King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady
General
King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady
English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Legends; Romances, English
It will be seen that the main outline of the story as told in the other
two versions, is here preserved, but with many modifications, with some
omissions and some additions. The scene of action has shifted. We hear
no more of the to us obscure names Suddenne and Westir; the whole action
takes place in the British isles. The names of the persons, too, are
greatly transformed, Horn and Rimneld, and possibly Moioun being about
the only names common to all the versions. The whole introduction of the
present version, dealing with the bravery and death of Haþeolf, Horn’s
father, which forms about a quarter of this romance version as preserved
to us, is entirely strange to K. H. and to R. H. Other features peculiar
to H. C. are: Haþeolf’s instructions to the boy companions of Horn, to
bear fealty to Horn, 137 ff.; the fine gifts and rich entertainment by
Rimnild of Herlaund and Haderof and, later, of Horn, 330 ff., 377 ff.;
the manner of the courtship, where Horn no longer plays the reluctant
part, urging his poverty as an excuse, 373 ff.; the episode of the
departure of Horn’s companions Tebeaud, Winwald, Garins and Aþelston for
foreign lands, 445 ff. Wikel here does not accuse Horn of designs on the
king’s life and kingdom, 486 ff. Horn remains at home from the hunting,
not to visit Rimnild, but “_for blodeleteing, Al for a maladye_.” 485
ff. There is no Saracen invasion of Houlac’s kingdom. Horn tries to
appease the king, 541 ff. The ring has a different function, 571 ff. The
ring it is that prompts Horn’s return to Rimnild. Still other features
peculiar to this edition are: the heroic adventure in the forest, 613
ff.; the tournament at the court of Elidan in Wales, 664 ff.; and the
whole account of Horn’s experiences in Ireland, the occasion of his
journey there, the character of the battle (in which Horn is wounded),
and the absence of mention of king Finlak’s proposal to give his
daughter and kingdom to Horn.
All these independent traits in H. C. lead us to conclude that this
version must rest, directly or indirectly, on a tradition different from
that underlying K. H. and R. H. That, as Stimming thinks probable, the
writer “unmittelbar aus der sage selbst geschöpft” seems unlikely
considering the highly sophisticated[I-7] nature and artificial form of
this version, and the frequent remarks of the author, “_in boke as we
rede_,” etc. More likely it rests directly on an earlier version of the
story, which in its turn rests on a Northern tradition of the story.
That such a Northern tradition existed we have evidence in the Scottish
ballads of Hind Horn [Child’s (F. J.) English and Scottish Ballads.
Boston, 1882-84], which while emphasizing only one element, the
separation of the two lovers and their reunion through the agency of the
magic ring, agree with the H. C. version rather than with that of K. H.
and R. H.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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