Fairies in Medieval Romance

Wade, James

doi:10.1057/9780230119154

Cited by 66 publications

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“…Thus, whilst critics such as James Wade have correctly argued that one of the defining characteristics of faeries is their ability to defy any attempts at categorization or explanation (either in terms of visual appearance, ontology, or moral predilection), their function in romance literature relies on a set of conventions that remain largely consistent throughout both the medieval and early modern periods. 8 Amongst the motifs commonly associated with faeries in medieval romance are an association with wilderness settings (forests, streams, caves, islands), an emphasis on isolation as a precursor to an encounter, a focus on excess and luxury, a predilection for gift giving on the part of the faerie, and an emphasis on either supernatural beauty or monstrousness (sometimes both) as defining characteristics of a faerie's appearance. In the Middle English Sir Launfal (late fourteenth century), for example, a young knight abandons King Arthur's court and rides to the edge of a forest where he encounters a beautiful faerie, residing in a pavilion decorated with pommels of crystal and topped by a sculpted golden eagle with rubies for eyes (265-76).…”

Section: About "Faeries"mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Alchemist and Medieval Faerie Romance

Bull

2019

Ben Jonson J

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In The Alchemist, Doll's faerie queen is frequently interpreted by critics as representative of Jonson's scepticism toward folkloric belief and superstition. The supernatural-monarch-come-prostitute who appears before Dapper the clerk is thought to be drawn from contemporary accounts of cozeners who would claim to be in contact with the faerie realm in order to part gullible patrons from their money. Jonson's faerie queen thus fits into wider critical discussions on the nature of faeries in Early Modern drama, in which faeries are frequently defined as deriving from rural and domestic folkloric tradition. However, whilst there is certainly some truth to the significance of folklore in representations of faeries on the early modern stage (see Shakespeare's Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example), such arguments have a tendency to downplay the significance of romance in Early Modern society and the ongoing influence of medieval romance convention in the way that faeries are incorporated into Early Modern literature and drama. This essay focuses on The Alchemist as an example of the continued importance of romance in shaping the themes and motifs that are associated with Early Modern faeries. Doll's faerie queen appears as part of a con enacted by the three cozeners, but her role and appearance still draw on certain romance motifs that equate faeries with wealth, aristocracy, and the testing of human morality. Through recognising a connection to romance in Jonson's work, this essay questions how we might better appreciate the meaning of The Alchemist's faerie queen episodes. Jonson, without relinquishing his sceptical approach to the supernatural, uses these motifs as a way of exploring themes of greed, social mobility, and new wealth, themes that permeate throughout the play and throughout his work as a whole.

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Section: About "Faeries"mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Alchemist and Medieval Faerie Romance

Bull

2019

Ben Jonson J

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“…For in-depth analyses of the romance seeSaunders 1993: 133-142, Wade 2011 14 For the medieval concept of the elves and their relation to the marvellous, the present argument is based onLewis 1964: 123-139;Wade 2011: 9-38, Hall 2007: 75-94 and Saunders 2010 …”

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confidence: 92%

Medieval Contexts in Modern Fantasy Fiction: J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin

Błaszkiewicz¹

2021

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The argument in the book is aimed at illustrating how the fantasy fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin is influenced by the legacy of medieval heroic literature, and also how the secondary worlds created by the respective authors enter into dialogue with the medieval ideas concerning artistic creativity and the psychological and cognitive habits which constitute an inherent element of the imagery of medieval heroic literature and of the medieval civilisation in general.

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Melusine

Elmes

2017

The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature in Britain

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Originating in a 1393 prose romance by Frenchman Jean d'Arras and adapted later that same year by the poet Coudrette, Melusine presents a hybrid historical/romance foundation text for the powerful and influential Lusignan family. Melusine, daughter of a fairy and a mortal, marries Raymondin the Count of Poitiers, and together they found the fortress of Lusignan. Their sons go on to spread the family name and win renown throughout Europe and the Middle East. Melusine and Raymondin prosper until Raymondin breaks his vow not to see her on a Saturday and discovers her half‐serpent form, the product of a curse. Because of his transgression, Melusine is fated to remain in her serpent's form until Judgment Day; whenever the fortress of Lusignan changes hands, she reappears as a portent. The legend of Melusine enjoyed widespread popularity throughout Continental Europe. Both French versions of the story were translated into Middle English around 1500.

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Fairies in Medieval Romance

Cited by 66 publications

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The Alchemist and Medieval Faerie Romance

The Alchemist and Medieval Faerie Romance

Medieval Contexts in Modern Fantasy Fiction: J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin

Melusine

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