From Perceval & Gawain to Lancelot. Arthurian cycle... and a magic chessboard
After a previous post on chess scenes found in the chansons de geste of Charlemagne's cycle, next obviously should be the King Arthur's one. I don't know if it's the element of the legend of King Arthur or the fact that the texts were mostly of a continental origin speaking of stories of Great Britain, but comparing them with the ones of the Carolingian cycle, one can find chess appearing with some magical aspect.
But firstly...
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Chess as a noble pastime
The head photo is one of the most beautiful I've found in manuscripts! It's from an introductory scene of the Roman of Guiron le Courtois, in NAF ms 5243, f. 3v of 14th c. Guiron was a knight-errant close to King Arthur, appearing as a central figure in the Romance of Palamedes of 13th c. and some later versions bearing his own name. According to Venceslas Bubenicek [in Guiron le Courtois, p. 14] this specific manuscript is of Lombard origin and speaks of a continuation of a Guiron's previous story. Generally there were many versions of Guiron's Roman, many times mixed up. I couldn't find a clear transcription or translation of this specific ms, but this particular scene seems to be narrated and in other manuscripts [eg BNF Fr 350].
Comparing image descriptions and the translation of roman's main version by Roger Lathuillere [in Guiron le Courtois, p. 193], the illustration probably depicts King Arthur playing chess with Pharamond, while Blioberis [on left], a knight of the Round Table, speaks with a messenger from Gaunes.
The following illustration is from Lancelot, more specifically from a text named Lancelot en prose of the Lancelot-Grail or Vulgate Cycle of the 13th c. and of unknown authorship [a work of which more are shown below]. According to the manuscript's description it depicts Duke of Clarence and a girl playing chess, while the museum's description gives also the possibility that they are Sir Kay [Arthur's foster brother] and his wife.
But one of the most famous couples playing chess is Tristan and Iseult...
Tristan, a hero gradually connected more & more with the court of King Arthur, was of the most popular romances of the middle ages. According to the story Tristan was sent to bring Iseult to his uncle, King Mark, as a bride. During their journey they accidentally drank from a love potion, that was intended for Iseult and Mark. In some versions of the story this occurred while they were playing chess on the boat.
Of the most notable depictions of the scene I've found is this of a salt cellar of 16th c, resembling a late medieval ship, under the name Burghley Nef, now in Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple can be seen playing chess near the the bottom of the central mainmast.
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Gawain in the Perceval romance
Perceval or le Conte du Graal was the 5th unfinished romance, originally written by Chretien de Troyes in the late 12th century. It's considered the first poem speaking of the Grail Quest and it was popular enough so that four continuations of it appeared during the following years, not by Chretien [for one of them we'll come back to this work].
In one episode of the original Chretien's poem, the main hero is Gawain, a knight of the Round Table. Wandering in a land, where proved to be hated, he met a local lord. Possibly Gawain had killed his father, but wasn't recognized, neither was aware of any danger. And as Gawain needed some help with his horse, he was invited to the lord's castle. This lord wouldn't accompany him but gave specific orders, so his princess-sister to welcome Gawain and treat him as if he was her brother. He went to the lord's castle, met his sister and a romance started to be born between them. Unfortunately, one of the servants recognized Gawain, and while Gawain and the princess were about to kiss each other, a mob of peasants started to besiege the castle so to kill Gawain and lord's sister, thinking that she was a traitor.
Gawain picked a chessboard as a shield while he had the sword Excalibur. The girl started to throw the heavy chessmen at the angry crowd. Finally, lord came back, and even if he hated Gawain, offered him safety as was his guest. No illustration of the scene is found [The Complete Story of the Grail, transl. by Nigel Bryant, p. 49, Perceval, transl. by Burton Raffel, vers. 5654-6216].
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Walewein and the flying chessboard
A Dutch fairy tale alternative of the Grail Quest.
The Romance of Walewein is middle Dutch poem, started being written by some Penninc, possibly a nickname, around in 1250, and finished few years later by Pieter Vostaert.
According to this story, King Arthur and his knights, after having a meal, saw a beautiful flying chessboard entering the room. King Arthur desired it but none of the Knihgts touched it, and the chessboard flew away. But Walewein [Gawain], decided to please his King's desires and followed the chessboard. The rest of the poem is his adventures trying to catch it... [check Pennicn and Pieter Vostaert in The New Arthurian Encyclopedia by Norris J. Lacy, p. 355, also a long summary in King Arthur in the Medieval Low Countries by G. Claassens & D. Johnson, p. 188].
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Perceval and the magic chessboard in the poem's 2nd continuation
No! Perceval isn't thinking on an endgame study. Neither waiting for a chess mate! He's actually playing against possibly the first recorded chess engine... and he lost!
Chretien's Perceval, a poem of something less than 10.000 verses and of the late 12th c., was left unfinished. Shortly after, continuations appeared. The 2nd was written about 1210 possibly by Wauchier de Denain.
In this 2nd continuation there's an episode where Perceval approached a lone standing castle. Entering he was alone and saw a beautiful chessboard! He touched it and made a move. Surprisingly the chessboard answered! Three games followed and Perceval was checkmated in all three. Pissed off he was about to throw away the chessboard, but the Lady of the Castle appeared stopping him. Perceval of course fell in love with her.
Some verses and chapters ahead and after few adventures, Perceval returned to the castle, and was informed that this chessboard was given to the Lady of the Castle by Morgan le Fay [a famous character in Arthurian legend], while Morgan had obtained it by an anonymous girl as a gift. [The Mechanics of Medieval Continuation in the Perceval Continuations, thesis by Leah Tether, p. 172 & 185, The Complete Story of the Grail, transl. by Nigel Bryant, p. 240 & 303, Perceval le Gallois, 1868, vol 4, vers. around 2450 but generally different numbering had appeared].
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Lancelot du Lac of Vulgate cycle
Where Perceval failed, Lancelot won...
The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is an early 13th century group of Arthurian romances en prose in old French & of unknown authorship. In the Lancelot du Lac en prose we can find a similar scene like in Perceval.
In one of his adventures, Lancelot can be found in a Forest named as of No Return. There many wonders could be seen! One was a Magic Dance that could enchant the travelers and trap them in - a creation of some magician-clerk and cousin of King Ban, Lancelot's father. In some stories this was Ban's brother, Guinebal. An other creation of this clerk was a magic chessboard that could beat every opponent it played with. Lancelot of course played and won, freeing the place of these enchantments. In the end he took the chessboard and gave it to Queen Guinevere, Arthur's wife [Lancelot-Grail, vol 3, 1992, ed. N. Lacy, transl. William Kibler, part V, n. 154, p. 183].
And two more illustrations of the scene...
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Gwyddbwyll instead of chess
Mabinogion is a compilation of the earliest prose stories of the literature of Britain, written in Middle Welsh and originated since 12th - 13th centuries. It can be found in two manuscritps: the White Book of Rhydderch, Peniarth MS 4 of 14th c. & the Red Book of Hergest, Bodl. Jesus College MS. 111 of 15th c.
One of the stories is The Dream of Rhonabwy (Breuddwyd Rhonabwy), special as it's the only one existing in the Hergest's book and not in the Rhydderch's.
We are at the time of Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales [1160 ca]. Madog sends Rhonabwy and two companions to find the prince's rebellious brother Iorwerth. During a following night Rhonabwy saw in his sleep King Arthur. Arthur was playing gwyddbwyll against Owain, waiting for the Battle of Mount Badon. The whole story is this dream [The Mabinogion, 1985, transl. by J. Gantz, p. 177].
An other tale is Peredur son of Efrawg, a Welsh version of Chretien's Perceval. Here we can find a similar magic board, but playing Gwyddbwyll. Peredur played and lost and threw away the board game [The Mabinogion, 1985, transl. by J. Gantz, p. 254].
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....thanx for reading
