bford – Islam & Medieval Western Literature

Book 8 (Tristan)

bford — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:05:54 +0000

mercy – In this work we are given a look at the well rounded knight who is not simply filled with an all-consuming lust for blood; although the interplay of shame and honor do directly lead to fighting between one or more knights. However the violence that occurs in this reading is set against a back drop of Tristam De Liones’ willingness to show mercy toward his enemies. He takes many opportunities to to allow his foes to admit that they have been beaten and tell him that they want no more of the physical battle they have just endured; this is interesting because Tristam certainly had the ability to secure a true victory in these battles but instead choses to exercise patience and forgiveness. Tristam many times forgives his counterparts and it is no coincidence that this text stresses the power and worth of mercy while also leaning heavily of religious themes. Religion is constantly alluded to in the work and Tristam becomes the embodiment of a person bound for glory in the next world. This is accomplished by embodying the forgiving and merciful stance that the almighty is seen to have. Tristam begins his life of well adapted violence by using his authority, even as a child, to save the life of his stepmother after she had been caught attempting to poison him by his father King Melodias. She is held in court for treason and Tristam personally excuses her actions and spares her life, permanently indebted his stepmother to him for the rest of his life. He exercises his honorable pardoning many more times as he encounters other knights, the battles more often than not lead Tristam and his enemies to swear to their friendship and quit battle rather than fighting to the death. These acts of mercy are what distinguish Tristam from the shamefully barbaric acts of the likes of Sir Bruenor who as tradition dictates follows the practice of beheading the lady that is less fair than the other and then battling to the death to see who earns the right to this fairer prize.

Lancelot

bford — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:44:02 +0000

honor, violence – In this text these two themes are wholly intertwined and thusly they are better served when discussed in unison. The story of the great knight Lancelot begins with the capturing of the Queen to which the proud class of warriors must respond and avenge this injustice to their lord’s companion; it is both their duty and their means of climbing the social latter, during these times. Their acts of heroism are inspired by a sense of honor that is staunchly defended via various violent encounters with feuding knights who have in some way, shape or form challenged their notions of self respect. The knights’ reputations proceed them in the work because of their previous skirmishes. For instance, Lancelot is known have ridden on the cart in the new places he journeys as well as being received as a hero by townspeople of whom he had never met prior because of the one of any number of violent victories he had won. The extreme to which these various conquests were esteemed can be seen in the way that women of the work are very much willing to submit their bodies to the knights as a show of respect for the honor that they have laboriously fought to safeguard. The knights are treated with the utmost of care because they serve to protect the community, the big stick that they carry is the means of maintaining; it preserves their freedom and notions justice, which are often associated with vengeance for a past wronging (ie. slander). The prevalence of violence within these warrior communities can be easily traced when the “damsel” requests of Lancelot to sever off and reward her with the head of a hated knight; a request that Lancelot fulfills, much to his delight because later on the same woman frees him from Meleagant’s prison after all else have seemingly abandoned hope of rescuing him. Even Meleagant has a sense of honor that inspires his actions, and although he is posited by the work as evil and ultimately is killed because of his stubborn pride, he is simply trying to gain the fame and spoils he sees bestowed upon the likes of Lancelot and other renowned warriors. Physical dominance was prized due to the association that fighting had with the notions of honor and bravery at play; if someone were to challenge your honor you must respond swiftly, Lancelot condemns himself for hesitating on multiple instances, and severely by being merciful but to a few.

“You need never use arguments with me… I am ready to fight to prove to the extent of my power that he never was guilty of such a thought.” Lancelot

menocal 71-111

bford — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:32:13 +0000

origin – In the first chapter from this reading Menocal makes it obvious from the outset that the origins of the modern vernacular lyric has a much debated history. One in which many Europeans theorists have accounted for the rise of courtly love poetry as a phenomenon and ignore the elements that were almost certainly intertwined with that of literature from Andalusian, Hispano-Arab influences. The arabic precursors of the troubadour poetry exhibit many of the common themes such as unrequited love and the role of gender. But the unwillingness of western scholars to give credit where it is due has led to a constant debate between those who support the Arabist theory and those who refute it; creating what Menocal refers to as, “…the problems of the origins and formal characteristics of the vernacular lyric.” Menocal both questions and condemns the nearsighted views of western scholarship that dismiss the Islamic influence in poetry that became so popular so summarily within the Christian world. She also discusses that fact that regardless of the opinions concerning the origins of troubadour poetry that it is no secret that troubadour poetry provided the rudiments for all European literary forms thus being the origin of modern day works.

revolutionary- The antecedent texts of the muwashshahat are shown in a light which paints them as being integral influential texts for the troubadour poetry that followed in the western world. It made use of revolutionary form where a single poem displayed both elements of the old guard of literary pursuits as well as the previously dismissed vernacular tradition that began to creep to the forefront. These works used two different styles within the same poem and two different poetic voices, the first being a man in the classical form and the second being a woman relaying the poem in the vernacular. This marked a severe change in the discourse of popular literature, openly accepting the variable forms that the written/ spoken word could take. These two very different portions of the muwashshahat were known to have been compiled as a single text because of the elements of rhythm, meter, and song the remained constant throughout their relaying even when poetic voice changes.

Irwin Chapter 3/ Menocal Chapters 1 & 2

bford — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:27:58 +0000

the other- Menocal writes that the recent surge, over the past few centuries, in the development of Europe and the Americas, due to imperialist pursuits, has led them to classify themselves as a distinct entity from the Arab cultures that had helped lay the groundwork for the very same Renaissance that had given the western world power. Because the west found itself as the victors of war it was able to record history as it saw fit and only gave anecdotal credit to the Arab cultures for helping establish the rudiments of western progress. Instead the west has alienated itself from these cultures that tremendously aided their now privileged existence and ignores the fact that the dark ages were only a dark age in western societies; the cultures of the middle east as well as the Arab influence in Spain were making great strides in areas such as mathematics and the arts (architecture & music/poetry). The recorded histories of the west sought to cut ties with these eastern influences once in a position of authority.

evolution – Irwin writes that there is no clear cut origin of the written story, in large part due to the influence of the oral tradition in storytelling, and that it is important to realize how one story facilitates the creation of others. This free flowing movement of ideas cannot be pinned down and is in a state of constant flux. At all times a new story is being created that cannot be accounted for without having to draw upon previously encountered texts or spoken words. This fluid notion of literature gives the reader the idea of of it being almost a living, breathing thing that will certainly be nurtured into varying novel forms.