Motifs and Celtic tradition relating to fairies and the supernatural
Many of the medieval lays contain motifs relating to the supernatural. It is common, for example, for mortals to be snatched away by the fairies when lying in a meadow or under a tree – particularly the ympe-tree described in Sir Orfeo. In Celtic tradition is it believed that those who lie or fall asleep under a tree or in a meadow place themselves in the power of the fairies. In Sir Orfeo, Heurodis’ first encounter with the fairy king occurs whilst she is asleep under an ympe-tree. The use of the orchard/meadow in the lays creates the impression of a walled-garden used so often in medieval romance, which should signify safety and serenity. The fairies, however, often appear in this environment – sometimes through dreams (as is the case in Sir Orfeo where Heurodis is first visited by the fairy king in her dreams). This motif is also used in Lanval, where the fairy mistress’s two maids approach him while he is laying by a stream in a meadow. Unlike Heurodis’ encounter, Lanval is approached whilst he is awake, which – to some extent – makes is less fantastical and more realistic to the audience. The maids appear to be much more like mortals.
Other motifs relate to the idea of rite of passage, as discussed earlier. The transition stage is the most important in the lays, as it is the point in which the supernatural usually plays the most important role. It is apparent that the transition stage is often a period of immense grief and sorrow, and involves some kind of complication for the lovers involved. In Sir Orfeo, he comes across the fairy king on a hunt after being separated from Heurodis, and his quest to reclaim her from the fairy kingdom begins. Also, Lanval meets the fairy mistress when he has been separated from King Arthur’s court.
The three stages in the Franklins Tale are not as obvious because there are two possible elements of separation – one of Dorigen from her husband, and one of Aurelius from Dorigen. The encounters with Aurelius and the supernatural could, however, be interpreted as an obstacle to Dorigen’s marriage – an obstacle that they are able to overcome.
The fact that the supernatural encounters generally occur during the most important stage shows a heavy reliance on the supernatural for the progression of events in the lays. This is characteristic of medieval lays and, to some extent, the way in which it is used distinguishes the lays from other medieval romance. Sir Orfeo is based entirely around Heurodis being snatched away by the fairy king. Similarly, Aurelius being able to fulfil his promise to Dorigen in the Franklins Tale is totally reliant upon supernatural intervention in the form of the astrologer.
Portrayal of fairies, the otherworld and the supernatural in medieval lays
It is common in Celtic tradition for mortals to be snatched away by fairies and taken into their kingdom. The image that Sir Orfeo sees when he enters the fairy kingdom is that of all those who have been snatched away, frozen in their last state as they were on Earth. Heurodis is shown to him asleep under a similar tree in the fairy kingdom to that she was snatched from in the mortal world. This not only stresses the significance of the orchard motif, but it also suggests that these surroundings provide some kind of gateway between the two worlds. It is no coincidence that the writer describes Heurodis sitting under similar trees in both worlds. If this environment does act as a gateway, it may be seen as a ‘ray of hope’ for Sir Orfeo as there is a possibility of transporting Heurodis back.
The similarity between the mortal world and the fairy world in Sir Orfeo is a striking feature of the lay. When Heurodis is snatched away an taken into the fairy kingdom, she is shown
“…castels and tours, rivers, forestes, frith with flours…” (Johnson 1987:6)
This same line is repeated to describe what Sir Orfeo has left behind in his kingdom when he goes to live alone in the woods. Again, it is not a coincidence that exactly the same line is repeated for both worlds. This makes the two worlds much more alike, reducing the ‘strangeness’ of the fairy world. Here the poet is trying to create a world that is familiar to the audience. It is easier to accept the supernatural, as it is closer to reality. Similarly, in Lanval there is a strong sense of reality despite his love being immortal. Here, the supernatural elements of his fairy-mistress and being taken into the otherworld are balanced with the very real issue of Lanval facing a legal system and ultimately death because of his encounter. The supernatural is not for fun, it creates some element of danger for the mortals involved.
Lanval and the Franklins tale are not supernatural in the same way as Sir Orfeo. The supernatural elements in the two are played-down, and much more believable to the medieval audience. In Lanval the fairy-mistress appears mortal until the very end of the lay where we are told she returns to Avalon – the fairy kingdom. In the Franklins Tale, the supernatural is in the form of an astrologer/sorcerer. The fact that he is more closely related to natural magic is more believable, and shows that the supernatural plays a structural role rather than just making the lays more interesting.
Other similarities can be seen in Sir Orfeo, where the hunt with the fairy king and his thousand Knights is reflected in the mortal world by Sir Orfeo and his “ten hundred Knightes” (Johnson 1987:7) when they try to protect Heurodis from being snatched away. The fact that one world seems to be a reflection of the other means that the presence of the supernatural within the lays does not detract from the main theme – usually love.
The similarities between the two worlds emphasise the theme of what a good ruler should be. The fairy king displays chivalrous behaviour similar to that of Sir Orfeo by keeping his word and letting Heurodis go back to the mortal world, despite the fact that he is under no obligation to do so. If the fairy king did not conform to these rules, Sir Orfeo’s method of rescuing Heurodis would not have been successful.
The immortal also appear more ‘humanly’ as they can, to some extent, be controlled or subtly manipulated by mortals. Sir Orfeo, for example, is able to charm the fairy king with his harp-playing ability into making him promise to let Heurodis go. This is also true in Lanval, where despite her promise that Lanval would never see her again if he spoke of their love, the fairy mistress remained loyal to him by rescuing him from King Arthur’s court.
Conclusion
It is apparent from the three lays discussed that the structure of the lays relies heavily upon the supernatural, it is essential to the development of events rather than being added for ‘decoration’. In each of the lays it is presented in a way that makes it reflect the mortal world in values as well as appearance, particularly in Sir Orfeo. It also acts to highlight the rites of passage motif, as the supernatural encounters occur in the transitional stage. Finally, it acts to emphasise the values and lessons to be learned from the lays, such as the values needed to be a good leader – as with the fairy king and Sir Orfeo; also the importance of being true and forgiving – like Aurelius in the Franklins Tale and the fairy mistress in Lanval.
Overall, the supernatural plays an essential structural role, but does not undermine the main themes of the lays – instead it makes them clearer and for the audience to see.
References and Bibliography
Bliss, A.J. 1966. (Ed.) Sir Orfeo. Oxford University Press.
Burgess, Glyn S. Busby, Keith (Ed.) The Lais Of Marie De France. Penguin Group. Lanval, 73-81
Chaucer, Geoffrey. 1996. Ed. TheCanterbury Tales, A selection .Penguin Group. The Franklin’s Tale, 283-311
Johnson, Lesley. Williams, Elizabeth. (Ed.) 1987. Sir Orfeo and Sir Launfal. University of Leeds. Sir Orfeo, 1-21
Sanderson, Robert. [Accessed April 2004]. The Englishing of Romance: Familiarising Sir Orfeo. [http://gondolin.hist.liv.ac.uk/~azaroth/university/Orfeo/Orfeo.html]
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