Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical settingVaeth, Joseph Anthony
History
Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical setting
Vaeth, Joseph Anthony
Martorell, Joanot, -1468. Tirant lo Blanch
After making the above comparative study, we are not willing to accept
the statement of Amador de los Ríos, so emphatically repeated by
Givanel Mas, that the feats of Roger de Flor form the principal source
of the Catalan book of chivalry. Nor will we accept the opinion of
Denk that _Tirant lo Blanch_ represents nothing else but the figure of
Roger de Flor reproduced in the form of a novel. To the conservative
statement of Menéndez y Pelayo we shall offer no serious objections,
for the latter part of _Tirant lo Blanch_ does bear the stamp of a kind
of historical novel in which the heroic expedition of the Catalans
and Aragonese and the tragic fate of Roger de Flor is more or less
faithfully reflected. But we feel that the resemblance between Roger de
Flor and Tirant lo Blanch and their military enterprises is so slight
that even his statement must be qualified as misleading. However,
had he stated that Tirant’s activities at Constantinople had a true
historical basis, and that basis was Roger de Flor’s expedition to the
Orient, we should most heartily indorse that statement.
If we have objected to the intimations and declarations that this book
of chivalry is a historical novel based on the exploits of Roger de
Flor, it is due to the fact that the real deeds of that hero play a
very insignificant part in it. Roger de Flor was a brave commander
with a remarkable genius for organizing his forces, and for planning
campaigns. Muntaner does not describe him a single time as fighting
hand to hand in a battle with the enemy. The historical Roger de
Flor probably would not have created enough interest and enthusiasm.
Moreover, in Tirant’s adventures and fights on the sea, whenever some
extraordinary naval strategy was necessary, the credit for it is
not given to Tirant, but to some member of the crew who is usually
described as an experienced seaman. And yet Roger de Flor was so
efficient a sea captain that the officers of the Temple intrusted
him with their largest ship. If the author had intended to represent
him, surely he would not have denied him the honor of those exploits.
It is obvious that he did not regard his hero as an experienced
mariner. The hero he had in mind was a knight whose duty called him
to the battlefield. Tirant lo Blanch bears a far stronger resemblance
to Guy of Warwick than to Roger de Flor. The striking points of
similarity of these characters have already been noted. In addition
to these points, we may briefly add that Tirant’s religious zeal; his
generosity; his refusal to accept rewards; his fighting in tournaments,
in personal combats, and on the field of battle; and his love—debased
unfortunately—are qualities that are not mentioned in connection with
Roger de Flor, but they are all in accord with the career of Guy of
Warwick. Such being the case, would it not be far more accurate to say
that _Guy of Warwick_ is the principal source? The very beginning of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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