#perceval continuations

[talesfromtheenchantedforest]

the number of swords with incredibly hyperspecific powers in Arthuriana really delights me:

Then they girded on a sword: it was such a sword that any woman in labor — even if her life hung in the balance — would be delivered of her child at once if struck on the head with the flat of the naked blade.

— First Percival Continuation, Nigel Bryant translation

this is just a sword that Gawain is using for normal quest stuff btw

[gawrkin]

Does Merlin have children in some of the legends?

He does to a limited degree. So far, I know of only three such figures, one from the Perceval Continuations and the other two from the Post-Medieval era:

The Damsel of the Dolorous Mount from the Second Continuation of Chretien de Troyes' Perceval by Wauchier de Denain (13th C.).

Inogen from The Northern Enchantment by Richard Hole (1789)

Sir Vanoc from Bridal of Triermain by Walter Scott (1813)

So, two daughters and a son, only one of which goes unnamed.

[mordredpendragon]

Perceval 2nd Continuation / via Arthurian Preservation Project

[queer-ragnelle]

i’m new to arthuriana but love your posts nonetheless

i am just curious about the many references to gawain sleeping with so many people when, to my understanding, in sir gawain and the green knight he specifically breaks this promiscuous behaviour and makes sure he doesn’t sleep with the wife of the duke

(i apologize if this is a stupid question!)

hello anon!

welcome to arthuriana and thank you so much for the kind words. this is not a stupid question at all! the truth is gawain is nothing if not inconsistent between texts haha. he's different from other knights such as lancelot who pines solely for guinevere across text after text, in that it seems every author wanted to create their own special gal for gawain. he therefore has numerous women attached to him, and when readers try to reconcile those many texts into a single story thread, it gives the impression our mans gawain gets around! (and he does!) i have several examples here to illustrate this so i'll put it below a cut.

for all the textual variance, sir gawain and the green knight is the exception that proves the rule—meaning that it's perhaps the only text in which gawain is abstinent. we know this because one of the five virtues attributed to the five points of his pentacle crest on his shield is chastity.

furthermore, on the wife's second seduction attempt, gawain pleas his own inexperience with "love" (ie: women).

whether or not that's true is up for debate, but it's worth mentioning, as it's a departure from other texts where his virile prowess is well-known, and in the knight of the two swords, he openly boasts about his own attractiveness and popularity. (humble guy, that gawain!)

there are several examples of gawain's reputation with the ladies preceding him and actually benefitting his odds of getting laid. one of my favorites is from lancelot part II in the vulgate. gawain had just cured his brother agravaine of an illness and agravaine's amie basically wingwoman's her sister.

goated of her. so gawain pencils it in on his calendar. later, he locates the castle, sneaks in, and succeeds in bedding the maiden. she's not named here, although malory later refers to her as "the lady of lys," and accredits her as the mother of gawain's three sons, (although the couple never formally wed).

among the strangest of examples is the middle english text the carle of carlisle, in which the carle brings gawain to the bedchamber and orders him to make out with his wife. but things quickly heat up...

so the carle stops gawain from outright cuckholding him, then leads gawain to his daughter's chambers, gives them his blessing, and locks them inside. at the end of the text, gawain marries her.

now i would be remiss not to mention my beloved the wedding of sir gawain and dame ragnelle. i think it's notable that ragnelle specifically asks for gawain by name, much like the lady of lys did (according to her sister and her warm reception of him).

now the conclusion of this poem brings us to another theme of gawain's which ties into his many partners, and that is his consistent subservience to ladies. he breaks the curse on ragnelle by granting her "sovereignty" in the relationship. this seems to be another aspect of character which sets gawain apart from other knights, as this is not a chaste expression of courtly love, but a precursor to fornication, and draws the attention of strong-willed ladies, such as ragnelle, with whom he is "a coward," or according to the translation notes, "submissive."

then again in roman van walewein, he's already famous by the time he meets his ladylove, ysabele, and whilst tied up in her father's prison, he leaves the decision of his own life in her hands.

which then results in their coming together because this is a gawain story and he always gets the girl.

even in the post vulgate, which we can all agree portrays every single character at their absolute worst (and is therefore invalid<3), gawain's choice of words consistently upholds the lady's desires above his own. at first, gawain intended wingman for pelleas by pretending he, pelleas, was dead to begrieve arcade. he discovers instead that she's elated by pelleas's supposed passing, so she and gawain fall in love. but even after admitting his feelings, he still takes great pains to frame the final crossing of that line as her choice, and only relents when she makes her intentions plain.

he might also just like it when women boss him around if his treatment from orgeluse in parzival by wolfram von eschenbach is any indication.

similarly to the knight of two swords, in parzival, gawain is aware of his fame, fosters it, and then employs his orgeluse brain worms as a motivation for sparing lives instead of like...morality.

i think what's particularly interesting about gawain's relationship history is that many of his partners are named, whereas it's pretty common for damsels and maidens in medieval texts to exist without identities of their own. there are so, so many named, interesting, fully developed women linked to gawain, it's actually pretty awesome! here are a few more:

lunette in yvain: knight of the lion by chrétien de troyes...

amurfina in the crown by heinrich von dem türlin...

bloiesine in the 4th perceval continuation by gerbert de montreuil...

marjorie in gawain and marjorie by oscar fay adams (if we extend our search through the 20th century!)...

and on and on forever! so in conclusion, gawain has been pulling bitches for many hundreds of slutty, slutty years, and from what modern retellings i've read, authors have no intention of interrupting this trend. i hope that helps clear things up somewhat. thanks for the ask!

[glatisants]

losing my mind a little bc I read an excerpt from Perceval’s First Continuation where Gawain and Yvain more or less undermine the success of an attempted siege of Arthur’s bc they get to be on good terms with some women inside the city & beg Arthur to let some supplies in so the people don’t starve

[talesfromtheenchantedforest]

I do not remember that from the Bible

She dabbed her finger in the drop and rubbed it on the lips of the knight whose head she'd put back in place; and in an instant his veins and joints all surged with life, every one of his wounds was healed as if he'd never been hurt at all, and he was up on his feet again before you could count to three. The potion had the power to restore the dead to life, for God, who delivers those He loves from Hell, was anointed with it when He was laid in the sepulchre. The old hag replaced the heads of four and brought them back to life, just as she intended; she rubbed the potion on another's lips and up he leapt.

— Gerbert's Perceval Continuation, trans. Nigel Bryant

[talesfromtheenchantedforest]

incredible Kay roast, including all of Nigel Bryant's footnotes for all of the relevant topical references:

Kay cried, provokingly [to Perceval]: "Where are your companions, sir? How long have you been in these parts? Ah, you've been off with the Lombards! Slaying the slug, eh? [25] How brave of you! Did you kill that dread, horned beast with a spear or a club? The lords and knights will be thrilled that you've come! When they hear you've arrived they'll be delighted to have your company! But if you've come to the tourney to compete, Sir Audigier, [26] your horse has had it! The mastiffs are waiting for him to die - they'll keep him for when they're observing Lent: he's nothing but skin and bone! And what's happened to your helm? Looks like the hens have been at it with their beaks for the last two years! What devils possessed you to take leave of your land? Ah, I know! You want to avenge Forré — no, Morholt, that's it! [27] Well, you'll have the chance before nightfall, if you're so inclined." --- [25] The Lombards were traditionally accused of cowardice, and "slaying the slug" was a proverbially derisory act. [26] The hero of La Chanson d'Audigier, a scatalogical parody of a chanson de geste [27] "To avenge Forré" was an expression implying a delusional mission, and may have been a reference to a pagan king killed by Roland; "to avenge Morholt" refers specifically to Tristan's killing of Morholt when he demanded tribute from King Marc.

— Gerbert's Perceval continuation, trans. Nigel Bryant

[talesfromtheenchantedforest]

tell me again about "Damsels in Distress"

I wouldn't let him have me at any price: I'd already promised my love to a knight I adored — I was sworn to him absolutely. Margon — to my shame! — wanted to force his son Quagrilo on me, but the one for whom my heart yearned was twice as handsome, courteous and bright as he — and such a fine knight that he feared no man! So Margon came and camped outside and besieged us here in the castle; and he swore that if he got his hands on me he'd rob me of my honor: that's what he said! Then my beloved sallied forth with three thousand knights who were here in the town; they slow great numbers of Margon's men and took thirty noble prisoners — by my dear knight was captured, too! I was so desperate to have him back that, wisely or not, I sent a message to King Margon offering all our thirty prisoners in exchange for him. Fool that I was, I sent his men back — and in return he hanged my love before my very eyes! No one can describe the grief I felt: I was utterly distraught. First thing next day I sent my forces back to battle, and not without success: they returned jubilant, bringing Quadrilo with them. I was so filled with venom that like a wretched fool I swore I'd take revenge on him for the sweetheart I'd adored. I had him dragged up there to that mangonel, and in his armor, just as he'd been when captured, I had him catapulted on to King Margon's tent! The king blazed with rage, and vowed he'd stay and besiege that castle till death overtook him if he had to — he wouldn't leave until I was dead!

— Fourth Perceval Continuation, trans. Nigel Bryant