The Questing Giant 187

Chapter 6 The Questing Giant

In European medieval literature, a giant is typically found in a martial situa- tion, but what function he performs and what he might symbolize changes from narrative to narrative. This chapter is the culmination of a long journey through medieval European tales. In all of them, giants have had many func- tions from antagonist and evil minion to helper and loyal companion. However, what happens when a giant is the champion of his own story? What if he is a tragic hero or the worthy knight at a legendary court? Then the focal point changes and the sympathies of the audience embrace the pos- sibility of including a being that is by all rights not a human and more often than not, a monster. When a giant becomes a hero, the binary opposition between what constitutes a hero and a monster disappear to be replaced by a differentiated and more ambiguously situated narrative. It is exciting, and it shows quite clearly that monstrosity hinges on perspective. Fierabras, an Old French Epic from the Charlemagne cycle, is named after the giant protagonist. In this, it shares a commonality with epics of the Dietrich cycle like Sigenot and the Eckenlied, for example. Fierabras,1 undergoes a psy- chological and religious development from antagonist of Charlemagne and his court to religious convert and knight of the emperor. The stunning reversal of this character shows that the figure of the giant becomes a symbol of integra- tion and acceptance. In the epic, Fierabras, a Saracen, helps his father ransack Rome and incurs the wrath of Charlemagne. In a fierce duel with the famed knight Oliver, Fierabras loses the fight and expresses a wish to convert to Christianity, simi- larly to Escopart in Boeve de Haumtome. After many adventures, he becomes a knight at Charlemagne’s court. He and his sister Floripas, transform into esteemed members of Christian society. This allegory of sinful pride and wrath transformed by Christianity and the superiority of Charlemagne’s rule shows that the function of the giant is not only a religious tool, but also a political one. The other epic in this chapter, the Eckenlied, features the young giant Ecke, who, as the protagonist, sets out to gain fame and the favor of a queen. He does this by fighting against the most formidable knight, Dietrich, the giant slayer.

1 As to etymological considerations of the name, please see: Frederic Koenig, “The Etymology of Fierabras,” Modern Language Notes 71, no. 5 (1956): 356–57.

During their duel, Ecke succumbs to Dietrich’s prowess, but unlike Fierabras, relinquishes Christianity and dies as a consequence of this denial. Dietrich, by Ecke’s request, beheads him and carries his head to the queen who sent him on the quest as a reprimand of her foolish demands. Aventiure and minne stand in contrast to each other. Ecke is not able to rec- oncile the tensions between questing for fame and the queen’s demand. Central to one version of the epic is Dietrich’s lament at Ecke’s death and his derision of the ladies. Typical elements of hubris are explored, but fundamen- tally the epic questions courtly love-service. In this, it bears similarities to Sigenot and Virginal in which Dietrich is equally evasive in matters of minne. The Eckenlied, however much it also centers on Dietrich, highlights the actions and failures of Ecke as the representative and tragic courtly hero. In this epic, the function of the giant is a critique of the courtly system and also a reaffirmation of Christian superiority. In both epics, the giant is the moral and tragic focal point whose actions symbolize that the status quo of courtly society is a thin veneer and that religious belief is paramount. The process of individualization – the giant becoming a hero – is fulfilled. And yet, these two giants retain their uniquely gigantic characteristics and remain symbols of masculine identity. Their inherent hypermasculinity exag- gerate the underlying critical messages of the narratives. Their size, pride, and ferocity are impactful. The social and religious lessons are not meant to be insinuations or subtle allusions. Giants are not subtle. Instead their centraliza- tion in the epics forces the audience to acknowledge the narratives in an expansive view, on a grand – and yes, a gigantic scale.

Fierabras

The name Fierabras has gone down in legend. The European diversity of the giant and his tale has been staggering.2 The giant in this story, a fierce Saracen,

2 Ana Grinberg, for example, states: “Auguste Kroeber has noted that the success and renown of Fierabras, the twelfth-century French chanson de geste or chivalric fable, is not limited to France (xvi). The popularity of Fierabras is shown, on the one hand, in the multiple extant translations in manuscript and early print form in Provencal, Anglo-Norman, Middle English, Italian, Castilian, Portuguese, Latin, Irish, and German. Moreover, we can assess the influence of Fierabras through diverse literary references to the text, as well as works based on it. Miguel de Cervantes, for example, mentions Fierabras’ balm and the relationship between Floripes and Guy de Bourgogne in Don Quixote. In addition, Pedro Calderon de la Barca wrote a comedy titled La puente de Mantible. To name some non-Iberian examples, Francois Rabelais’s Pantagruel and Barbour’s Bruce refer to Fierabras,” “The Lady, the Giant, and the Land: The