The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk StoryGerould, Gordon Hall
General
The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story
Gerould, Gordon Hall
Dead -- Folklore; Folk literature -- Themes, motives; Grateful dead (Tale)
The plot of Richars, as far as it concerns us, runs thus: Richars, in
the pursuit of knightly exercises, wastes all his father's property
as lord of Mangorie. When he hears that the King of Montorgueil has
promised the hand of his daughter to the victor in a tourney, he is
sad at the thought of his inability to engage. Through the generosity
of a provost, however, he is enabled to set out with a horse, three
attendants, and a supply of gold. At the city of Osteriche he spends
part of his money in giving a great feast. In the roof of the house
where he stays he is astonished to see a corpse lying on two beams,
and he learns that it is the body of a knight, who died owing the
householder three thousand pounds. Richars gives everything he has,
even to his armour, to secure the release and burial of the dead
man. He then proceeds to the tourney on a poor horse that his host
gives him, and quite alone, since his attendants have deserted him. On
the way he is joined by a White Knight, who offers him help in the
tourney and places at his disposal his noble steed. Richars wins the
tourney and obtains the hand of the Princess Rose. He now offers the
White Knight his choice of the lady or the property. The stranger,
however, refuses any division, explains that he is the ghost of the
indebted knight, and disappears. [48]
Lion de Bourges runs thus: Lion, son of Duke Harpin de Bourges, was
found by a knight in a lion's den and reared as his son. When he grew
up, he wasted his foster-father's property in chivalry. Finally, he
heard that King Henry of Sicily had promised the hand of his daughter
to the knight who should win a tourney that he had established. So Lion
started for the court, and on the way ransomed the body of a knight,
which he found hanging in the smoke, on account of unpaid debts. At
Montluisant the hero won the favour of the Princess Florentine, and,
before the tourney, obtained from a White Knight the charger which
he still lacked, on condition of sharing his winnings, the princess
excepted. With the help of this knight Lion was victorious and obtained
the princess. He was then asked by his helper to give up either the
lady or the whole kingdom, and did not hesitate to do the latter. At
this, the stranger explained that he was the ghost of the ransomed
knight and disappeared, though he afterwards returned to assist the
hero at need.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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