You know me well, and you know that I am no great proponent of courtesy. It was not practiced in my day, and I cannot for the life of me understand why the current generation of writers and bards think so highly of it. Courtesy, and "courtly love," seems to have become the rule as opposed to the exception. Diplomacy, tact, violence of action - these are valuable things, but on my honor no good has ever come of courtly manners, and I shall count a number of offenses which it manifests.
The first offense is that it predisposes one to falsehood. I have yet to meet a knight who is truly courteous who is also an honest and upstanding fellow. Take this Tristan for example. He obviously lusts after the fair Isolde, a sentiment which she returns, yet he was not be true to his feelings or her feelings and marry her outright. He was commanded to bring home a wife for his liege, and he could have certainly done so, and still married Isolde. Just go find another queen for your uncle, lad! Then once he has returned her, he sets up a gambit where the king takes the maidenhead of her handmaiden in order to protect Isolde's honor. Another deception. Then young Tristan continues to woo a girl that needs no wooing, but does so covertly. When confronted by his uncle Mark on multiple occasions, he denies this every time. This is what a courtly life breeds! Deception of one's lord and liege. God save me should I ever do that to Arthur. Two or three times.
The second offense is that it breeds lying. With the queen. Regardless of the falsehoods proffered as excuses, a knight should respect the property of his king! Should he have wanted to lie with Isolde forever, he should have spirited her away when he had the chance, not bring her back to the court of Mark, wed her to him, then attempt to steal her back every time Mark ventures from the court. The barons and the dwarf are marked by the author as evil men because they take offense at Tristan's trysts, but on my word they are the only sane men in the court.
The third offense is the keeping of dwarves at court and in public station. The Arthur of my day would have never suffered nefarious magical folk at court. Yet Mark, in all his "courtesy" keeps one around that does nothing but stir trouble. He should ask Lancelot about all the good dwarves do.
That being said, I do admire this Tristan chap's violence of action. He killed a giant, who also happened to be Isolde's uncle, then took the niece as his lover? Now that's something we would have done back in the day! Now, I would remark that we also took armies of enemies on nearly single handed, and that Tristan is currently hiding in the forest instead of sallying forth to meet his foe head on, but there's plenty left in this tale, so I'll hold hope that the boy comes around from his "courtly ways" and engages in war like a man.
Yrs. Hmbly.,
Bedwyr
1 comment:
Good Bedwyr,
Athough Tristan may be foolish with his misdeeds, we must consider that the man is benumbed by a love potion. When returning to Cornwell, Tristan and Isolde both drank a potion, which made them fall in love with one another. The potion will not wear so quickly, since Isolde’s mother has made the potion last for three years. I know not what witchcraft has been used to brew this potion. However, as a magician who is skilled in alchemy, I have brewed a number of potions myself. A love potion, in particular, may constitute a mixture of yellow bile and blood, which may account for Tristan’s passionate feelings towards the queen. This type of potion is often brewed in an opened cauldron above a fire. The lovers may suffer a temporary imbalance of the humors from the high concentration of air and fire in the potion.
Take heart Bedwyr! The potion will wear away in time, as Tristan’s love for Isolde, for love is a flame that kindles like a burning wick left on its own accord. Tristan will repent for his sins and will seek to reassert his courtly manners by amending for his poor relationship with King Mark, his uncle. When the potion expires in effect, Tristan will view himself as a wretched sinner, and in light of his misery, he will restore his knightly valor. Tristan’s awakening of the soul will evoke God’s forgiveness, for God is all merciful and good!
Best regards,
Merlin
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