Erl of Toulouse
Encyclopedia
The Erl of Toulouse is a medieval English chivalric romance centered on an innocent persecuted wife. It is supposed to be a translated lai
, but the original lai is lost.
, and the empress Judith
, second wife of Louis the Pious
, were indeed charged with adultery and purged themselves by an oath and an offer for trial by combat; the historical situation has been embellished with romantic incident, in that the motives, which were changed from (probably) ambition to thwarted love, and the offer for combat was taken up.
, under the title The Romance of Dyoclicyane.
In the Child ballad Sir Aldingar
, a clearly miraclous champion, a tiny figure of supernatual origins comes to her aid. The Scandinavian ballads include a small but not supernatural champion.
motifs as the mother-in-law persecutor, and the champion being the heroine's own children; this is a distinctly medieval addition.
Lai
A lai is a lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.Lais were mainly composed in France and Germany, during the 13th and 14th centuries. A Provençal term for a similar kind of poem is descort.The English term lay is a...
, but the original lai is lost.
Synopsis
The Queen of Almayne is left in the care of two knights, who woo her. When she rejects them, they introduce a youth into her room, kill him in the presence of witnesses, and accuse her of adultery. A champion saves her from death; then her husband learns that he is his old enemy, the earl of Toulouse.Sources
Historically, Bernard I, Count of Toulouse, son of the Guillaume d'Orange of the Carolingian romancesMatter of France
The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of literature and legendary material associated with the history of France, in particular involving Charlemagne and his associates. The cycle springs from the Old French chansons de geste, and was later adapted into a variety of...
, and the empress Judith
Judith, daughter of Welf
Queen Judith , also known as Judith of Bavaria, was the daughter of Count Welf and a Saxon noblewoman named Hedwig, Duchess of Bavaria...
, second wife of Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, were indeed charged with adultery and purged themselves by an oath and an offer for trial by combat; the historical situation has been embellished with romantic incident, in that the motives, which were changed from (probably) ambition to thwarted love, and the offer for combat was taken up.
Variants
The oldest group of romances is the Catalan group, with three Catalan chronicles recording it, along with a Spanish romance, and two French chronicles. Later, there are the English variants, including The Erl of Toulouse and Parisian ones, which contain many miraclous elements; still latter, many Danish variants, apparently based on the English ones, are found. The poem is also found in the Lincoln Thornton ManuscriptLincoln Thornton Manuscript
The Lincoln Thornton Manuscript is a medieval manuscript compiled and copied by the fifteenth-century English scribe and landowner Robert Thornton. The manuscript is notable for containing single versions of important poems such as the Alliterative Morte Arthure and Sir Perceval of Galles, and...
, under the title The Romance of Dyoclicyane.
In the Child ballad Sir Aldingar
Sir Aldingar
Sir Aldingar is Child ballad 59. Francis James Child collected three variants, two fragmentary, in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. All three recount the tale where a rebuffed Sir Aldingar slanders his mistress, Queen Eleanor, and a miraclous champion saves her.Various forms of the...
, a clearly miraclous champion, a tiny figure of supernatual origins comes to her aid. The Scandinavian ballads include a small but not supernatural champion.
Motifs
The accusation by the knights, and the defense by a disinterested champion, represent a distinct group of romances, using motifs found only in romances, in contrast to those making use of such fairy taleFairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
motifs as the mother-in-law persecutor, and the champion being the heroine's own children; this is a distinctly medieval addition.