Nine Medieval Romances of Magic: Re-Rhymed in Modern English

ISBN-13: 9781551119977 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 264 str.

Marijane Osborn

Opis

These new modern-English versions of medieval romances with magical themes bring the stories to life for modern readers. This book translates in modern English nine lively medieval verse romances, in a form that both reflects the original and makes them inviting to a modern audience. All nine tales contain elements of magic: shapeshifters, powerful fairies, trees that are portals to another world, magical armor, clothing, and animals. The romances address sexuality, agency, and identity-formation in unexpected ways. Part I begins with two versions of the story of a 'Loathly Lady' or shapeshifting hag that transforms into a beautiful woman: John Gower's "Tale of Florent" and Geoffrey Chaucer's "Wife of Bath's Tale". Three tales of fairy abductions follow: "Thomas of Erceldoune", "The Ballad of Tam Lin", and "Sir Orfeo". The final story in this group is Sir Launfal, about a destitute knight adopted by a fairy mistress. Part II contains four romances: "Chaucer's parodic Sir Thopas", in which the knight seeks a fairy mistress and arms to fight her guardian; "Sir Gowther", a tale that begins with a demonic birth and fairy abduction; "Emare", a Castaway Queen romance about a lady clothed in a magical love-cloth made by a Saracen princess; and, "Floris and Blancheflour", in which the girl Blancheflour is sold into Saracen slavery and her beloved Floris goes to rescue her.