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tillman · 4 years ago

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what tristan and isolde texts would you recommend? i wanna read more of them but idk where to start

omg ya! i have scans of all of these either done by me or rey so ill link em all BUT..

i think for over all story the best Full Telling of it is gottfried von strassburgs Tristan. yes i am a gottfried stan but GENUINELY this is up there with my favorite books of all time let alone medieval texts. its gorgeous. its beautiful. its fucking ufnny as hell (gottfried the king of sarcasm). just . read it. i implore everyone to read it.

theres a verse translation online but i would recomend against it cus its kinda ugly (no OFFENSE i just dont think the german verse can be translated into english at all. it doesnt hit.) but its easy to find. the Prose translation is what i recomend and what i scanned myself.

other really fun ones that are all short and super easy to get into!

Tristan als Mönch

a short but so funny story of tristan faking his death and dressing up as a monk to check if isolde still likes him. its so fucking funny. literally so fucking funny tristan laughs at everyone morning him at his funeral.

Tristan le Menestrel

this is a short little thing included in one of the Perceval continuations of tristan dressing up as a minstrel with some friends including gawain lancelot and aggravain all so he can make out iwth isolde. do u see a theme here? anyways i love this one its short and cute and tristan and isolde sing together :-)

Tristan Rossignol

Heres one thats less comedy but its a short love poem of tristan and isolde having a sweet little tryst in the woods and isolde punching someone so hard his teeth fly out. theres also a little thing about unfaithful husbands being bad. its very odd but the poem is so SO gorgeous. its also only 5 pages its the shortest one here and one of my favorites.

and here it is. my favorite version of the prose tristran.

The Byelorussian Tristan/The Povest ‘o Trystchane

im obsessed with this tale. Its a byelorussian translation of tavola ritonda which is the italian translation of the prose tristan both of which i have on hand but both of which dont MATTER compared to THIS BAD BOY. its so good. i cant explain it. shit just happens.

i hope this helps <3 i also have the norse tales and some random old french and old italian poems that are great but these are my favorites <3 oh and . well. go read chevrefoil as well im not even bothering to list that one if u havent read that one ur missing out so so bad <3

#arthurian legends #HERE U GO i hope this is fun <3

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gailyinthedark · 10 months ago

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Final thoughts: Morien, Byelorussian Tristan, The Lady of Shalott

Morien

I adore this story. I adore this character. He's a kid and he's a knight. His father abandoned him and he wants to fight everybody about it. He needs a friend so bad and everyone is scared of him. He's my perfect little guy. I want to make him tea.

Also I get the Gawain love now. I think this author has as much of a crush on him as Malory does on Lancelot in Le Mort.

Byelorussian Tristan

Probably the bloodthirstiest sample of arthuriana I've come across so far. Usually courtesy, honour, gentility etc are paid lip service at least, but here the only way to prove your worth is beating up other guys. My favourite part was Smerdodug the Infidel because of his name.

The Lady of Shalott

I was super excited to read this because a) arthuriana b) poetry c) it's endorsed by Anne Shirley herself! It has to be good!

Alas, I was sorely disappointed. One of the coolest things about poetry is the way it can express things concisely through imagery and judicious word choice, effectively packaging more punch per word than prose, but this...does the opposite of that? The rhyme scheme is needlessly bloated. There are some lovely individual lines but they don't build on each other. Our girl doesn't even know what the curse is and after reading this three times neither do I? I'd trade the bearded barley for some concrete information.

Tl;dr the poem sucks, sorry Tennyson.

#arthuriana #medieval literature #poetry #morien #byelorussian tristan #the lady of shalott #tennyson

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gailyinthedark · 11 months ago

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Reading Tristan for the first time and it's the version translated from Byelorussian, so I amuse myself by trying to figure out which places and persons the Byelorussian names are referring to from context, without looking it up. Best guesses so far:

Kernovalia = Cornwall

Antsolot = Lancelot

Artiush = Arthur

Londresh = Logres

Orlendea = Ireland

Gavaon = Gawain

Izhota = Isolde

Damolot = Camelot

#arthuriana #byelorussian tristan

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queer-ragnelle · 6 months ago

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Beginner’s Guide to Medieval Arthuriana

Just starting out at a loss for where to begin?

Here’s a guide for introductory Medieval texts and informational resources ordered from most newbie friendly to complex. Guidebooks and encyclopedias are listed last.

All PDFs link to my Google drive and can be found on my blog. This post will be updated as needed.

Pre-Existing Resources

Hi-Lo Arthuriana

♡ Loathly Lady Master Post ♡

Medieval Literature by Language

Retellings by Date

Films by Date

TV Shows by Date

Documentaries by Date

Arthurian Preservation Project

The Camelot Project

If this guide was helpful for you, please consider supporting me on Ko-Fi!

Medieval Literature

Page (No Knowledge Required)

The Vulgate Cycle | Navigation Guide | Vulgate Reader

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle

The Marriage of Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

The Welsh Triads

Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

Squire (Base Knowledge Recommended)

The Mabinogion

Four Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes

Owain (Welsh) | Yvain (French) | Iwein (German)

Geraint (Welsh) | Erec (French)| Erec (German)

King Artus

Morien

Knight (Extensive Knowledge Recommended)

The History of The King's of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Alliterative Morte Arthure

Here Be Dragons (Weird or Arthurian Adjacent)

The Crop-Eared Dog

Perceforest | A Perceforest Reader | PDF courtesy of @sickfreaksirkay

The Fair Unknown (French) | Wigalois (German) | Vidvilt (Yiddish)

Guingamor, Lanval, Tyolet, & Bisclarevet by Marie of France

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Grail Quest

Peredur (Welsh) | Perceval + Continuations (French) | Parzival (German)

The Crown by Heinrich von dem Türlin (Diu Crône)

The High Book of The Grail (Perlesvaus)

The History of The Holy Grail (Vulgate)

The Quest for The Holy Grail Part I (Post-Vulgate)

The Quest for The Holy Grail Part II (Post-Vulgate)

Merlin and The Grail by Robert de Boron

The Legend of The Grail | PDF courtesy of @sickfreaksirkay

Lancelot Texts

Knight of The Cart by Chretien de Troyes

Lanzelet by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven

Spanish Lancelot Ballads

Gawain Texts

Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle

The Marriage of Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain and The Lady of Lys

The Knight of The Two Swords

The Turk and Sir Gawain

Perilous Graveyard | scan by @jewishlancelot

Tristan/Isolde Texts

Béroul & Les Folies

Prose Tristan (The Camelot Project)

Tristan and The Round Table (La Tavola Ritonda) | Italian Name Guide

The Romance of Tristan

Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg

Byelorussian Tristan

Educational/Informational Resources

Encyclopedias & Handbooks

Warriors of Arthur by John Matthews, Bob Stewart, & Richard Hook

The Arthurian Companion by Phyllis Ann Karr

The New Arthurian Encyclopedia by Norris J. Lacy

The Arthurian Handbook by Norris J. Lacy & Geoffrey Ashe

The Arthurian Name Dictionary by Christopher W. Bruce

Essays & Guides

A Companion to Chrétien de Troyes edited by Joan Tasker & Norris J. Lacy

A Companion to Malory edited by Elizabeth Archibald

A Companion to The Lancelot-Grail Cycle edited by Carol Dover

Arthur in Welsh Medieval Literature by O. J. Padel

Diu Crône and The Medieval Arthurian Cycle by Neil Thomas

Wirnt von Gravenberg's Wigalois: Intertextuality & Interpretation by Neil Thomas

The Legend of Sir Lancelot du Lac by Jessie Weston

The Legend of Sir Gawain by Jessie Weston

#arthuriana #arthurian legend #arthurian mythology #arthurian literature #king arthur #queen guinevere #sir gawain #sir lancelot #sir perceval #sir percival #sir galahad #sir tristan #queen isolde #history #resource #my post

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queer-ragnelle · 6 months ago

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#arthuriana #arthurian legend #arthurian mythology #arthurian literature #sir palomides #sir palamedes #prose tristan #quotes #illuminated manuscript #illuminated manuscripts #webweaves by L #my post

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queer-ragnelle · 1 month ago

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hey awhile ago you posted like a reading list for stuff about Galahad and I was wondering if you had anything similar about Dinadan? I'm reading Malory at the moment and have been entranced by his normal guy swag

Hello there!

Ultimately my goal for my retellings page is to have a JavaScript-based theme that allows for book sorting with tags, which includes characters, so one can find whatever they want to read. In the mean time, I’ll list out some recommendations of medieval literature, retellings, even some screen appearances for Dan!

Medieval Literature

La Tavola Ritonda (Tristan & The Round Table)

This is an Italian rendition of the Prose Tristan (where Dinadan originates from). I prefer it in every way to the Prose Tristan. I love it so much that I scanned it myself! It predates Le Morte D’Arthur! So while Dinadan’s brothers Daniel & Brunor are in it, Brunor is not yet nicknamed La Cote Male Taile, that doesn’t come until Malory. Dinadan’s apparent queerness (whether that be interpreted as asexuality or something else) shines here. There’s even a part where Tristan plays a prank on him by sneaking into his bed & kissing him, pretending to be their host who was interested in Dinadan earlier, & Dinadan not only freaks out in the moment (duh) but then refuses to forgive Tristan & gives him the silent treatment for several chapters. I find this compelling that Dinadan is given an emotional depth here he’s rarely afforded, & sticks to his guns, even though Tristan whines that he wants Dinadan to talk to him, (without really apologizing…). All names are in Italian, so while “Dinadano” is recognizable as Dinadan, others are harder to place. Here’s a name guide I made in case you need it!

Byelorussian Tristan

Divdan [Dinadan] makes a small appearance in this text during a joust. It's said he's "more pleasing to the maidens than to the other knights." What did the Russian storyteller mean by this?

Le Román de Tristan le roman de Palamede (in French)

This story is in French & has yet to be translated into English. But I’ll put it here anyway just in case you’re able to read that or as a reminder for later when it does get translated. Anyway Dinadan is here as a good friend of Palamedes.

Retellings

The Fortunate Island by Max Adeler

Really whacky story. I haven't finished reading it yet, but it's full of crackships, including a version of Dagonet interested in Ysolt, who in turn loves, Bleoberis who is too poor to marry anybody. Shenanigans. Anyway Dinadan is interested in this girl Matilda only for Agravaine, of all people, to propose to her immediately after being introduced. Hilarious. Someone should remind these guys they're both queer. In any case Matilda slaps him because she really is interested in Dinadan. The story is more reminiscent of the 1880s culture than medieval, with Dinadan sharing a smoke with Matilda's father then offering her a drag. Dinadan continues to have a weird rivalry with Agravaine for her affection as Agravaine apparently cannot tell she's uninterested. Typical Orkney bro behavior to interpret violence as love. So even though this story depicts Dinadan differently than his "allergic-to-love" medieval counterpart, he remains the most sensible of the characters. Which is close enough.

The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey

Dinadan first appears in this drama after he’s rescued from his imprisonment at the hands of the enemy Roman forces. He’s listed in the cast as “friend of Tristram of Lyonesse” which is cute but made funny as Dinadan complains about having to bring reinforcements to the war while Tristram stayed home. Dinadan whinges about Tristram’s tryst with Iseult. Meanwhile nobody who's been away since the start of the war has even heard of her yet, while Launcelot claims he knows nothing. Dinadan's loose lips get a pass here, he was a prisoner of war for who knows how long. They beat his manners right out of him!

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

Dinadan doesn’t play a huge part in this novel, but chapter 4 is named for him, “Sir Dinadan the Humorist.” He has the characterization of a washed up jester/failed comedian. The main character Hank is kind to him though & tries to laugh at his jokes, if only because Dinadan had spared him the scrutiny/mockery he affords some other knights.

The Song of Dinadan by Ernest Rhys

This collection has a short lay dedicated to Dinadan which is reminiscent of his discussion regarding love he has with Isolde in Le Morte d'Arthur.

Sir Dinadan in The Goose Girl by Theodore Goodridge Roberts

This is a short story originally published in 1951 but republished with the anthology The Chronicles of the Round Table edited by Mike Ashley. It's silly & light-hearted. Dinadan is forced to leave his squire with a hermit after he gets sick, then he encounters a goose girl who tells him of a castle held prisoner by a brutish knight from outside the moat, for if he can't have the damsel within, no one can. Dinadan bemoans that all his quests result in entanglement with women but he follows the goose girl to try & defeat the knight because he "needs the money." The goose girl squires for him & saves his life multiple times as the knight & his squire fight dirty despite Dinadan's insistence on chivalry

The Enchanted Cup by Dorothy James Roberts

A retelling of Tristram/Isoud’s romance. Dinadan takes on a slightly different role here as he’s older than Tristram & more of a mentor. (Gouvernail is still here; Tristram is collecting father figures in this one.) But Dinadan is the first member of the Round Table that Tristram meets & he finds his quick wittedness endearing. Tristram also finds him fascinating because he’s so short & “prefers eating to fighting,” as Andret said, so Dinadan challenges what Tristram expected a knight to be. Dinadan has his usual “I’d rather not fight unless I have to” attitude & still holds fast to his opinions about love, although he’s less animated about it here compared to other stories where he’s combative. He comes across as wise rather than spirited in his opinions, particularly because Tristram’s prepared to risk it all for Isould, & Dinadan finds himself in Tristram’s corner when it comes time to choose sides. Anyway I really love the prose & banter in this book. Great dialogue, really feels natural & holds my attention. It’s extremely 1950s in its handling of Palamides, not kind to him at all, but barring that, it’s really solid.

Child of the Northern Spring by Persia Woolley

Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley

Guinevere: The Legend in Autumn by Persia Woolley

Dinadan is present in all three books of the trilogy, but mostly the second one. He's Tristan's best friend & right hand man. Dinadan reminds Tristan of his manners & formalities his hastier companion often neglects. They're both musicians & bond over a love of music. My biggest warning with this series is that Isolde is a child bride, so every plot line surrounding her, including Dinadan's criticisms of her relationship with Tristan, hit different. The whole Prose Tristan gang is here though, including Branwen, Palomides, & Lamorak.

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris

Dinadan is the main character! Woo hoo! He’s the less popular brother of Tristan. The book emphasizes Dinadan’s queerness which is enjoyable to read. He’s in his early twenties so he’s just heading out into the world & exploring himself at the same time. He goes on many adventures, including joining Kai & Bedivere to aid Culhwch in his tasks so he can marry Olwen, developing a deep friendship with Brangienne & Palomides, & having to come to his brother Tristan’s aid whenever his fragile mental state gets him into trouble out in the wilderness. All the while Dinadan connects with those around him through a love of music. He plays the rebec! He reappears in later books for the resolution of the Squire’s Tales series. Even though this book is in the middle of the series, it can be read independently, although I do recommend the entire thing.

Sir Tristan is Just Awful by Jeffrey Wikstrom

This is the third book in a five book series that parodies Le Morte d'Arthur. I haven't read this series in full yet as someone only recently made it into PDFs for me to share, but Dinadan retains his sarcastic humor & queer swag. It's implied he & Palomides have sex, so make of that what you will!

Lancelot by Gwen Rowley

Gawain by Gwen Rowley

Two romance books in a series, one about Elaine/Lancelot & the other Ragnelle/Gawain. However, Dinadan is a prominent side character. Lancelot technically came first, but they can be read in either order. The whole incident with the dress from Le Morte d’Arthur is in both books, as their timelines overlap a bit from the respective points of view. Dinadan is a friend of Gawain’s that shows up again in the Lancelot book many years after the events of the Gawain book ended. I really enjoy his character here, he’s pretty funny.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

Brand new book that just came out this year. The true main character is an OC named Collum, but Dinadan is one of the last surviving members of the Round Table, & several chapters are dedicated to his backstory from his own perspective. Without spoiling too much (since it’s so new), Dinadan is explicitly queer here, as well as some other characters. He’s friends with Palomides here who evidentially knows the secret of his queerness before any others. I will say, Dinadan doesn’t feel very much like his medieval counterpart in terms of characterization, he doesn’t express any negative opinions about love. He feels more like a guy the author happened to call Dinadan. However, I still enjoyed the book!

Movies

Camelot (1967)

In this musical, Guinevere recruits three champions in the hopes of defeating Lancelot, including Lionel, Sagramore, & Dinadan! She has a duet with each of them. Dinadan is present for the Lusty Month of May song as well. He gets a whole joust with Lancelot that turns bad. Winds up a super important catalyst character for the plot!

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1970)

Animated adaptation of Mark Twain’s book of the same name. The most faithful one too. It adapts the "Sir Dinadan the Humorist" chapter from the book. Dinadan rides through during a joust after the first bout ends to crack jokes with Arthur & Hank. He then falls off his horse. This movie also includes Dinadan’s brother, La Cote Male Taile.

And that's all I have for you! Unfortunately, Dinadan doesn't appear in any Tristan/Isolde movies at all, which is a huge bummer. Ironically, the movies he does appear in lack Tristan/Isolde entirely! But he's got some great literary appearances I think you'll enjoy.

A note: The archive I usually download books from is currently down, so a couple links go to the Internet Archive or The Camelot Project where they can be read but not obtained. When I'm able to download and archive the books, I'll update the links so everyone can save the PDFs themselves, especially because The Camelot Project's formatting is hard on the eyes. But most of the links lead to PDFs you can download right now!

Hope that gives you plenty of Dinadan to enjoy. Take care!

#arthuriana #arthurian legend #arthurian mythology #arthurian literature #sir dinadan #ask #profmeowmers

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