kaelio:Well, I’ve finished Vol II of the Lancelot-Grail (aka French Arthurian Vulgate Cycle, transla

kaelio:Well, I’ve finished Vol II of the Lancelot-Grail (aka French Arthurian Vulgate Cycle, translation of a text originating in the early 1200s) and basically found it fascinating despite the prose itself being rather perfunctory. That said, it’s good to finally have read it and not have the Arthurian legends sort of cobbled together in my head from The Once and Future King and the Sword in the Stone and Mists of Avalon and whatever. (Monty Python….) It’s so weird, though, to have Lancelot, Gawain, Guinevere, Arthur, and Galehaut as the five principal characters when holy shit, Galehaut, who the fuck is this guy? Ain’t never heard of him before. (And he’s not Galahad; that’s someone else.)There’s of course much historical context to be taken into account. Guys acting emotional about things is pretty standard, and great pronouncements are made in the most bombastic possible way. That said, Galehaut’s behavior is quite intense and boy he drops some lines that feel rather overblown but, lets face it, would probably work from a guy who is supposedly so valiant and gracious (and a half-foot taller than any of Arthur’s knights? Damn!)Galehaut is a rival royal hardcore kicking Athur’s ass until Lancelot tells him to surrender instead, which Galehaut does at his behest. Then Galehaut takes him on as his own knight (as Galehaut’s rank is comparable to Arthur’s, much greater than that of a knight) with the promise that anything his is Lancelot’s as well. Then he orchestrates Lancelot being able to get with Guinevere, since Lancelot thinks he’ll die if he can’t. Then when her heredity is challenged and Lancelot steps up for her, Galehaut steps in again to save him. And over and over and over and oh shit man just find someone else.Galehaut replied, “Ask whatever you wish, and I’ll never refuse you, for you are dearer to me than worldly honor.”In this section on what different people would do for Lancelot (man the Lancelot-Grail loves Lancelot, who knew?)Then Sir Gawain thought a little, like a man who believed he would never be well again. “If God were to grant me my health,” he said, “I’d immediately wish to be the most beautiful maiden in the world, happy and healthy, on condition that he would love me above all others, all his life and mine.”“Well,” said Galehaut, “You have offered a lot. And you, [Guinevere], in the name of the person you most love, what sacrifice would you make, on condition that such a knight would be in your service?”“Well,” she said, “Sir Gawain has proposed all a lady can give, and a lady can offer no more.”Then they all began to laugh.“And you, Galehaut,” said Sir Gawain, “you who have challenged us all, by the oath I swore to you today, what would you do?” "God help me, it would be worth having my great honor turned to shame, if I could be as sure of him as I wish him to be of me.”“God give me joy,” said Sir Gawain, “You have pledged more than any of us.”Upon hearing that Lancelot has gone mad and disappeared:But when Galehaut had begun to put on his armor, he said, “Alas, why should I arm myself when we have lost the flower of the whole world’s knights and the person I most loved? May God never help me if I seek to live without him or if I ever have a helmet on my head, since I have lost him.”Upon learning Arthur wants Lancelot for his court (which would take him from Galehaut, Lord of the Distant Isles):Then Galehaut answered, saying, “The truth is, [Lancelot], misfortune has not yet struck me. Of all the knights in the world, I have had the greatest good fortune, and it is only reasonable if things start going wrong now, for I have had as much good luck as anyone can have. You see, God was one day so good to me that he gave me what I wanted; and whoever has what he wants has nothing left to gain but can only lose. And I have started losing.”Over and over and over. Galehaut even gets a prophesy that Lancelot has cost him 42 years of his life, which would be regained if they were to part, and Galehaut refuses the idea even so.They’re always passing out on couches and talking about their feelings (I’ll find the quotes if you don’t believe me) and for fuck’s sakes Lancelot ruins everything for this guy. Boo. Boo!By the way, Galehaut dies upon learning (incorrectly) that Lancelot is dead, as he’s been weakened by battling to retrieve Lancelot’s shield. They end up buried together. Which does not make this less depressing. -- source link

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