Notes de lecture

27 Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.). Version 1
BOOK I CHAPTER 27. How all the children were sent for that were born on May-day, and how Mordred was saved 1 Then King Arthur let send for all the children born on May-day, begotten of lords and born of ladies; for Merlin told King Arthur that he that should destroy him should be born in May-day, wherefore he sent for them all, upon pain of death; and so there were found many lords sons, and all were sent unto the king, and so was Mordred sent by King Lots wife, and all were put in a ship to the sea, and some were four weeks old, and some less. And so by fortune the ship drove unto a castle, and was all to-riven, and destroyed the most part, save that Mordred was cast up, and a good man found him, and nourished him till he was fourteen year old, and then he brought him to the court, as it rehearseth afterward, toward the end of the Death of Arthur. So many lords and barons of this realm were displeased, for their children were so lost, and many put the wite on Merlin more than on Arthur; so what for dread and for love, they held their peace. But when the messenger came to King Rience, then was he wood out of measure, and purveyed him for a great host, as it rehearseth after in the book of Balin le Savage, that followeth next after, how by adventure Balin gat the sword. Explicit Liber Primus On fait rechercher tous les enfants ns un premier mai ; Mordred sauv des eaux 1 Le roi Arthur t alors rechercher tous les enfants ns un premier mai dont le gniteur tait un seigneur et qui avaient t mis au monde par une dame, Merlin ayant appris au roi Arthur que celui

qui causerait sa perte avait d voir le jour cette date, do sa dcision de les faire tous rechercher, sous peine de mort ; de la sorte, de nombreux ls de seigneurs furent trouvs et tous envoys au roi, et Mordred fut envoy par la femme du roi Lot, et tous furent embarqus bord dun navire qui prit la mer, alors que certains navaient encore que quatre semaines et dautres moins encore. Le hasard voulut que le navire soit dross contre un rocher forti, se brise et que la plus grande partie du btiment aille par le fond, mais que le courant rejette Mordred sur le rivage, o un homme de bien le trouva, lleva jusqu lge de quatorze ans, puis le mena la cour, comme cela est racont par la suite, vers la n de la Mort dArthur. Pour ces motifs, nombreux furent les seigneurs et barons du royaume prouver du ressentiment pour la perte de leurs ls, nombreux aussi en imputer la responsabilit plus Merlin qu Arthur, si bien que, les uns par crainte, les autres par aection, tous se tinrent cois. Quand le messager rapporta la rponse dArthur au roi Rion, ce dernier cuma de rage et leva une grande arme, ainsi quil est relat dans ce qui suit, le Livre de Balin, o lon apprend comment Balin obtint la fameuse pe. Fin du Livre premier

1 How all the children etc. il ne peut sagir que denfants mles, puisqueux seuls menacent la vie du roi ; cest presque une paraphrase du massacre des innocents :
, , , , . Tunc Herodes uidens quoniam inlusus esset a magis iratus est ualde et mittens occidit omnes pueros qui erant in Bethleem et in omnibus nibus eius a bimatu et infra secundum tempus quod exquisierat a magis . Comprenant alors quil avait t jou par les mages, Hrode entra dans une violente colre et ordonna quon tue tous les enfants [mles] de Bethlem et des faubourgs gs de deux ans et moins, selon la date dont il stait soigneusement inform auprs des mages.

2 Mordred fruit (I, 19) de la relation incestueuse dArthur avec une de ses demi -surs (Morgause, femme du roi Lot) ; = a child that shall destroy you (I, 20) ; Merlin told unto King Arthur of the prophecy that Mordred his own son should be against him (II, 11, volet 38). Le narrateur a gard pour lui la prcision concernant la date de naissance de Mordred. Ce sont les ftes (le plus souvent religieuses) qui fournissent des repres chronologiques dans le rcit. 3 begotten of lords and born of ladies cf. au chapitre suivant of a gentle strain of father side and mother side cest le hidalgo redondo, noble de quatre quartiers, noble by four descents, edel von vier hnen. 4 and some were four weeks old, and some less [version originale : and som were four wekis olde and som lesse] note dE. Vinaver :
This could hardly have been the case if all the children had been born on the same day (1 May). Malory omits to mention that Arthur had ordered that all those born in that month (en chelui mois) be imprisoned.

5 was all to-riven le verbe simple (prtrit rof ; rove, II, 6, volet 33) est un emprunt au scandinave, cf. rift 6 he brought him to the court, as it rehearseth afterward, toward the end of the Death of Arthur dveloppement abandonn en cours de route ? Quand Mordred rapparat dans

le rcit (en VI, 6, volet 107), il est dj chevalier dArthur et participe un tour noi. 7 put the wite on Merlin cf. vieil-anglais (e)wtan reprocher

Mordred [*Medraut, Medrawd, Medrod, Mo(r)d(d)red(e), Mo(r)dret, Mordarette, Mordered, Mordrech, Mordrs] The knight who rebelled against Arthur and caused Arthurs nal downfall. In the earliest legends, he is Arthurs nephew, but starting with the Vulgate Cycle, he also becomes Arthurs son, adding an element of incest and sin to the tragic tale. The first appearance of his name occurs in the Annales Cambriae, which say that both Arthur and Medraut died at the battle of Camlann in 537. This is the only information provided about Mordred in the Annales, and the text does not even say that Mordred and Arthur were on opposite sides. In the Welsh Triads, where he is the son of Llew ( Lot, Arthurs brother-in-law), he is one of Arthurs Royal Knights, described as handsome, wise, and skilled at arms. In another Triad, we hear how Mordred showed up at Arthurs court in Celli Wig in Cornwall, ate all of Arthurs food, drank all of his wine, and dragged Guinevere o her throne and beat her. Arthur repaid Mordreds insult by visiting his court and similarly taking all the food and mead. This is the rst portrayal of Mordred in Welsh as Arthurs enemy. Though we must consider the inuence of Georey of Monmouth as a possibility, it seems unlikely since, other than the fact that Arthur and Mordred are antagonists, the accounts found in Georeys Historia and the Welsh Triads have no common elements. A third Welsh text, The Dream of Rhonabwy, makes Arthur and Mordred opponents at the battle of Camlann, though it was written well after Georey. It is in Georey of Monmouth, then, that we rst nd a complete account of Mordreds life and rebellion. He was the son of Lot and Anna, Arthurs sister. Gawain was his brother. (One line in Wace, almost certainly an interpolation, makes Mordred Guineveres brother.) He became a warrior in Arthurs court, elevating himself to a position of power by capitalizing on the reputation established by his brother Gawain. When Arthur left Britain to ght the Roman War, he left Mordred as regent. Mordred declared that Arthur was dead, married Arthurs wife Guinevere (who seems to have been a willing complicitor in the rebellion), and made alliances with the Saxons, Picts and Scots. When Arthur returned from the continent, Mordreds army met him at Richborough, where Gawain was killed. Mordred and Arthurs armies battled all the way into Cornwall, where Mordred and Arthur perish ed at the battle of Camel (Georeys version of Camlann). Mordred had two sons who plagued King Constantine, Arthurs successor, and Lay amon calls one of them Melou. The story outlined by Georey of Monmouth is followed fairly faithfully throughout the chronicles and the prose romances (including Malory), with only slight alterations. His character is ignored in Chrtien de Troyess romances (but is echoed in the traitorous Angres of Windsor). He is introduced in the Vu lgate Lancelot as the youngest and most evil of Gawains brothers, and his rst adventure involves sleeping with a married woman and defeating the womans husband when he discovers them together. Later, while travelling with Lancelot, he murders an old man who says Mordred is not the son of Lotthe rst hint of his true paternity. Now and then there are prophecies and hints of the fate to befall Arthur and Mordred. Mordreds biography in the Vulgate Cycle, the Post -Vulgate Cycle, and Malory can be outlined as follows: Mordred is conceived when Arthur and his half-sister (Morgause or Belisent) sleep together about the time of Arthurs coronation. Arthur does not know his parentage, and therefore does not know tha t he is committing incest. He nds out later from Merlin. As for the ladys part, in the Vulgate Merlin, she believes she is sleeping with her husband Lot, while in the Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin and in Malory, she has uncertain motives for sleeping with Arthur. Afraid of Merlins predictions for the future, and seeking to destroy his incestuous child, Arthur orders all childre n born on the day of Mordreds birth to be loaded into a boat and sent out to sea. Though the boat sank, Mordred survived, washed up on an island, was found by a fisherman, and was raised by Lord Nabur the Unruly. He eventually joined Arthurs court and wa s reunited with his true family. Generally a poor knight, Mordred conspired with his brothers to murder Lamorat, Drian, and Dinadan. He raped and murdered maidens. The circumstances of his rebellion are similar to Georeys account, though it is preceded by an episode in which Mordred and Agravain expose the aair between Lancelot and Guinevere by catching the lovers in agrante in Guineveres chambers. This leads to a war between Arthur and Lancelot, and it is while Arthur is in France ghting Lancelot that Mordred fakes Arthurs death, usurps the throne, and falls in love with Guinevere. In contrast to the chron icles, Guinevere does not join Mordred, and she ees when he tries to force her into marriage. As in the

chronicles, Arthur eventually returns, ghts Mordred in a number of battles (Barham Down and Dover) before they clash for the nal time at Salisbury (replacing Camlann), where they mortally wound each other in combat. Mordreds son, Melehan, continues the war but is slain by Lancelot. There are numerous variations found in a number of texts. In Giovanni Boccaccios De Casibus Virorum Illustrium, Mordred is the son of Arthur and a concubine, while in Pierre de Langtofts chronicle, he is only Arthurs cousin. In La Tavola Ritonda, he survives the nal battle with Arthur only to be killed by Lancelot at the castle of Urbano. In Jean DOutremeuses Ly Myreur des histors, Lancelot entombs Mordred, alive, with the body of Guinevere. To survive, Mordred consumes the esh of the dead queen but eventually starves to death. Tennyson ignores the inuence of Malory and returns him to his traditional role as Arthurs nephew, but not his son. The most interesting variations to Mordreds character occur in Scottish chronicle, most notable the Chronica Gentis Scotorum of John of Fordum and the Scotorum Historia of Hector Boece. In these chronicles, Mordred is the rightful heir to Britain, being the son of Arthurs sister and King Lot of the Picts. A rthur, presented as a lecherous, treacherous king, refuses to honour his pledge to leave his throne to Mordred. Mordreds rebellion is a righteous attempt to correct this injustice. Even in the romances in which Mordred is a traitor, he is not always portrayed as vile and corrupt. The Alliterative Morte Arthure, among others, endow him with a certain ruthless dignity, much like King Claudas or the early portrayals of Mark. [Annales Cambriae, Triads of the Island of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth Historia Regum Britanniae, Wace Roman de Brut, Layamon Brut, Vulgate Lancelot, Vulgate Mort Artu, Vulgate Merlin, Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin, Post-Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal, Post-Vulgate Mort Artu, Pierre de Langtoft The Chronicle of Pierre de Langtoft, The Stanzaic Le Morte Arthur, La Tavola Ritonda, Robert Mannyng of Brunne The Story of England, Jean DOutremeuse Ly Myreur des Histors, Giovanni Boccaccio De Casibus Virorum Illustrium, John of Fordun Chronica Gentis Scotorum, Alliterative Morte Arthure, Sir Thomas Malory Le Morte Darthur, Hector Boece Scotorum Historiae, Alfred, Lord Tennyson Idylls of the King]

Christopher W. Bruce, The Arthurian Name Dictionary (1999).

La comparaison, pour le mme pisode, entre la Suite du Roman de Merlin et Le Morte fait ressortir une divergence : all were put in a ship to the sea, crit Malory ; tel nest pas le cas dans la Suite. Gilles Roussineau (2006) :
Ensi sent li povre et li rice, que si tost que leur enfant estoient n, maintenant quil avoient crestiient, il les faisoient aporter au roi [Arthur], et il coumandoist tantost que on les estoiast en ses tours. Li rois Loth, qui connissoit que sa feme estoit grosse et toute preste de couchier, demanda maintes fois au roi quil parvoloit faire de tous ces enfans quil faisoit ensi assambler, et il li celoit toutes voies, que riens ne li voloit dire. Quant il sot que sa feme estoit delivree et vit que li enfes estoit ns, il le st baptisier et ot non en baptesme Mordrec. Il dist a la roine sa feme : Dame, je voel envoiier vostre fil1 au roi vostre frere, car ensi i envoient tout. Je le voel bien, fait la dame, puis quil vous plaist. Lors st li rois metre lenfant en un berchuel qui moult estoit biaus et riches. Et en che que la mere metoit lenfant dedens le berchuel, il avint que il se hurta el chief desus, si quil ot une grant plaie en mi le front qui puis i parut tous les jours de sa vie. Li rois fu moult courechis de la plaie et aussi furent tout li autre. Et pour chou ne remest il pas que ne li le mesissent u berchuel. Apris
Lot, nayant aucune illusion sur la paternit du nouveau-n, se garde bien de dire nostre l. En outre, cette phrase contredit larmation de Malory, and so was Mordred sent by King Lots wife.
1

le misent en une nef a grant compaignie de dames et de chevaliers, et dist li rois quil sen iront ensi par mer et conduiront lenfant jusques au roi son oncle. Et quant vous sers la, se li dites que je li envoie son neveu . Et cil dient que cel message feront il bien, se Diex les laissoit venir a droit port. [Le navire fait naufrage et lenfant au berceau, seul survivant, est recueilli par un pcheur, qui le remet au se igneur du lieu, Nabur li Derrs [Nabur le Desres le fougueux, limptueux, le frntique , Claude Roussel, 1986], pre dun petit garon de cinq semaines, appel Sagremor. ]

Selon cette version, au contraire de ce quavance Malory, sil est exact que Mor dred est lunique survivant du naufrage, il est vrai aussi quil tait le seul enfant bord.

Table des matires du deuxime livre Chapter 1 [volet 28] Of a damosel which came girt with a sword for to nd a man of such virtue to draw it out of the scabbard O lon voit se prsenter [ la cour du roi Arthur] une demoiselle ceinte dune pe quun chevalier doit tre apte, par sa vertu, sortir du fourreau Chapter 2 [volet 29] How Balin, arrayed like a poor knight, pulled out the sword, which afterward was cause of his death Balin, chevalier dpenaill, sort du fourreau lpe qui doit, par la suite, tre cause de sa mort Chapter 3 [volet 30] How the Lady of the Lake demanded the knights head that had won the sword, or the maidens head La Dame du Lac exige la tte du chevalier qui a remport lpe ou bien, dfaut, celle de la jeune fille [au baudrier] Chapter 4 [volet 31] How Merlin told the adventure of this damosel Merlin raconte lhistoire de la demoiselle au baudrier Chapter 5 [volet 32] How Balin was pursued by Sir Lanceor, knight of Ireland, and how he jousted and slew him Balin, poursuivi par sire Lanor, chevalier irlandais, le tue en combat singulier

Chapter 6 [volet 33] How a damosel, which was love to Lanceor, slew herself for love, and how Balin met with his brother Balan Une demoiselle, amante de Lanor, se suicide par amour et Balin rencontre son propre frre Balan Chapter 7 [volet 34] How a dwarf reproved Balin for the death of Lanceor, and how King Mark of Cornwall found them, and made a tomb over them Un nain fait grief Balin de la mort de Lanor et Marc, roi de Cornouailles, dcouvre les dpouilles des deux amants et leur fait lever un tombeau Chapter 8 [volet 35] How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the world should ght there, which were Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram Prophtie de Merlin : ici mme saronteront les deux meilleurs chevaliers au monde, savoir sire Lancelot et sire Tristan Chapter 9 [volet 36] How Balin and his brother, by the counsel of Merlin, took King Rience and brought him to King Arthur Balin et son frre, grce aux conseils de Merlin, semparent du roi Rion et le livrent au roi Arthur Chapter 10 [volet 37] How King Arthur had a battle against Nero and King Lot of Orkney, and how King Lot was deceived by Merlin, and how twelve kings were slain Le roi Arthur livre bataille Nero et Lot, roi des Orcades ; ce dernier est embrouill par Merlin ; douze rois meurent au combat Chapter 11 [volet 38] Of the interment of twelve kings, and of the prophecy of Merlin how Balin should give the Dolorous Stroke Funrailles des douze rois ; prophtie de Merlin : Balin sera lauteur du Coup Douloureux

Chapter 12 [volet 39] How a sorrowful knight came tofore Arthur, and how Balin fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible Un chevalier accabl de chagrin se prsente Arthur ; Balin part sa recherche ; le chevalier est assassin par un chevalier invisible Chapter 13 [volet 40] How Balin and the damosel met with a knight which was in likewise slain, and how the damosel bled for the custom of a castle Balin et la demoiselle rencontrent un chevalier qui est assassin dans les mmes circonstances ; la demoiselle subit une saigne pour satisfaire la coutume dun chteau Chapter 14 [volet 41] How Balin met with that knight named Garlon at a feast, and there he slew him to have his blood to heal therewith the son of his host Balin rencontre une fte le chevalier appel Garlon et le tue pour que son sang gurisse le fils du matre de maison Chapter 15 [volet 42] How Balin fought with King Pellam, and how his sword brake, and how he gat a spear wherewith he smote the Dolorous Stroke Balin se bat avec le roi Pellehan et son pe se brise ; il saisit une lance avec laquelle il frappe le Coup Douloureux Chapter 16 [volet 43] How Balin was delivered by Merlin, and saved a knight that would have slain himself for love Dlivr par Merlin, Balin sauve un chevalier qui voulait se tuer par amour Chapter 17 [volet 44] How that knight slew his love and a knight lying by her, and after, how he slew himself with his own sword, and how Balin rode toward a castle where he lost his life Le chevalier tue celle quil aime ainsi que le chevalier couch ct delle , puis se suicide avec son pe ; Balin part cheval pour le chteau o il va perdre la vie Chapter 18 [volet 45] How Balin met with his brother Balan, and how each of them slew other unknown, till they were wounded to death

Rencontre des deux frres Balin et Balan ; ils sentretuent, ne stant reconnus quune fois blesss mort Chapter 19 [volet 46] How Merlin buried them both in one tomb, and of Balins sword Merlin les fait enterrer dans la mme tombe ; ce quil advient de lpe de Balin