Strengleikar (English: Stringed Instruments ) is a collection of twenty-one Old Norse prose tales based on the Old French Lais of Marie de France . It is one of the literary works commissioned by King Haakon IV of Norway (r. 1217-1263) for the Norwegian court, and is counted among the Old Norse Chivalric sagas . The collection is anonymous. It has been attributed to Brother Robert , a cleric who adapted several French works into Norse under Haakon, the best known of which is Tristrams saga ok Ísöndar (a Norse version of the Tristan and Iseult legend), but there is also reason to think that the collection may be a gathering of the work of several different translators. Unlike many medieval translations, the Strengleikar are generally extremely close in sense to the Old French originals; the text which differs most is Milun , which is abridged to half its original length.
23-614: The Strengleikar comprise: Marie's lai Eliduc is not found in Scandinavian manuscripts but the motif of a character learning about healing plants by observing weasels appears not only there but in the Icelandic Völsunga saga , which seems to indicate that Eliduc was known in Iceland in some form. Bisclaretz ljóð , circulating in Iceland, was much adapted, becoming Tiódels saga . This has not traditionally been counted among
46-470: A date for his return. Eliduc returns to his king and wife in Brittany. Although he tries to hide his pain of the separation from Guilliadon, she realizes that something is wrong. When the date arrives for him to return to Guilliadon, he goes to Logres with the intention of running off with his lover. Eliduc sends his chamberlain to Guilliadon who agrees to leave with Eliduc. Once the boat leaves port, however,
69-478: A magical flower that revives him. Seeing this, Guildeluec takes the flower from the weasel and uses it to heal Guilliadon. Not knowing that the woman she sees is Eliduc's wife, Guilliadon immediately explains her story, confessing that she did not know that Eliduc was married. Guildeluec reveals her identity and forgives Guilliadon. The two women return to Eliduc who is overwhelmed with joy at the sight of his lover. Noticing this, Guildeluec generously decides to become
92-474: A short, tragic poem with a longer one on the power of love and the importance of fidelity. If this is true, "Eliduc"'s may be compared with the previous poem, " Chevrefoil ", a short lai about the adulterous love of Tristan and Iseult that eventually caused the lovers' deaths. The incident on the boat alludes to the Biblical account of Jonah . God sends a tempest to punish Jonah for his disobedience. However, in
115-412: A tempest begins to rage. One of the sailors blames Eliduc, and Guilliadon finally learns that Eliduc has a wife in Brittany. Distraught, she faints. Thinking Guilliadon has died, Eliduc tosses overboard the sailor who accused him, and the storm subsides. When they finally reach land, Eliduc decides to go to a chapel deep in the woods where he will bury Guilliadon. He goes to visit a hermit he knows near
138-503: Is not found in Old Norse translation (in the Strengleikar ), but the motif of a character learning about healing plants by observing weasels appears not only there but in the Icelandic Völsunga saga , which seems to indicate that Eliduc was known in Iceland in some form. Chevrefoil " Chevrefoil " is a Breton lai by the medieval poet Marie de France . The eleventh poem in
161-465: Is planning a great feast for Pentecost at Tintagel , and Iseult will be present. On the day the king's court sets out, Tristan takes to the woods, where he cuts a hazel branch into an appropriate signal and carves his name into it. Marie says Iseult will be on the lookout for such a sign since Tristan has contacted her in a similar manner in the past. Immediately recognizing the branch as Tristan's, Iseult asks her party to stop and rest and goes out into
184-466: Is the longest of the lais attributed to Marie de France. The text of the lai notes that its correct title should be Guildeluec and Guilliadon , but the name Eliduc has stuck. "Eliduc" tells the story of a knight named Eliduc who lives in Brittany . Because he is very loyal to the king, Eliduc is given many gifts and responsibilities. Jealous of the preferential treatment Eliduc receives at court, some of
207-667: The Strengleikar , however. The principal manuscripts are: Other manuscripts include: Eliduc " Eliduc " is a Breton lai by the medieval poet Marie de France . The twelfth and last poem in the collection known as The Lais of Marie de France , it appears in the manuscript Harley 978 at the British Library . Like the other poems in this collection, "Eliduc" is written in the Anglo-Norman dialect of Old French , in couplets of eight syllables in length. At 1184 lines, it
230-694: The Bible, it is the offender who is thrown overboard and not the accuser. In the Middle Ages, the weasel was believed to be skilled in medicine and have the ability to heal death. Though "Eliduc" does not have any overt connections to the Arthurian legend , Guilliadon's home, Logres, is traditionally the name given to King Arthur 's realm. Additionally, characters named "Aliduke" or other variations on Eliduc appear in Arthurian stories. Unlike most of Marie's lais , Eliduc
253-571: The abbess of Eliduc's proposed abbey in the forest and frees Eliduc of his marital bond. Eliduc goes on to marry Guilliadon and lives happily for many years. Later in life, Guilliadon enters into the convent of Eliduc's first wife, and Eliduc himself enters into a monastery. All three serve God for the rest of their lives. "Eliduc" is one of several of Marie's lais dealing with adultery and the importance of fidelity in love. It has been speculated that Marie arranged her poems as they appear in MS H in order to pair
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#1732887002189276-487: The author has seen it in written form. The story tells of the love between the knight Tristan and his uncle's wife Iseult , which, according to Marie, was so pure that it eventually caused their deaths on the same day. Tristan has been exiled from Cornwall by his uncle Mark for his adulterous transgressions and is forced to return to his homeland in South Wales . After pining away for a year, Tristan hears news that Mark
299-434: The branch; it is unclear if he also leaves a fuller message. In any case, Iseult interprets it correctly. Glyn Burgess suggests the branch is merely a signal Tristan has already told Iseult about in an earlier message; the poet indicates that Iseult would be on the lookout for the branch, "for this had all happened before". Others have read the poem as indicating that Tristan has left a longer message, perhaps in lines 77–78, or
322-415: The chapel to visit Guilliadon's body. Guildeluec soon follows to discover the source of her husband's sorrow. Seeing the young woman, Guildeluec understands immediately that this is her husband's lover; and she mourns the young woman. Two weasels run into the chapel. When the servant kills one of the weasels (both female, metaphorically representing the two women), the other one runs into the forest to find
345-564: The collection is called The Lais of Marie de France and its subject is an episode from the romance of Tristan and Iseult . The title means " honeysuckle ," a symbol of love in the poem. "Chevrefoil" consists of 118 lines and survives in two manuscripts, Harley 978 or MS H, which contains all the Lais , and in Bibliothèque Nationale , nouv. acq. fr. 1104, or MS S. The lai begins with a statement that others have sung it previously, and that
368-609: The greater Tristan and Iseult cycle, such as Tintagel and the character Brangaine, Marie is unique in placing Tristan's homeland in South Wales, rather than Cornwall or the fictitious Lyonesse . A testament to Marie's popularity appears in Gerbert's Continuation to Chrétien de Troyes 's unfinished romance Perceval, the Story of the Grail , which contains an episode in which a disguised Tristan plays
391-484: The king and he ultimately helps him win against his enemy. Eliduc soon attracts the attention of the princess, Guilliadon, who decides to send him two tokens of love: a belt and a ring. Eliduc accepts these gifts, and the love of the princess, in spite of his marriage. Eliduc and Guilliadon live happily for some time until word reaches him that his former king in Brittany needs him. Eliduc leaves Logres, and Guilliadon asks to accompany him. Instead, Eliduc convinces her to set
414-406: The lay of "Chevrefoil" to his unsuspecting lover at a tournament. "Chevrefoil" is one of Marie's several lais concerning an adulterous love. It is also one of several which deal with the sexual frustration suffered by a young woman who has been married to an older man. Like other lais, prominence is given to the analysis of the characters' emotions and to the contrast between the ideals of love and
437-450: The needs of reality. It has been speculated that Marie arranged her poems as they appear in MS H in order to pair a short, tragic poem with a longer one on the power of love and the importance of fidelity. If this is true, "Chevrefoil" may be paired with " Eliduc ," the final poem in the collection. One of the most discussed features of the lai is the hazel branch Tristan leaves for Iseult. The poet indicates that Tristan carves his name on
460-539: The original author of the lai was none other than Tristan, an accomplished bard who put his thoughts into a song at Iseult's request. According to Marie, "Chevrefoil" is the French name for the poem; it is called "Gotelef" ( Goatleaf ) in English. Similar episodes to that recounted in "Chevrefoil" appear in longer Tristan poems; it is feasible that Marie drew her material from a longer source. Though there are several allusions to
483-531: The other knights slander him to the king. The king banishes Eliduc from his presence with no explanation. Disappointed, Eliduc decides to leave Brittany and go to Logres ( Great Britain ). He leaves his faithful wife, Guildeluec, in charge of his lands while he is abroad. Once in Logres, Eliduc hears about a king who lives near Exeter . This king does not have a son, and he is being besieged by another king who wishes to marry his daughter. Eliduc decides to fight for
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#1732887002189506-457: The site, but the hermit has recently died. Eliduc's comrades want to leave Guilliadon in the tomb with the hermit, but Eliduc resists, claiming he still wants to build an abbey or church there. He leaves Guilliadon in the hermit's chapel and returns to his wife to think about the plans for his abbey. Guildeluec is happy to see her husband but soon realizes that his mind is elsewhere. She has one of her servants follow Eliduc one day when he goes to
529-456: The woods with only her faithful servant Brangaine . The lovers spend their time together, and Iseult tells Tristan how he can win back his uncle's favor. When it comes time to leave, the lovers weep, and Tristan returns to Wales to wait for his uncle's word. Lines 68 through 78 compare Tristan and Iseult's love to the intertwining of the honeysuckle with the hazel; the two plants grow so entwined that both will die if they are separated. Marie says
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