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The Transmission of Chretien De Troyes' Arthurian

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The Transmission of Chretien De Troyes' Arthurian Durham E-Theses Ór franzeisu í norrænu The transmission of Chrétien de Troyes' Arthurian romances to old Norse literature Lorenz, Christine How to cite: Lorenz, Christine (2007) Ór franzeisu í norrænu The transmission of Chrétien de Troyes' Arthurian romances to old Norse literature, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2488/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 , "Or franzeisu i norrrenu" The Transmission of Chretien de Troyes' Arthurian Romances to Old Norse Literature by Christine Lorenz The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was submitted. No quotation from it, or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged. Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD Durham University Department02007 of English Studies - 4 JUN 2003 Author: Christine Lorenz Thesis Title: "Or franzeisu f nomenu" - The Transmission of Chretien de Troyes' Arthurian Romances to Old Norse Literature Abstract The present dissertation examines the riddarasogur based on the Arthurian romances by Chretien de Troyes: Ivens saga, Erex saga, Parcevals saga and Valvens battr. An overview of the preserved manuscripts of these texts is given, followed by an analysis of the main Norse versions to reconstruct as close as possible the original translations to form the foundation for comparison with the French sources. Holm 46 fol. (version ID emerges as best basis for the examination of Erex saga, and AM 489 4to (version B) for that of Ivens saga. The Norse translations are analysed individually in relation to their respective French counterparts. In each chapter of the dissertation, the examination comprises the unity of the narrative, alterations of characters, modifications aiming to move the texts closer to the saga genre, and the translators' personal and cultural input. The discussion of Ivens saga is placed first, since it gives proof of the least pronounced revision. The saga follows the text of Le Chevalier au Lion comparatively closely, and mainly stands out with the number of mistakes and minor details adapted from the translator's background. Erex saga includes less personal input by the translator, but the greatest adaptation in length and structure. The saga furthermore presents an interest in ideals of Christianity and rulership. Parcevals saga and Valvens pattr give evidence of both individual preferences and alteration of the overall emphasis of Le Conte du Graal. In contrast to the romance, the Norse texts focus on the presentation of secular knighthood while sidelining the spiritual aspects of Chretien's text. On the whole, the examination points out that the transmission of each Arthurian romance by Chretien de Troyes to Old Norse literature yields an individual result. It is not possible to generalise concerning the sagas' treatment of their sources, or their didactic aims in King Hakon Hakonarson' s programme of bringing European literature to the North. Fiir meine Eltern und meine Schwester Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisors, Professor John McKinnen and Dr. Corinne Saunders. Not only their expertise, but also their kindness and patience have greatly helped in bringing about my dissertation. I especially thank them for their continuing support after my move abroad. In this context, I would also like to express my gratitude to an my friends who have offered me places to stay at Durham over the years: Nikola Frankenberg and David Wilman; Julia Sophie Milner and Martin Bickl; Ann Katrin Lorenz, Christophe Grosjean and Amel Garbi; Beth Hartland and Keith Waters; Amy McAnulty and Rebecca Maxfield; Donata Kick. Furthermore, I thank an my other wonderful friends who have made life in Ustinov College so enjoyable: Michael, Rainer, Jens, DD, Alvin, Natura, Jeff, Jon Boniface, Lee, Anselma, Jon Adams, Romain, GeorgeS, George T, Nui, Frankie, Miltos, Eddie, Lisa, and of course Matthias. I am grateful to everybody who helped prepare my dissertation: Edward H. Hujbens for help with modern Icelandic, Donata Kick for general advice and Ann Katrin Lorenz for proofreading. Special thanks go to Matthias Hoffmann for his support and patience over the years. Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents, Gudrun and Uwe Lorenz. Without their financial and moral support, this dissertation would not have been possible. Kiel, September 2007 Christine Lorenz Table of Contents A. Introduction 1 1. History of Research 1 2. Historical Background 12 3. Genre 15 4. Aims and Methods 19 B. Manuscripts and Versions 22 I. The Manuscripts of Ivens saga, Erex saga, Parcevals saga and Valvens battr 22 1. The Main Manuscripts 22 2. The Secondary Manuscripts 24 3. Abbreviated Versions 29 4. Fragments 30 5. The Manuscripts of Chretien's Romances 31 IT. The Main Manuscripts of Parcevals saga and Valvens battr 33 1. Holm64to 33 2. Nks. 1794b 4to 34 ill. The Main Manuscripts of Erex saga 37 1. AM 18Ib fol. (A) 37 1.1 Mistakes in A 37 1.2 Omissions in A 38 1.3 Additions in A 41 1.4 Changes in A 41 2. Holm 46 fol. @) 43 2.1 Mistakes in ~ 43 2.2 Omissions in ~ 44 2.3 Additions in~ 45 2.4 Changes in ~ 46 IV. The Main Manuscripts of Ivens saga 48 1. Holm 6 4to (A) 48 1.1 Mistakes in A 48 1.2 Omissions in A 50 1.3 Additions in A 53 1.4 Changes in A 54 2. AM 489 4to @) 57 2.1 Mistakes in~ 57 2.2 Omissions in~ 59 2.3 Additions in~ 60 2.4 Changes in ~ 62 3. Holm46 (Q 64 3.1 Omissions in!::. 64 3.2 Additions in !::. 76 3.3 Changes in!::. 81 3.4 Changes in A and~ 90 4. The Relationship between A. ~and!::. 92 4.1 Deviations in A 92 4.2 Deviations in ~ 94 4.3 Common Traits of A and!::. 95 4.4 Common Traits of~ and !::. 97 C. Differences between Chretien's Romances and the Norse 'fexts 99 V. The Differences between Le Chevalier au Lion and Ivens saga 99 I. Narrative Unity 99 1.1 Omission 100 1.2 Abbreviation 103 1.3 Rationalisation 107 2. Characters 11 0 2.1 Minor Characters 110 2.2 Calogrenant I Kalebrant 113 2.3 Yvain liven 114 3. Saga Genre 120 3.1 Gender Issues 120 3.2 Direct Speech 125 3.3 Thoughts and Feelings 126 3.4 Narrator 132 3.5 Romance Elements 134 4. The Translator and his Context 138 4.1 Misunderstanding 138 4.2 Ignorance 141 4.3 Cultural and Intellectual Context 145 4.3.1 Translator 146 4.3.2 Scandinavian Background 148 4.3.3 Literary Influence 159 VI. The Differences between Erec et Enide and Erex saga 166 1. Narrative Unity 166 1.1 Omission and Abbreviation 166 1.2 Rationalisation 167 1.3 Structure 170 2. Characters 172 2.1 Minor Characters 172 2.2 King Arthur and the Queen 175 2.3 Enide I Evida 176 2.4 Erec I Erex 176 2.5 Erex and Evida 179 3. Saga Genre 180 3.1 Gender Issues 181 3.2 Direct Speech 182 3.3 Thoughts and Feelings 183 3.4 Narrator 188 3.5 Romance Elements 193 4. The Translator and his Context 196 4.1 Misunderstanding 197 4.2 Ignorance 198 4.3 Cultural and Intellectual Context 199 4.3.1 Translator 200 4.3.2 Scandinavian Background and Audience 202 4.3.3 Ideals 207 Vll. The Differences between Le Conte du Graal and Parcevals saga and Valvens battr 213 1. Narrative Unity 214 1.1 Omission and Abbreviation 214 1.2 Rationalisation 217 1. 3 Adaptation to Changes 222 2. Characters 226 2.1 Minor Characters 226 2.2 Gauvain I Valven 230 2.3 Perceval/ Parceval 235 3. Saga Genre 243 3.1 Gender Issues 244 3.2 Direct Speech 246 3.3 Thoughts and Feelings 250 3.4 Narrator 252 3.5 Romance Elements 258 4. The Translator and his Context 265 4.1 Misunderstanding 266 4.2 Ignorance 272 4.3 Cultural and Intellectual Context 273 4.3.1 Translator 274 4.3.2 Scandinavian Background 286 4.3.3 Literary Influence 290 4.3.4 Proverbs 292 D. Conclusion 299 Appendices 305 Appendix A 306 Appendix B 321 Bibliography 331 Lorenz 1 A. Introduction Among the riddarasogur translated in Norway during the reign of Hakon Hakonarson (1217- 1263) there are probably three sagas and one pattr based on the works of Chretien de Troyes. Chretien's earliest romance, Erec et Enide, is rendered as Erex saga Artuskappa; Le Chevalier au Lion (Yvain) as fvens saga. The unfinished grail romance LeConte du Graal (Perceval) is translated as Parcevals saga and V alvens pattr. No Scandinavian versions of Le Chevalier de la Charrette (Lancelot) and Cliges are known. Riddarasogur scholarship has generally been concerned with the genre as a whole, most prominently in Marianne E.
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