week 2: Chrétien and its English redaction - the concerns of romance

1) In many ways, I find the first part to be a typical knight adventure story. There is the strange myth-like quality about the adventure (pouring water on a stone, talk of honor and fighting, lovely ladies and brave knights.
I do find it strange that, in the story, Sir Colgrevance is in the wrong. He absolutely did disturb the home of the other knight for no good reason, and his opponent was fully right to defend himself. Sir Kay is also a bit strange, being a clearly non-heroic character, yet defended by the queen and tolerated in the company.
These is also the strange inclusion of the wild man controlling the beasts of the forest, a character who is completely unnecessary yet has a lot of details included. He seems like a reference to a different story, maybe even a much older one with some pagan undertones. I would like to know if anyone has any idea what that’s about.
2) I believe that it is mainly justified streamlining. The French version is obviously much, much longer, with Yvain having monologues about his love and convincing Laudine taking longer, the story is not significantly changed by the information which was cut. The only thing that I feel changes is the dynamic between Yvain and Laudine, with Laudine being more in control, but it is not a large change.
I feel like the principal difference between both versions is that the French seems to justify itself more. It feels the need to explain why Ywain has fallen in love, and how Laudine was convinced.

Ywain and Gawain focuses on the action rather than individual psychological states. It is less concerned with themes of courtly love and chivalry; Ywain and Alundyne’s reconciliation is essentially brushed over in favour of knightly exploits. This reconciliation passage is much shorter here than in the original French version - the French is much more fleshed out, while the English is simplified. In Yvain: Le Chevalier au Lion, the lady Alundyne’s thought process is outlined (her consideration of Lunet’s words), and her grief feels more real. The relationship with the maid, though close, maintains propriety; in the English version she is more casual: “For God’s sake, let go of your mourning” (942 - crazy line); she seems more forceful, much more like she’s corralling the lady into marrying Ywain rather than offering counsel. Particularly Alundyne in Ywain and Gawain is not much of a character, more so she is the figure of a beautiful lady for the knight to fall in love with. Her own agency is suppressed (not that she has much in the French version either, but her choices are at the very least given some personal context). The scene quickly shifts to the confrontation between Ywain and Kay - the English version specifies Ywain “hastily [dressing] himself in his gear” (1298-1299), as part of English Romance tradition, which is not depicted in the original French. Ywain and Gawain is more straightforward about Ywain’s heroic, knightly qualities - his handing over of Sir Kay’s horse to Arthur is specifically described as “courteous” (1330). I think the English version is concerned with depicting straightforward heroism through action, while the French focuses on internal struggle.

What I found unusual is that the romance is centered around a marriage (and a reconciliation of a married love). On the other hand, what I find quite typical is the use of mistaken/secret identity trope.
Whether the English version performs a streamlining or a reduction, is, in my opinion, a matter of personal taste. The narrative retains all the essential scenes, descriptions and dialogues necessary for a coherent and intriguing storyline that is more fast-paced and focused on action, but appears somewhat flat when compared to Chrétien’s richly detailed descriptions and insights into character psychology.

I much preferred Chrétien’s version of the narrative, the amount of detail and thought depicted by him is simply more captivating than the English narrative. The articulate description allows the reader to immerse themselves into the tale, into both the adventure or battle narration and the exploration of the characters’ psyche. One example of the former could be the description of the fatal blow to the head of the “Knight of the Storm”. The Middle English poem reads thus: “Finally Sir Ywain / proved his prowess / with a blow that split / his opponent’s helm and brainpan. / The knight knew he was near death / and thought it best to flee,” (lines 657-662). It is dull, there is no sense of escalation, the action just simply happened. It was told to the reader without the expectation of evoking any emotion (not strong one at least). The scene’s use is that of only reminding the reader of Yvain’s powers and then it moves to another scene. Although there is some escalation in previous lines, the reader nevertheless is unsurprised with the fatal blow. Chrétien depicts the scene thus: “At last, my Lord Yvain did hammer / At the knight’s helmet so fiercely, / The blow stunned the knight wholly, / Such that he fainted right away, / He never having, until that day, / Felt such a blow; his skull split / With the tremendous force of it. / And now the outflow from it stains / His bright mail with blood and brains; / And he with such pain doth meet, / His heart almost neglects to beat. / He fled then, gasping for breath,” (p. 3). The narration is dynamic and detailed, allowing the reader to visualise the “Knight of the Storm” fleeing badly wounded, with his armour stained with blood and brains. Ywain had to hammer fiercely, had to exert an effort to bring his opponent down. Where the English version moves from one scene to another, Chretien prolongs it for the reader’s pleasure. I do agree that Chretien’s version reads slower, as it is simply much longer, but it balances the length with the catching description. This difference in the level of detail and therefore captivation is also evident, if not more in the emotions of Yvain and lady Alundine. In the Middle English poem, their parting scene is described thus: “Sir Ywain thanked her [for the ring] / and hurriedly prepared / his armor and other gear, / stalwart steeds, shield and spear, / and also a squire, knave and swain, / which pleased Sir Gawain. / Sir Ywain would wait no longer / but mounted his steed / and took his leave,” (lines 1545-1553), while the English Ywain is eager to leave his lady behind and chase his adventures, Chrétien’s Yvain is deeply upset, he loves his wife and does not want to part. It is only honour and therefore the honour of his wife that urges him to depart. Chrétien depicts the scene thus: “Seeing the lady bathed in tears, / He begged her to return amain /… MY Lord Yvain is now so greatly / Distressed at parting from his lady, / His heart it can do naught but stay. / The king may lead the body away, / But not the heart, for she so chains / And binds his heart, she who remains, / Not even the king has the power / To draw it away for even an hour. / And if the body lacks its heart / How shall it live when they’re apart? / Lacking its heart, a living body / Is a marvel no man e’er did see. / Yet this marvel has come about, / For he is still living, yet without His heart,” (p. 2). Chrétien (and Alundine) grips the hearts of the readers, they feel the agony of the parting, the love of the characters. The compelling image of the Yvain’s heart staying with his wife proves the true emotional love his characters have for each other. Although the scene could be discarded as useless, as it does not truly move the narrative along, its exploration of the psyche is more productive for the story itself then a shortness of lines would be.