Tristan's Education. Tristan as Pupil and Teacher in the Norse and Medieval English Traditions

Abstract

Thomas d’Angleterre incorporated educational ideals of the 12th century Renaissance in his Tristan, stressing the importance of courtly and intellectual enculturation, so that his Tristan is a knight trained in the art of combat but also a highly educated individual. The essay explores the theme of education in the derivatives of Thomas, and how educational values were reassessed. Drawing on the Norwegian Tristrams saga, the Middle English romance Sir Tristrem, and the Icelandic Saga af Tristram, a comparative lens highlights the radical break that occurs when – under new conditions – writers reconfigure models of education and conduct to meet the demands of a new era, and shows how these texts register the values of their changing social and cultural milieux. Tristrams Saga, written for a courtly audience, shows greater appreciation for a higher education, while Sir Tristrem lays stress on Tristan’s hunting skills and Saga af Tristram shows a closer similarity with Eilhart’s version. Thomas had combined the heroic and martial elements of the legend with the courtly culture of the medieval Renaissance. Over the centuries, however, social developments led to cultural shifts which also affected the theme of education. In this process of modernization some aspects were abandoned, and each retelling changed the representation, still promoting the idea that the boy should be civilized through education but laying greater stress on archetypical aspects of Tristan as hunter and warrior.