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Sir Perceval of Galles: A Study of the Sources of the Legend:
140
by Reginald Harvey Griffith
Reginald Harvey Griffith
Sir Perceval of Galles: A Study of the Sources of the Legend:
140
by Reginald Harvey Griffith
Reginald Harvey Griffith
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Overview
Professor Griffith's treatise is a study of the sources of the Middle English metrical romance, "Sir Perceval of Galles," edited in 1844 for the Camden Society by J. O. Halliwell as one of "The Thornton Romances" preserved in the unique MS. of the Lincoln Cathedral library. As is well known to students of the Arthurian romances, this particular romance, though it strongly resembles Chrétien's "Perceval" in other respects, contains nothing about the Holy Grail, and so in the present study there is nothing that bears directly on the much-vexed question of the origin of that legend. Any discussion, however, of the sources of {Sir Perceval of Galles" is bound to be also, to a considerable extent, a discussion of the sources of Chrétien's poem and the other Grail romances, so that the book will be of interest to all students who have occupied themselves with this group of romances.
As appears from our author's Introduction, almost every conceivable shade of opinion has been expressed at one time or another concerning the relation of the Middle English poem to that of Chrétien and his continuators. Such expressions of opinion, however, have been mainly incidental to discussions of the problem of the origin of the Holy Grail legend. The few pages devoted to the subject in Steinbach's dissertation, "Über den Einfluss des Crestien de Troies auf die altenglische Literatur" (Leipzig, 1885), still remained the fullest discussion of the question up to the publication of the present work. Under these circumstances it was manifestly desirable that someone should take up the sources of "Sir Perceval" as the subject of an especial monograph. It is possible, of course, to mar such a study by making it so overwhelmingly minute as to weary the reader (as especially in Chapters III and V), or by drawing into the comparison material which offers no real analogy to the story under discussion. In the opinion of the present writer Professor Griffith is chargeable with both of these errors to a very serious degree, yet the detailed comparison of the main texts is bound to further our understanding of the problem, even though we may not agree with either the conclusions of the author or his methods of investigation.
Professor Griffith's general conclusion is that the English poem is not only wholly independent of Chrétien but is indeed merely "an English singer's versification of a folk-tale that was known in his district of Northwest England" (p. 131). But how can we accept such a result as this? In the first place it conflicts with the French nomenclature of the poem, e. g., "Syr Percevelle the Galayse" (I. 1643), an evident adaptation from the French "Perceval le galois" (older form "galeis"), "Acheflour" (ll. 20 ff.), the name of the hero's mother, which, whatever its etymology, is also obviously French, "Ewayne fytz Asoure" (l. 261), etc. In the next place — and this is an even more serious matter — it leaves unexplained the virtually complete agreement between the French and the English poems in the order of the long series of incidents which they have in common. Chrétien lived in France, and it would surely be strange if any source accessible to him should have shown this close correspondence with a folk-tale current in Northwest England in respect to the very order of the numerous elements which are found in both poems.
Let us glance rapidly, however, at Professor Griffith's discussion of the successive episodes that make up "Sir Perceval of Galles." As all readers of Chrétien's "Perceval" will recollect, the poet begins his narrative with the meeting of his youthful hero and the knights in the forest where he has been reared in seclusion by his widowed mother. Only somewhat later on (ll. 415 ff.) do we learn from this lady of the circumstances under which she and her husband came to take refuge in this spot and of the cause of the latter's death. One may remark in passing that these lines, 415 ff., as Professor Griffith himself acknowledges, are found in all MSS. of Chrétien's "Perceval," as far as is known, so there is really no valid reason for doubting their authenticity....
As appears from our author's Introduction, almost every conceivable shade of opinion has been expressed at one time or another concerning the relation of the Middle English poem to that of Chrétien and his continuators. Such expressions of opinion, however, have been mainly incidental to discussions of the problem of the origin of the Holy Grail legend. The few pages devoted to the subject in Steinbach's dissertation, "Über den Einfluss des Crestien de Troies auf die altenglische Literatur" (Leipzig, 1885), still remained the fullest discussion of the question up to the publication of the present work. Under these circumstances it was manifestly desirable that someone should take up the sources of "Sir Perceval" as the subject of an especial monograph. It is possible, of course, to mar such a study by making it so overwhelmingly minute as to weary the reader (as especially in Chapters III and V), or by drawing into the comparison material which offers no real analogy to the story under discussion. In the opinion of the present writer Professor Griffith is chargeable with both of these errors to a very serious degree, yet the detailed comparison of the main texts is bound to further our understanding of the problem, even though we may not agree with either the conclusions of the author or his methods of investigation.
Professor Griffith's general conclusion is that the English poem is not only wholly independent of Chrétien but is indeed merely "an English singer's versification of a folk-tale that was known in his district of Northwest England" (p. 131). But how can we accept such a result as this? In the first place it conflicts with the French nomenclature of the poem, e. g., "Syr Percevelle the Galayse" (I. 1643), an evident adaptation from the French "Perceval le galois" (older form "galeis"), "Acheflour" (ll. 20 ff.), the name of the hero's mother, which, whatever its etymology, is also obviously French, "Ewayne fytz Asoure" (l. 261), etc. In the next place — and this is an even more serious matter — it leaves unexplained the virtually complete agreement between the French and the English poems in the order of the long series of incidents which they have in common. Chrétien lived in France, and it would surely be strange if any source accessible to him should have shown this close correspondence with a folk-tale current in Northwest England in respect to the very order of the numerous elements which are found in both poems.
Let us glance rapidly, however, at Professor Griffith's discussion of the successive episodes that make up "Sir Perceval of Galles." As all readers of Chrétien's "Perceval" will recollect, the poet begins his narrative with the meeting of his youthful hero and the knights in the forest where he has been reared in seclusion by his widowed mother. Only somewhat later on (ll. 415 ff.) do we learn from this lady of the circumstances under which she and her husband came to take refuge in this spot and of the cause of the latter's death. One may remark in passing that these lines, 415 ff., as Professor Griffith himself acknowledges, are found in all MSS. of Chrétien's "Perceval," as far as is known, so there is really no valid reason for doubting their authenticity....
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781663546388 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Barnes & Noble Press |
| Publication date: | 08/07/2020 |
| Pages: | 140 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.33(d) |
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