Tristan and Isolde: A Match Made by the Heavens

I am certainly pleased to finally share my Lay of Chievrefueil with you! I do hope you enjoyed it (I have already received many auspicious reviews concerning it). The tale of honorable Tristan and fair Isolde is one of my favorites and the symbol of the hazel tree and honeysuckle vine is such a romantic one! It is truly befitting of this couple. I must admit, however, I am a little jealous that I did not think of it first. Such a powerful and beautiful image! Nevertheless, re-telling it is an honor….
Re-reading Thomas of Britain’s Tristan was a bit difficult for me. I become so angered by Isolde of the White Hands. What a wench! Normally, I have a soft spot for unappreciated wives, but this woman is so hard-hearted! First, she should have known better than to fall in love with a man who was clearly irrevocably in love with a much fairer woman than she. White Hands should have known better than to further complicate a great love that was already restricted by the parameters of society! Secondly, by God’s ears, how could she lie to such a noble man?! As Tristan’s wife, she should have known that news of a black sail would cause his great heart to fail. The woman is a viper! Oh, I must calm myself—as a writer, I know every story needs a villain. It is simply difficult to stomach one that is also a woman. Hmm…perhaps I am directing my anger toward the wrong person…perhaps Thomas of Britain is the real culprit here…. Oh! Such a chauvinist!
On a much more positive note, I would have much preferred to hear the cantare that speaks of Lancelot killing King Mark. I can imagine a thousand means of dealing such a tyrant a fitting death! I do hope the Italians chose a particularly vile one! Oh…the Italian tradition is such a compelling one! Imagine: lovers dying together at exactly the same instant! It just demonstrates how similar Tristan and Isolde really were to the honeysuckle and the hazel tree.