allegory of Love Notes on one of the most influential books on the topic, though Lewis’s analysis has been questioned recently. Serious students should read the book in its entirety |
Carefully hyperlinked background text. Follow the hyperlinks; all are useful though some are more relevant to works at the end of the Medieval period than to earlier works, like Tristan or Marie’s Lais |
A useful essay on the origins and practice of Courtly Love (with special emphasis on transmission and social phenomena such as “Courts of love”) |
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Distinguishes between caritas and courtly love and discusses the social and moral implications of courtly love |
The Enduring
Popularity of Courtly Love Essay from a feminist perspective concluding that “the concept of higher Love's ennobling supremacy endures” |
An
Interpretation of Courtly Love Analysis from an Archetypal, Neoplatonic, and Jungian viewpoint. Provocative |
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Enhanced by excellent quotations from Barbara Tuchman and Castiglione |
Women,
Courtliness, and Courtly Love Part of Longman’s “Overview of the Middle Ages” series |
“Romantic love during the medieval period consists of two major elements that are entirely at odds with one another: suffering and pleasure” |
C. Chivalry and Arthurian Resources |
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“The paradox of chivalry can be seen in both its violent nature and its emphasis on polite rules of behavior” |
After you enter the site, be sure to scroll down the page to the “Select a Page” menu where you will find links to many valuable resources |
Well-illustrated information on becoming a knight, chivalry, tournaments, armor and weapons |
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Arthurian resources on the Internet |
The Troubadours and
the Development of Chivalry Information on the era that produced the romance |
A very helpful resource |
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Site includes a timeline, historical information, architectural information, primary source documents—a plethora of resources for students |
A very useful collection of bibliographies,
e-texts (including articles), and links to other good sites |
Bards,
Musics, and Arthurian Legend The role of the bard (troubadour, trouvère) in the development of the Arthurian legend; discussion of the association of Tristan with music. Some delightful sound bytes |
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Considers the church and chivalry, the code of chivalry, romance and courtly love, and the maturity and decline of the movement. The site depends heavily upon the book Origins of Wisdom: Chivalry by Charles Moseley |
Knighthood, Chivalry and Tournaments
Resource Library Website with a vast number of resources on these
topics, somewhat popularized, but academically sound. Use the menu on the left to navigate the
site. Don’t miss the Glossary
of Terms |
Compendium of Arthurian persons, place names, objects. Useful when you need a quick reminder of Tristan’s birthplace or his parents’ names, for example |
D. The Arts and Miscellaneous Resources |
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Excellent authentic images |
“Arthurian legends have been an inspiration to artists for centuries. These pages try to show some of the variety of interpretations, in images rather than words.” Super site, but takes time to download |
The Arthurian legend in pictures. Attractive site |
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Problems?
Questions? Broken Links? Email Me! |
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Copyright
2002, Updated for Spring Term (Jan.-April) 2008, Joanne
J. Viano