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
The identity of the two versions is, however, by no means complete. The
more condensed version (K. H.) presents some traits not to be found in
R. H. We may mention: Horn’s farewell to his boat, 139 ff.; Rimenhild’s
assistance in bringing about the dubbing of Horn, 435 ff.; Rimenhild’s
dream, 651 ff.; Horn’s charge to Athulf to care for Rimenhild, 743 ff.;
the drowning of the messenger from Rimenhild to Horn, 968 ff.; the
palmer’s account of Rimenhild’s grief, 1035 ff.; Athulf’s watching from
the tower, 1091 ff.; Horn’s fictitious tale to Rimenhild of his own
death, 1175 ff.
If K. H. offers these few traits independent of R. H., the latter,
longer narrative introduces episode after episode either barely
suggested in a single line of K. H., or entirely foreign to the English
version. For example, we may mention: the more circumstantial account of
Horn’s descent, and of the heroic death of Aaluf, 250 ff.; Rimel’s
amusing method of wheedling Athelfrus into bringing Horn to her, 604
ff.; her confidences to her maid Herselot, 729 ff.; the elaborate
account of Horn’s victory over Malbroin and Rodmund, 1295 ff.; Wikele’s
contrived pretext for a quarrel with Horn, 1839 ff.; Horn’s loathness to
take oath, though he is willing to vindicate his word by meeting in
combat any two or even five or six chosen antagonists, 1924 ff.; the
love of princess Lemburc for Horn, 2394 ff.; the stone-throwing contest,
2568 ff.; the game of chess, 2696 ff.; Lemburc’s apartments, 2709 ff.;
the harp-playing, 2776 ff.; the elaborate battle description once more,
3234 ff.; the death of Egfer, 3358 ff.; the meeting of Horn with Wikele
and Modin, 4094 ff.; the tournament at Rimil’s wedding, 4456 ff.; the
victory, with Hardre’s aid, over the Saracens in Suddenne, 4604 ff.; the
touching description of Horn’s meeting with his mother, 4882 ff.; the
besiegement of Hunlaf and Rimel by Wikele, 5100 ff.; the intervention of
Wikele’s brother, Wothere, 5052 ff., etc.[I-4]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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