Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Page 49
tively independent attitude towards Le mantel mautaillié. The portrayal
in Mottuls saga of the king as silent, non-committal observer must there-
fore be regarded as intentional.
Even when King Arthur does speak up, he is portrayed as weak and
unwilling to live up to his royal obligations. Seeing the embarrassment of
the ladies, occasioned by the presence and virtue of the fantastic mantie,
King Arthur suggests that the young man who has brought the garment
be dismissed from court. The latter reminds the king, however, that
dismissal would mean breaking a solemn and public promise:
Eigi er jjat rétt, herra, edr sæmiligt né ydvarri tign tilheyriligt
... f)vi at |jat, sem konungr gefr ok jåtar, å aldri at onytask edr
aptr takask, sakir enskis manns vilja né eggjanarorda. (p.
15-16).
(That is not right, sir, nor becoming, nor proper to your rank ...
For that which a king grants and promises is never to be rescinded
or revoked on account of any man’s will or inciting words.)
The strong reaction in the form of a leeture on royal responsibilities is an
expansion of the corresponding French Ce n’est pas droit (v. 364, ‘That is
not right’) and ce que rois a creantél doit estre par reson tenu (vv. 368-69,
‘what the king has decreed ought by right be carried out’). The incipient
transgression of the king becomes all the more serious in the saga because
of the amplified reprimand. The young man’s words in Mottuls saga are
reminiscent of those spoken by the Irish harpist who is to abduct Isond in
Tristrams saga. Like Arthur, King Markis has to be reminded by a stran-
ger that a ruler who breaks his word is unworthy of governing others:
Eru log ok réttendi, at J)u rådir aldri optar riki: j)vi så hofd-
ingi, sem opinberliga lygr ok gengr å eida sina ok ord, å aldri
at hafa vald né riki yfir dugandis monnum. (p. 105).
(It is legal and just that you no longer reign in your realm, for that
ruler who publiely prevaricates and repudiates his oath and his
word shall never rule or reign over able men.)
In both instances a stock motif in Arthurian romance occurs and one
hardly flattering to the royal image: a king makes a rash promise that he
keeps only under threat of public censure.
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