The Legends of King Richard I Coeur De Lion

Productinformatie

Richard's attainment of folk-heroic proportions was a gradual progression. First there was a tendency to modify and adapt ancient legends to Richard during his lifetime (1157-1199). For example, the old legend involving the people of Dorset, whom God punished with tails for their calumny of St. Augustine, was enlarged by Richard's enemies to encompass all Englishmen; the English crusaders under Richard's command were maligned by their enemies as being “tailed”. A second element in the mythologizing process was the tendency to elevate Richard's actual deeds to heroic proportions. As the illustrious leader of the crusaders, Richard was subject constantly to comment by most of the writers of the time. Richard's men could not be allowed to destroy a large Saracen ship while the brave Richard stood idly by to watch; he must take an active and violent part in the conflict. Therefore, legend had him single-handedly destroy the ship and slaughter most of the crew. A third element in this process was the influence of the Arthurian legends. Through Richard’s association at the court at Poitiers with the trouba- dours, courtly love, and chivalry, the young Prince could not help hearing the Arthurian legends then prevalent. Also, the avid interest of Richard's father, Henry 11, in King Arthur led to the excava- tion of Arthur's tomb and the reported finding of Excalibur About fifty years after his death Richard became the subject of an anonymous metrical romance and of many stories being circulated by a minstrel of Reims, both of which magnified his already con- siderable attributes. And early in the sixteenth century, Richard joined company with Robin Hood. Both figures were by then genuine folk heroes; it is not surprising to find them united. By his deeds, Richard became a hero to the people of the Middle Ages. To his reputation as a military hero and stalwart defender of the faith, chroniclers added other heroic traditions. Then the author of the romance and the minstrel of Reims codified and elaborated these traditions. Although later generations developed a more skeptical atti- tude toward the legends of Richard, they did not lose their esteem for him. An extensive bibliography and an index heighten the usefulness of this highly informative and readable study of King Richard I, Coeur de Lion, which gives testimony to the author’s own high regard for the mythical Richard.