An Dialog etre Arzur Roe d'an Bretounet ha Guynglaff

Last updated

An Dialog etre Arzur Roe d'an Bretounet ha Guynglaff ("The Dialogue Between Arthur, King of the Bretons, and Guynglaff") is an anonymous poem in 247 lines [1] relating the apocalyptic prophecies which King Arthur extracted from one Guynglaff, a wild man, prophet and magician closely analogous to Merlin in the earliest Welsh tradition. It dates from about the middle of the 15th century, making it the oldest surviving work of literature in the Breton language. [2] [3]

Contents

Synopsis

The poem begins by introducing us to the character of Guynglaff, a wild man of the woods. Guynglaff is captured by King Arthur, who questions him as to the signs and wonders which will precede the end of the world. Guynglaff lists these prodigies: summer and winter will be interchanged, children will have grey hair, heresy will triumph, and so on. When Arthur asks what will happen before these things Guynglaff responds with a series of predictions relating to the years 1570 to 1588, detailing the periods of war, death and peace that will follow on one another. The years after this, Guynglaff says in reply to another question from Arthur, will be marked by storms, immorality and the ravages of war against the English. Many of the events predicted are localised, always to the region between Guingamp and Port-Blanc in the modern department of Côtes-d'Armor. [2] The poem ends with Guynglaff's prediction of the conquest of Brittany by invading English armies.

Date and authorship

The name of the poem's author is not known, but it is apparent that he was a well-read man, skilled in the traditional system of Breton versification. [4] He may have been associated with the abbey of Daoulas. [5]

The incipit of the poem states that it was written in the year 1450 [5] and this date is accepted by modern scholars as being at least approximately correct, with the proviso that it may be a reworking of earlier material. [6] [7] [2] However the poem's many references to dates in the 1580s show that it was modified in the late 16th century or early 17th century. [8]

Analogues

There is a strong Celtic tradition of prophetic poetry. [9] Examples include the Welsh Armes Prydein and Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin (another dialogue); also the later Breton Sybilla Erytrea and the Latin Prophetiae Merlini . [10] Parallels with the British Merlin, the Irish Suibhne, and the Scottish Lailoken are so strong that he might be called an avatar of them. [11] Like Merlin, Guynglaff is a wild man of the woods, a prophet, and a magician. [8] He is caught by Arthur just as Merlin is Rodarcus in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini , [12] and the description of Guynglaff's life as a wild man of the woods echoes that of Merlin in the same poem. [13]

Influence

There is much evidence, of varying reliability, that prophetic verses ascribed to one Gwenc'hlan, thought to be identical with Guynglaff, were in circulation in 19th-century Brittany both in manuscript and oral form. These prophecies probably derive from the Dialog. [14]

Manuscript and editions

The only surviving manuscript of the poem (Rennes, Bibliothèque Métropole MS 1007) dates from 1716. Its redactor, Louis Le Pelletier, took his text from a manuscript of 1619, though he added variant readings from a second, probably older, manuscript. Both of these manuscripts are believed to be at some distance from the original, and in consequence the text has been badly corrupted. Le Pelletier's manuscript disappeared in the 18th century, leaving the world with no knowledge of the poem apart from a few references by Le Pelletier and his contemporaries, but it was rediscovered by Francis Gourvil  [ fr ] in 1924 in the Château de Keromnès, Locquénolé, Finistère. [15] [16] [17] [18]

The poem was edited first in 1929 by René Largillière  [ fr ], with a French translation. The Breton text alone was printed again in 1941 and 1994 in Breton journals. [19] [20] In 1999 the Breton text was published with an English translation:

The most modern edition, with French translation, introduction and notes, appeared in 2013:

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Lacy 1996, pp. 114–115.
  2. 1 2 3 Constantine 1995, p. 113.
  3. ↑ Constantine, Mary-Ann (2004). "Neither Flesh Nor Fowl: Merlin as Bird-Man in Breton Folk Tradition". Arthurian Literature. 21: 107. ISBN   9781843840282 . Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Le Bihan 2009, p. 118.
  5. 1 2 Le Bihan 2019, p. 292.
  6. ↑ Baumgartner, E.; Colliot, R.; Deschaux, R.; Foulon, Ch.; Gros, G.; Heger, H.; Lozachmeur, J. C.; Menard, Ph.; Queruel, D.; Roussineau, G.; Saly, A.; van Coolput, C.-A. (1986). "France: Bibliographie pour 1985". Bibliographical Bulletin of the International Arthurian Society (in French). 38: 101. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  7. ↑ Williams, J. E. Caerwyn (1991). "Brittany and the Arthurian legend". In Bromwich, Rachel; Jarman, A. O. H.; Roberts, Brynley F. (eds.). The Arthur of the Welsh: The Arthurian Legend in Medieval Welsh Literature. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 263. ISBN   0708311075 . Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 Lacy 1996, p. 115.
  9. ↑ Minard 1999, pp. 168–169.
  10. ↑ Le Bihan 2009, p. 116.
  11. ↑ Walter, Philippe (2014). Dictionnaire de mythologie arthurienne (in French). Paris: Imago. sub Guinglaff. ISBN   978-2849527092 . Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Le Bihan 2019, p. 294.
  13. ↑ Le Bihan 2009, p. 121.
  14. ↑ Constantine 1995, pp. 113–119.
  15. ↑ Le Bihan 2019, pp. 292, 302.
  16. 1 2 Groenewegen n.d.
  17. ↑ Le Duc, Gwenaël; Koch, John T. (2006). "Dialog etre Arzur Roue d'an Bretounet ha Guynglaff". In Koch, John T. (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. Volume 1: A–Celti. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 585. ISBN   1851094407 . Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  18. ↑ Constantine 1995, pp. 114–115.
  19. ↑ Le Bihan 2009, pp. 115–116.
  20. ↑ Minard 1999, pp. 169–170.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camelot</span> Castle and court associated with King Arthur

Camelot is a legendary castle and court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excalibur</span> Legendary sword of King Arthur

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Traditionally, the sword in the stone that is the proof of Arthur's lineage and the sword given him by a Lady of the Lake are not the same weapon, even as in some versions of the legend both of them share the name of Excalibur. Several similar swords and other weapons also appear within Arthurian texts, as well as in other legends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur</span> Legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries

King Arthur is a legendary king of Britain, and a hero and central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merlin</span> Legendary Welsh wizard

Merlin is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a magician, with several other main roles. The familiar depiction of Merlin, based on an amalgamation of historic and legendary figures, was introduced by the 12th-century British pseudo-historical author Geoffrey of Monmouth and then built on by the French poet Robert de Boron and their prose successors in the 13th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan le Fay</span> Enchantress in the Arthurian legend

Morgan le Fay, alternatively known as Morgan[n]a, Morgain[a/e], Morg[a]ne, Morgant[e], Morge[i]n, and Morgue[in] among other names and spellings, is a powerful and ambiguous enchantress from the legend of King Arthur, in which most often she and he are siblings. Early appearances of Morgan in Arthurian literature do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a goddess, a fay, a witch, or a sorceress, generally benevolent and connected to Arthur as his magical saviour and protector. Her prominence increased as the legend of Arthur developed over time, as did her moral ambivalence, and in some texts there is an evolutionary transformation of her to an antagonist, particularly as portrayed in cyclical prose such as the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle. A significant aspect in many of Morgan's medieval and later iterations is the unpredictable duality of her nature, with potential for both good and evil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild man</span> Mythical figure

The wild man, wild man of the woods, or woodwose/wodewose is a mythical figure and motif that appears in the art and literature of medieval Europe, comparable to the satyr or faun type in classical mythology and to Silvanus, the Roman god of the woodlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrddin Wyllt</span> Welsh poet and astrologer (b. 540 CE)

Myrddin Wyllt is a figure in medieval Welsh legend. In Middle Welsh poetry he is accounted a chief bard, the speaker of several poems in The Black Book of Carmarthen and The Red Book of Hergest. He is called Wyllt—"the Wild"—by Elis Gruffydd, and elsewhere Myrddin Emrys ("Ambrosius"), Merlinus Caledonensis or Merlin Sylvestris("of the woods"). Myrddin Wylt was born in 540 CE.

Gwenc'hlan is the cognomen of a legendary 6th century Breton druid and bard called Kian, the subject and purported author of a Breton song called "Diougan Gwenc'hlan", published by Hersart de la Villemarqué in his 1839 anthology Barzaz Breiz.

In Welsh-language poetry, cynghanedd is the basic concept of sound-arrangement within one line, using stress, alliteration and rhyme. The various forms of cynghanedd show up in the definitions of all formal Welsh verse forms, such as the awdl and cerdd dafod. Though of ancient origin, cynghanedd and variations of it are still used today by many Welsh-language poets. A number of poets have experimented with using cynghanedd in English-language verse, for instance Gerard Manley Hopkins. Some of Dylan Thomas's work is also influenced by cynghanedd.

This is a bibliography of works about King Arthur, his family, his friends or his enemies. This bibliography includes works that are notable or are by notable authors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancelot-Grail</span> 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle

The Lancelot-Grail Cycle, also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle consisting of interconnected prose episodes of chivalric romance originally written in Old French. The work of unknown authorship, presenting itself as a chronicle of actual events, retells the legend of King Arthur by focusing on the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere, the religious quest for the Holy Grail, and the life of Merlin. The highly influential cycle expands on Robert de Boron's "Little Grail Cycle" and the works of Chrétien de Troyes, previously unrelated to each other, by supplementing them with additional details and side stories, as well as lengthy continuations, while tying the entire narrative together into a coherent single tale. Its alternate titles include Philippe Walter's 21st-century edition Le Livre du Graal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brocéliande</span> Mythical medieval forest

Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly related to the Arthurian legend and the characters of Merlin, Morgan le Fay, the Lady of the Lake, and some of the Knights of the Round Table. It first appeared in literature in the Roman de Rou chronicle by Wace in 1160 and today is most commonly identified as Paimpont forest in Brittany, France.

<i>Roman de Brut</i> 12th-century Norman-French literature

The Brut or Roman de Brut by the poet Wace is a loose and expanded translation in almost 15,000 lines of Norman-French verse of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin History of the Kings of Britain. It was formerly known as the Brut d'Engleterre or Roman des Rois d'Angleterre, though Wace's own name for it was the Geste des Bretons, or Deeds of the Britons. Its genre is equivocal, being more than a chronicle but not quite a fully-fledged romance.

Vita Merlini, or The Life of Merlin, is a Latin poem in 1,529 hexameter lines written around the year 1150. Though doubts have in the past been raised about its authorship it is now widely believed to be by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It tells the story of Merlin's madness, his life as a wild man of the woods, and his prophecies and conversations with his sister, Ganieda, and the poet Taliesin. Its plot derives from previous Celtic legends of early Middle Welsh origin, traditions of the bard Myrddin Wyllt and the wild man Lailoken, and it includes an important early account of King Arthur's final journey to Avalon, but it also displays much pseudo-scientific learning drawn from earlier scholarly Latin authors. Though its popularity was never remotely comparable to that of Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae, it did have a noticeable influence on medieval Arthurian romance, and has been drawn on by modern writers such as Laurence Binyon and Mary Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur's family</span> Family

King Arthur's family grew throughout the centuries with King Arthur's legend. Many of the legendary members of this mythical king's family became leading characters of mythical tales in their own right.

<i>Merlin</i> (Robert de Boron poem) French epic poem

Merlin is a partly lost French epic poem written by Robert de Boron in Old French and dating from either the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century. The author reworked Geoffrey of Monmouth's material on the legendary Merlin, emphasising Merlin's power to prophesy and linking him to the Holy Grail. The poem tells of his origin and early life as a redeemed Antichrist, his role in the birth of Arthur, and how Arthur became King of Britain. Merlin's story relates to Robert's two other reputed Grail poems, Joseph d'Arimathie and Perceval. Its motifs became popular in medieval and later Arthuriana, notably the introduction of the sword in the stone, the redefinition of the Grail, and turning the previously peripheral Merlin into a key character in the legend of King Arthur.

<i>Pa gur</i> Early Welsh poem

Poem 31 of the Black Book of Carmarthen, a mid-13th century manuscript, is known from its first line as Pa gur yv y porthaur? or Pa gur, or alternatively as Ymddiddan Arthur a Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr. It is a fragmentary, anonymous poem in Old Welsh, taking the form of a dialogue between King Arthur and the gatekeeper Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr, in which Arthur boasts of his own exploits and those of his companions, especially Cai the Fair. Pa gur is notable for being one of the earliest vernacular Arthurian works, and for alluding to several early adventures of Arthur which are now lost. Its precise age is not known and has been the subject of wide-ranging disagreement, but scholarly opinion now tends to favour a date of c. 1100.

"Gwerz Skolan" is a gwerz with a long tradition in Lower Brittany, especially Léon-Trégor and Cornouaille. Its story is found in Old Welsh texts also, and the oldest extant Welsh version is found in the 13th-century Black Book of Carmarthen. The poem is cited as evidence for the preservation in Brittany of cultural memories and traditions predating the entrance of Bretons into Brittany. The gwerz was performed in Brittany until the 19th century, with some late examples from the 20th century. Its content describes a man who had died after living a life of rape and murder, and now comes back from hell to ask for forgiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwenddydd</span> Character from Welsh legend

Gwenddydd, also known as Gwendydd and Ganieda, is a character from Welsh legend. She first appears in the early Welsh poems like the Dialogue of Myrddin and Gwenddydd and in the 12th-century Latin Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth, where she is represented as being a figure in the Old North of Britain, the sister of Myrddin or Merlin, and a prophet in her own right. Geoffrey also makes her the wife of the northern king Rhydderch Hael. She was remembered in Welsh traditions recorded in the 16th century by Elis Gruffydd, and even as late as the 18th century. Since the late 19th century she has occasionally appeared as Merlin's sister or lover in Arthurian fiction, poetry and drama by writers such as Laurence Binyon, John Cowper Powys, John Arden, Margaretta D'Arcy and Stephen R. Lawhead.

<i>Breton Ballads</i> Academic monograph by Mary-Ann Constantine

Breton Ballads is an academic monograph by Mary-Ann Constantine, published in 1996. The book includes examples of the Breton ballad known as the gwerz, and follows their history, and that of scholarship on the genre, into the 19th and 20th centuries. It was awarded the Katharine Briggs Prize by The Folklore Society in 1996.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.