Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Qupperneq 53

Ijod. After Janual had resisted her advances, she went to bed, declaring
that she was sick; moreover, she vowed not to arise again until the king
had redressed the injury. The State of depression that engulfs King Ar-
thur in Parcevals saga as a result of a threat to his power and the daring
theft of the gobiet certainly does not speak highly for his resilience in the
face of adversity. In regard to the incident in the French source, Alfons
Hilka, the editor of Perceval, expressed some surprise: “Was soli z. B.
Artus’ Schlaffheit vor dem frechen Auftreten des Roten Ritters, der
Wein auf Guenievre verschiittet und mit dem Goldpokal vom Tische des
Konigs unverfolgt verschwinden darf?” Hilka could only postulate that
Perceval is an unfinished work.40 Arthur’s behavior is not all that unusual
in the riddarasogur, however. Analogous to King Arthur’s impotence at
the impertinence of the Red Knight in Parcevals saga is King Markis’
inertia in Tristrams saga, when the Irish harpist threatens to abduct
Isond. Like Arthur, Markis is at the mercy of his knights, who have the
right to chailenge the Irishman. Yet when the king looks to his courtiers
for support, fann hann dngvan fann l hird sinni, at moti fyrdi at mæla
né sitt mål at vinna eda drottninguna at frelsa (p. 105 ‘he found no one
among his retainers who dared gainsay him [the Irish nobleman], or to
espouse his [the king’s] cause, or to rescue the queen’). The reason for
the court’s timidity is simple: the harpist is a fierce man, bold in battie
and accomplished in the use of arms.
Ivens saga opens by declaring that King Arthur’s farne was second only
to Charlemagne’s, yet when the king first appears on the scene he is
characterized by listlessness. Arthur cuts a sorry figure, for he goes so far
as to absent himself from the solemn festivities at Whitsun simply be-
cause he is tired. Contrary to custom, the king does not even call for a
report of the news. Instead, while everyone else at court is occupied in
some form of amusement or other, King Arthur - overcome by drowsi-
ness - seeks his chambers for a nap. His deportment, while quite human,
hardly sets an example for the public conduct of rulers. Moreover, in
Ivens saga the king is even denied the opportunity to observe the magic
powers of the spring, news of which had been brought to court by Kale-
brant. Aware of the royal plan, announced in the form of an oath, to set
out in a fortnight for the wondrous spring, Iven absents himself from the
royal presence, in faet, removes himself clandestinely, to claim the ad-
venture for himself.
40 Der Percevalroman (Li Contes del Graal) von Christian von Troyes. Christian von
Troyes såmtliche erhaltene Werke, V (Halle/Saale: Niemeyer, 1932), p. XXXVII.
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