Medieval Myths

by Norma Lorre Goodrich

Trade Paperback Copy

Genres: History, Mythology, Medieval, Fairy Tales, Medieval History, Classics, Arthurian

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Norma Lorre Goodrich, a prolific author, was an Arthurian scholar known for her unconventional theory that King Arthur was Scottish -not English or Welsh. She was a professor of comparative literature and writing for many years at the University of Southern California and the Claremont Colleges.

Reviews

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Medieval stories can often seem overwrought and exaggerated to the nth degree. Consider Saint Benedict jumping naked into a thornbush to quiet his fleshly desires. If we are honest, though, exaggeration is a common component of storytelling (how big was that fish you caught?). Larger than life deeds capture the imagination much better than mundane tasks; they make better stories. The medieval period in Europe saw the emergence of national identities, and with that national heroes. This book retells the stories of seven heroes, whose stories have gone on to inspire other stories or even greater versions of their own stories. Getting back to the roots with early texts, the author shows us how these powerful characters became lasting icons in Western culture. Here's the heroes from this book:

1. Beowulf (Scandinavia)--Beowulf the Geat comes to the Danish lands to help King Hrothgar. The king's hall is plagued every night by the seemingly undefeatable ogre Grendel. The Danes live in fear and horror of the ferocious beast. Beowulf promises to take care of the problem, which he does spectacularly. The trouble isn't over though, for Grendel's mother comes to take revenge. Fifty years later, Beowulf is king in Geat when one of his subjects steals a goblet from a dragon's horde, inciting the dragon to attack the countryside. Like a great action hero, Beowulf gears up one last time to defend his people. The stories are exciting and full of larger-than-life actions. Beowulf is a model of heroism and his tale is well told.

2. Peredur, Son of York (Wales)--Peredur is a famous figure whose story (and very self) transformed through the ages into Percival (England) and Parzival (German) both of whom quested for the Holy Grail. Peredur didn't have such ambition, though his story is also set in the time of King Arthur. He's more like Lancelot, a young man of purity and strength who goes on many adventures that test his physical and moral abilities. Peredur's story follows his exploits wooing women in a courtly manner and defeating knights honorably. The narrative is interesting but episodic. It doesn't come to a climax but just stops. Peredur is straightforward, honest, and brave--a worthy hero who was beloved back in the day.

3. Roland (France)--Roland is a popular hero in French medieval epics. This story focuses on a major fight with Muslims from Spain. Roland heroically holds off the swarming invaders and delays in calling for backup from Emperor Charlemagne. The battle descriptions reminded me of the Illiad, with the graphic depictions of injuries, including internal organs falling out. If you are squeamish, this may be too intense. Also, the story focuses a lot more on Charlemagne than Roland. Better Roland stories might be found elsewhere?

4. Berta of Hungary (France)--Princess Berta of Hungary is betrothed to Pepin, prince of France soon to be king. Berta travels to France with a small retinue, including a mother and daughter. The mother decides to switch her daughter in for Berta after the marriage ceremony and, amazingly enough, pulls off the scheme. Berta is sent into the woods to be killed while the false Berta takes over as a horrible queen. The true Berta is not killed, however, when the knights who are sent with her refuse to do the deed. They bring back a pig's heart to prove her death. The story continues on in typical fairy tale fashion, though it clearly pre-dates Snow White and other stories that borrow from this one. This story is really well written and plotted, possibly the most enjoyable in the book. The female characters have verisimilitude and are the center of the story. This story was written by a minstrel around 1270 and we are lucky that it was written down and not just performed.

5. Sifrit (Austria)--Sifrit is Siegfried from the stories that Richard Wagner turned into his famous operas. This story is a part of the Nibelungenlied, written around 1200. Here, Sifrit travels to Burgundy and meets Chriemhilde, the beautiful princess of the land. He wants her as his bride. To accomplish this, the king has Sifrit help him to win Brunehilde as the king's bride. They have to engage in a bit of subterfuge which eventually brings tragedy back on their heads. The story is unfamiliar to me. It takes place after Sifrit defeats the dragon and gets the Nibelung horde. He is an interesting character and the unfamiliarity made the story interesting.

6. Prince Igor (Russia)--Prince Igor rides east and fights valiantly but futilely with the Qumans. He's captured and faces the task of escaping back to the Russian capital Keiv. The story here is mostly focused on storytelling itself, often invoking Boyan, a legendary bard of the Russian people who was the best poet (if he ever really existed). The current author often wishes he was as good as Boyan or credits metaphors to Boyan. The focus is different but less interesting to me. The story also has a highly nationalistic slant.

7. The Cid (Spain)--Rodrigo Diaz of Vivar was known as El Cid, or "the Hero." Often he is called Mio Cid or "my Hero," typically by those who follow him. He lived in the 1000s when Spain was still divided into many different kingdoms and the Moorish invaders (as they were known then) were still a force to be reckoned with. This story starts with the Cid's conquest of Valencia but then turns a bit soap opera as his daughters are given in marriage to some ambitious cads who wind up treating the women horribly. Then comes the Cid's retribution. The story is riveting and quite unexpected. It ends medieval style in a tournament with jousting and swordplay.

The collection gives a slice of medieval life from many different perspectives within Europe. Berta and Sifrit were my favorites, with Beowulf a close third. The other stories are also good.

Highly recommended.

[John P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book back in college (30 years ago in its sixth printing) and just finished it again.
Ok, the myths are what they are and that is fine. They all generally suffer from translational issues as you can imagine. They all suffer from contextual issues as well, since we cannot easily know the references of ancient peoples.
What is missing here, and is possibly included in more recent printings (I still have my 1961 edition), are the annotations needed to overcome these issues. Since I treat these as historical documents not as entertainment, it would not detract in the least if copious notes were included wherever clarification or explanation would benefit the modern reader.

[Jurjen Abbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mooi boek, zo'n parel die je soms in antiquariaten vindt zonder ze te zoeken. Het gaat om een verzameling van een aantal mythes die in de Middeleeuwen wijdverspreid waren. Deze worden in relatief modern Engels verteld en door Goodrich in hun tijd en culturele context geplaatst. Dat doet ze goed. Op de inhoud van de mythes valt dan ook weinig aan te merken; die zijn niet echt werken van haar hand, ze vertelt ze alleen. Mijn favoriete verhaal was Sifrit; dat verhaal onderscheidde zich van de andere door het gebrek aan duidelijke goede-/slechterik. Je moet als lezer echt zelf een kant kiezen--of niet--wat betreft wie het recht aan zijn kant heeft. De anderen hadden vrijwel allemaal een duidelijke held en antagonist. Het verhaal Berta is daarbij het interessantst, omdat het heel mooi laat zien hoe een mens om kan gaan met vernedering en er uiteindelijk juist eer uit weet te halen.
Dat wat betreft inhoud, niks te klagen. Maar de inlijsting? Op de omslag wordt aangekondigd dat middeleeuwse mythes voor hedendaagse lezers net zo significant zijn als voor feodale heren destijds. Dat vind ik een behoorlijke uitspraak, en ik kan me er ook niet in vinden. Het komt in het boek verder ook niet aan de orde. De paratekst in het algemeen is wel van toegevoegde waarde; in de introducties legt Goodrich interessante interpretaties en literaire eigenaardigheden uit, en de weinige voetnoten geven handige informatie. Daarnaast koppelt Goodrich elke mythe aan een land, wat ik wel discutabel vind, omdat ze vaak een land kiest dat helemaal niet als énige verbonden is met het verhaal (zo koppelt ze Tannhäuser aan Duitsland, maar gebruikt ze een Franse vertaling als brontekst). Ik had ervoor gekozen om ze allemaal als Europese mythes in te kaderen en de 'nationale' ondertitel weg te laten.

Al met al een prima boek om 'erbij' te lezen, zoals ik het afgelopen jaar heb gedaan. Maar verwacht ook geen boek dat je leven op zijn kop zal zetten, of je beeld van de Middeleeuwen drastisch zal veranderen.

[Shawn Wickersheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Abhijit Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a great introduction to some of the lesser-known myths especially for individuals who have heard little about medieval heroes - Berta of Hungary, El-Cid of Spain, Sifrid.

Good read,lucid language and some great stories.

[David Leemon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good reference for several of the classic stories that were developed during the Middle Ages.

[джаймс X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beowulf.
Peredur.
Roland.
Berta.
Sifrit.
Igor.
El Cid.

~"The echoing song."~

[Boweavil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good translations despite the fact that subsequent scholars have expressed some disagreements with her scholarship.

[Aislinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, versions of several early medieval European legends, each accompanied by a brief introduction that provides cultural, geographic, and sources context. The book could be deeper, but I enjoyed it. I found it engaging because it wasn't just the legends; it was also a look at those stories in relation to each other and as artifacts of the development of a Christian feudal society in Europe. An easy read and good appetizer if you want to go on to find more.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the legends are of course, shortened versions, the book is an interesting collection. A good way to introduce oneself to these various myths. The myths are Beowulf; Peredur, Son of York; The Story of Roland; Berta of Hungary; Sifrit; Prince Igor; and Cid.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not typical readable or captivating, very good way to gain understanding of myths & legends that have given rise to the stories we tell today. And a good way to visualize the way things must have been.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the myths a drawn from a wide spectrum and drawn from both the well-known and obscure, they are condensed and in prose at times robbing the myths of their power. Perhaps this will work as an introduction, but not for the serious student.

[Sophie Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retelling of classic European stories that every educated person should know about: Beowulf, Berta Broadfoot, Song of Rolland, El Cid, Tannhauser, Cuchulain, and more.

[Vedis Esenwein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of myths, very well translated, but doesn't really pull you in the way a good book should.