Johnson, Flint (2000) The abduction and grail romances as literary sources for the fifth and sixth

331 Pages·2013·15.53 MB·English

Johnson, Flint (2000) The abduction and grail romances as literary
sources for the fifth and sixth centuries.

PhD thesis

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r1r'1h1e Ab..-U!··U"" ..+.... -l j' V"''B''' "a" nI d U'""-ratl'l i-o mI "a'''u''l','.'';e ;..:.,. as Lt'te"1'"a.ry So .U. -cle;: ..'.. -ici oH'" the' -1h1- HA -hI
and sixth centuries
Flint Johnson
Professor Caie
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Abstract
The objective of the follm:"Iing thesis is to demonstrate the conceivability that the
various romances relating to King ft..rthur may be used to reconstruct some of the many
Welsh literary sources that have been lost to us over the past fifteen centuries. To do this,
I will examine two stories 'Nritten by one of the earliest and the most influential of all the
i~..rthuria..'l romance '.,;TIters, Chretien de Troyes. These are the abduction of Guinievre and
the E,'Tail.
The Preface and Introduction will explain the broad assumptions upon which 1 base
my present volume. First, that there was a British Heroic Age between the fifth and early
seventh centuries. Second, that it did produce several literary works of historical value.
My theory is that some of these literary sources were at one point written and, though
badly marred b~y prob:rressi\Te irJIuences'l ha've sUf\'ived in the form of romances. If this
theory is correct, the study of all extant early variations of what is essentially one story
should reveal a series of independent comlections to the Dark Age British. In addition,
there is a high probability that this story will be able to be seen in the context of fifth or
six1:h-century British culture. This is '.vhat ',vill be attempted ',:'"ith the abduction and grail
narratives.
In tIle second chapter 1 ;1:/ill SUITIlTI.anze tlle lnfltlences of the kllO\Vn SOl-trees (}f
First, it ;;vill serve to point out the degree of influellce Chretierlts patron had on hirn,
Second and yvhat is rnore important') thjs ~\~v'illlead to the conclusiol1 that (:hretienis r;·ril11fuJ
T
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Chapter X ,,0Jf cover old ground. The four basic theories pertaining to the origins
of the grail will be elaborated upon. It v.rill be seen that each contention has a strong case.
It will be argued that the grail as \ve know it from the romances is a product of progressive
layers of influence. The most reasonable guess is that tl>,is process began in a Celtic milieu
an:d ,:vas progressively subjected to Clrristial1 and Je,,\rish irJluences.
Chapter )',], much like Chapter HI, \vi11 discuss the role of the mam characters to
SllO"\\7 the consistent treatment of the characters in the \Tarious grail stories. .I.L\gain, tIllS v'lill
arglle for a COITu1J10n Oflg1n. Chapter XII 1-"'lill follovi Chapter 1'/ 1...'1 sho\viIlg the partial
independence from Chretierl of many' of tIle earljl grail rOlnances. T~is ,:vill serle to point
out that the poem has a history well before 1100. In addition, 1 will survey every Welsh
episode that parallels the last scene of the unique Peredar romance. It v.;ill be found that
there are a rather large number of si..~11ilar tales~ and that they unarjjnollsly in\Tol~le a hero
troIn the fifth or earljl-sixth centuryT in Britain or Brittanjl.
In Chapter YJll, 1 ,,"viII lIse the kno,:vledge that pr.Jlipts iri1uence has changed the
entire plot of the .s¥"fail romance as a clue In searcpJng for tIle anS\\Ter to the grail's iderltity
and importance. },,1aking use of tIle pre""v'10l1S chapter, 1 1:\,lill survey the state of the
CllristiaIl and Celtic relit,rions of fifth- and sixth-centuryT Britain, detefIl:1irling tlleir relati~\le
strellgth and location. In tlle case of tIle Celtic practices, 1 ;Nil! introduce all the basic
kno\vledge of its \vors~ip tllrough a SPJdjT of C~eltic i\fchaeology and
rnedie"val "'~:vitcll CerelTIO!lleS a strong linlc betv,teen the grail-
king, "t~vitches of and historical context of earl\T illedie\Tal
Britain.
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The last two cbapters of this book "vill follow the pattern of chapters V and VI.
Chapter Xl V will point out the scenes and details III Ie Conte that seem slightly more
likelj7 111 tIle centllries before 900 than the tlvelftl1 centu~r'. Chapter X\' \\rill catalogue
several scenes and details that undoubtedly belong to a period before tIle ninth centurj.
11}T conclusion from tIle abo\re research IS that these nvo stories do indeed come
[ronl a period anterior to the ninth cel1turyr. 1 belie've that they' 1-'llere at one point 111
'tllritten, literarj [Of In and v;/ere concerned ,;vith pistorical actions of the post-Rom&.'l
occurences of the fiftll or sixth centuries. In turn, this meal1S that a better 'understanding of
the original form of these t\"1/O tales inaj' lleIp form a more COll1plete understanding of tifth-
aIld sLxth-century British PjstOfJT.
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Acknovvledgments
TIns tllesis IS not just tIle result of three years intensive- stud~r'. It lS the end
prodllct of 111anyl peoples' COl1tribl!tions, both indi~ectly and directly related to the
...L \rt11Uflall topic. 1\1)' lon.gtime ~Ar. \\farrell, has tau&-~t file the need for mental
discipline, tenlpered \vith COl11paSS10l1. l\1r. ScrJeh 113S sho1:vn nle that beil1g an nllant at
heart is a taleIlt. He has also made me realize that tllere is nothing be~,rond ill)l grasp"> OIUY
be)Tond nly in1ab~natioll. Ms. Flllier and 1\15. 1toscho'vidou ha\Te supported me In \.~/a)rs
beyrond flly' ability' of expression.
There ha~le also been ITlany "illhose direct contributions to trJs book ha\le been
essentiaL 1 ackno1-"vledge gratefull~y the aid of Professor ellie, \'vho accepted an unlmoivn
quantit~y as an ad-visee hi} an area outside his expertise. He did tr.Js orJ:l on the faith l1e had
III I11Jl abilitjI to le~rn. He has I)atientl:yr read throllgll the drafts and, slo"t,:vljl, painsta}~~gly,
taug11t me the nuances of acaderric \-XlritL~g.
This book: has one illustrator. l'v1y sister") Ker'Jla, "'l1110 has dra\vn a more realistic
~lerSl0n of \vhat luay ha'.,re beer} a Pictish chariot., based on David Longley's dra1:ving of a
lost Pictisll stone (page 120).
It \va.s she ;,vho graciously'
contribllted both sure a frig11tened t11ird-yTear Ph f)
JI.. .l.~ ••L -<'" •
concepts. I\1uch of t.his \'OlUll1e "~~\Tould be In 1.:tlorse c{:>ndition \J:/ithotlt her. It IS qllite
possible that tr,ls ~/oll1111e a 1Inished 't~;vit.hOl.lt .h1.e.1.>'-'.r1 .,
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Hc\ve\'er,\ 1 accept r"ltl responsibility' for an)' misllnderstandings 1 may' 11a\Te had '~lith her
pertainirlg to this topic.
1 \\rish to record illy than.Llcs to l\1s. Cho\"vdhurj', \"lho has meticulously' scrutinized
lTIucll of tris book In earl~y draft. I also ~Y"visll to express my gratitude to the Rector Dr.
pjchard \\!ilson the Clerk of Senate Professor R. R. \Vhitehead. They' helped
o"\,'erCOII1e some adrrinistratl"t/e diftlculties 311d Professor \l'!hiteh.ead additionally' read some
of tl1e driL.ft"s of this tllesis.
Fi11311~r', liy' doctoral exanllners, Professor \Villiam C-rillies and Dr. ~~ison P....a\·vles
have supplied lne ;:vith the Ilecessarf criticISlllS 81Id reading material to polisll this") b~r' tar
the largest research project I ha"ve e\'er -v'v'ritten. Re\'ie\"ling the changes they' ha"ve
suggested and the nlaterials the~l ha~le had me read over the past fe"\J,! months, 1 can see the
preserlt 'version of nl~{ argument "\l/ouId be in a far \vorse state \"(/itl10Ut tlleir glIidal1ce.
1 \~/ould like to dedicate tIllS book to illy' grandmother, Bettv Beatty. 1 only vlis11
1 hope 1 ha"ve rnade her proud b~y In~r' acadenuc
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Table of Contents
iA~bstract ......................................................................................................................... 2
A.J,..ckIl0\\Tledgments ............. _. .......................................................................................... 6
.L
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... 8
lllustra.tiollS ................................................................................................................. . 10
PI~eface .................................................... .
I. Introduction ........................................... . 18
11. ChretieIl' s I(nO"l:lIIl Sources and lrJ1uences ... 29
HI. The Characters and their Roles .................. . 5Q
• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• "...... • • •• • •••••• _ 'IJ
tv. Literary Tools ....................................... T2
V Motifs') ..... 85
117
\/11. (~Qtlcll.tsion_ 129
Introdtlction to .,'--e ("(}llte ,if{ ()racll
IX Philip of Flanders 138
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X Theories Regarding the Grail's Origins .................................................................. 146
Xl. The Characters and their Roles ............................................................................ 180
XlI. Literary Tools .................................................................................................... 194
XlII. Religion in fifth- and sixtll-centuPj Britail1 ........................................................ 221
Xl'/. !\1otifs and Details: Clues of Celtic Origins ...................................................... 235
XV. The Sixth Century in Cr..retien ............................................................................ 267
X\'l. Conclusion ............................ , .... , ..................................................................... 273
i~:e...pr)endices ............................................................................................................... 285
.................................... , ............................................................................... .
Glossa~,r
298
"~.. ..b breviations .............................................................................................................
Prirrlary SOllfces .......... ......................................... _. ................................................... 300
Secondary;, Sources .................................................................................................... 308
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