‘‘luf-talkyng’ in luf-talkyng’ in Medieval Medieval

Literature 9Literature 9

Thomas HoneggerThomas Honegger

t.m.honegger@swissonlt.m.honegger@swissonline.chine.ch

http://www.db-thueringen.de/

content/top/index.xml

Wooing Women 2

Sir Gawain and the Green Sir Gawain and the Green KnightKnight

SGGKSGGK

Gawain’s ‘continental reputation’Gawain’s ‘continental reputation’ 1) for courtesy and chivalry1) for courtesy and chivalry 2) for being a lady’s (or 2) for being a lady’s (or

maiden’s) manmaiden’s) man Lady Bertilak: “3e ar welcum to Lady Bertilak: “3e ar welcum to

my cors.”my cors.”

Pronouns of addressPronouns of address

Normal ‘courtly’ pronoun of address:Normal ‘courtly’ pronoun of address: Z Zee But from line 1252 onward, the But from line 1252 onward, the

lady repeatedly switches to the lady repeatedly switches to the more informal ‘more informal ‘ππu’.u’.

Gawain: abandons rather Gawain: abandons rather informal informal gaygay and and lady louelylady louely and and returns to returns to madamemadame

KissesKisses

Robert de Blois (fl. 1233-1266):Robert de Blois (fl. 1233-1266):

“Li baisiers autre chose atrait”“Li baisiers autre chose atrait”

((Chastoiement des damesChastoiement des dames, Fox , Fox 1950:136, ll. 127), 1950:136, ll. 127),

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

indirectnessindirectness conversational implicatureconversational implicature metaphorical languagemetaphorical language the exploitation of linguistic the exploitation of linguistic

subtleties (pronominal and subtleties (pronominal and nominal forms of address)nominal forms of address)

playful ambiguityplayful ambiguity

Ideal wooing by womenIdeal wooing by women

Richard de Fournival,Richard de Fournival, Consaus Consaus d’Amoursd’Amours, (Speroni 1974:266):, (Speroni 1974:266):

en maniere de juer, et lui moustrer en maniere de juer, et lui moustrer sambland d’amours [...], u par biau sambland d’amours [...], u par biau parler amiabliement, sans faire parler amiabliement, sans faire nule priierenule priiere

by feigning love to him in obvious by feigning love to him in obvious jest, [...], or by pleasant, courteous jest, [...], or by pleasant, courteous speech, but without making a speech, but without making a [frank and open] entreaty.[frank and open] entreaty.

From Sir Gawain and the

Green Knight to

The Grene Knight – Ideal and Decline?

The Grene KnightThe Grene Knight

South Midlands, ca. 1500South Midlands, ca. 1500 Sir & Lady Bredbeddle (< Sir & Lady Bredbeddle (<

Bertilak)Bertilak)

Grene Knight vs. SGGKGrene Knight vs. SGGK ca. 500 lines of tail-ca. 500 lines of tail-

rhyme stanzasrhyme stanzas bedroom trial: one bedroom trial: one

single temptation single temptation scene of 42 lines; scene of 42 lines; simplistic exchange simplistic exchange with only three with only three turnsturns

explicit offerexplicit offer

2531 lines of 2531 lines of alliterative versesalliterative verses

bedroom trial: bedroom trial: takes place on takes place on three consecutive three consecutive mornings, mornings, interlaced with interlaced with description of the description of the hunt; 351 lines of hunt; 351 lines of complex dialoguecomplex dialogue

indirectnessindirectness

Evolutionary approach?Evolutionary approach?

‘‘primitive beginning’ (e.g. Guy of primitive beginning’ (e.g. Guy of Warwick)Warwick)

‘ ‘culmination’ (e.g. SGGK)culmination’ (e.g. SGGK) ‘ ‘decline’ (e.g. Grene Knight)decline’ (e.g. Grene Knight)

Luf-talkyngLuf-talkyng

look at Elizabethan court-comedy look at Elizabethan court-comedy ((Love’s Labour’s LostLove’s Labour’s Lost, for instance) , for instance) or the social comedy of the or the social comedy of the Restoration ‘wits’; and after the Restoration ‘wits’; and after the demise of the long courtly tradition, demise of the long courtly tradition, in (say) Jane Austen’s in (say) Jane Austen’s EmmaEmma (the (the heroine’s exchanges with Frank heroine’s exchanges with Frank Churchill), in Oscar Wilde’s drawing-Churchill), in Oscar Wilde’s drawing-room comedy, and so on. room comedy, and so on. Stevens (1973:109)

Luf-talkyng: definitionLuf-talkyng: definition

Sophisticated dialogues between Sophisticated dialogues between courtly men and women that courtly men and women that have a certain length and deal have a certain length and deal with amatory matters.with amatory matters.

French worksFrench works

Chrétien de Troyes’s Chrétien de Troyes’s CligésCligés (c. (c. 1174)1174)

Jean Renart’s Jean Renart’s Le lai de l’ombreLe lai de l’ombre (c. 1220)(c. 1220)

Jakemes’Jakemes’ Le châtelain de Coucy Le châtelain de Coucy (c. 1300)(c. 1300)

Central themesCentral themes

French ‘courtly romances’:French ‘courtly romances’: emotional relationship between emotional relationship between the sexes and their obligation the sexes and their obligation towards societytowards society

Middle English romances: Middle English romances: chivalric (now predominantly chivalric (now predominantly martial and only occasionally martial and only occasionally amatory) exploits of the hero amatory) exploits of the hero

French ‘luf-talkyng’

transformed: Yvain vs.

Ywain and Gawain

Yvain vs. Ywain & GawainYvain vs. Ywain & Gawain

Chrétien de Chrétien de TroyesTroyes

Yvain/Le Yvain/Le chevalier au lionchevalier au lion

1177-11811177-1181 6800 lines 6800 lines

anonymous poetanonymous poet Ywain & GawainYwain & Gawain Northern Northern

EnglandEngland ca. 1300-1350ca. 1300-1350 ca. 4000 linesca. 4000 lines

Ywain & GawainYwain & Gawain

‘‘His hert sho has His hert sho has ππat es his fa’at es his fa’ ‘‘He sayd he sold have hir to wive, He sayd he sold have hir to wive,

/ Or els he sold lose his lyve.’/ Or els he sold lose his lyve.’

Dialogue in Dialogue in YvainYvain

The lady determines the topic(s) of The lady determines the topic(s) of the conversation.the conversation.

The lady asks the questions.The lady asks the questions. Yvain does nothing but truthfully Yvain does nothing but truthfully

answer her questions => the answer her questions => the revelation of his feelings are a revelation of his feelings are a consequence of his compliance with consequence of his compliance with her wishes.her wishes.

The revelation of his feelings is The revelation of his feelings is gradual.gradual.

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

off record / indirectnessoff record / indirectness small stepssmall steps man casts himself in the passive man casts himself in the passive

rolerole

Yvain vs. YwainYvain vs. Ywain

high-spirited, high-spirited, lively dialoguelively dialogue

small, rapid small, rapid stepssteps

‘‘literary’ literary’ dialoguedialogue

longer and fewer longer and fewer turnsturns

Model Lovers vs. ‘Luf-talkers’

ME romances and SGGKME romances and SGGK

‘‘roman courtois’ tradition roman courtois’ tradition (SGGK) vs. the bulk of the (SGGK) vs. the bulk of the Middle English romancesMiddle English romances

Summary of dialogues in SGGK

351 lines351 lines 200 lines/1681 words dialogue200 lines/1681 words dialogue total of 31 turnstotal of 31 turns ø 6.45 lines per turnø 6.45 lines per turn ø 54.23 words per turnø 54.23 words per turn

Summary of dialogues in GrK

42 lines42 lines 21 lines/133 words dialogue21 lines/133 words dialogue total of 3 turnstotal of 3 turns ø 7 lines per turnø 7 lines per turn ø 44.33 words per turnø 44.33 words per turn

Summary of dialogues in Yvain

87 lines87 lines 62 lines/379 words dialogue62 lines/379 words dialogue total of 24 turnstotal of 24 turns ø 2.58 lines per turnø 2.58 lines per turn ø 15.79 words per turnø 15.79 words per turn

Summary of dialogues in Ywain

48 lines48 lines 27 lines/167 words dialogue27 lines/167 words dialogue total of 6 turnstotal of 6 turns ø 4.5 lines per turnø 4.5 lines per turn ø 27.83 words per turnø 27.83 words per turn

Summary of dialogues in Guy

296 lines296 lines 210 lines/1383 words dialogue210 lines/1383 words dialogue total of 14 turnstotal of 14 turns ø 15 lines per turnø 15 lines per turn ø 98.79 words per turnø 98.79 words per turn

SGGK (& Cligés & Yvain) Guy of Warwick

(and most other ME romances that featureamatory dialogues)

OFF RECORDindirect, ambiguous,metaphors, save face,

conversational implicature,joint project

ON RECORDdirect, explicit, no metaphors,

do FTA (with some redressive action)

MULTI-TURN(more than 3 turns)

2 TO 3 TURNS

‘CHARACTERISATION’ ‘MOTIVATION’

‘TYPIFICATION’

Function of dialogue 1Function of dialogue 1

The realisation of the temptation The realisation of the temptation scenes in scenes in Sir Gawain and the Green Sir Gawain and the Green KnightKnight as off-record, multi-turn as off-record, multi-turn dialogue sequences does not add dialogue sequences does not add directly to the surface motivation of directly to the surface motivation of the plot, it effects a foregrounding the plot, it effects a foregrounding of the conversation and provides of the conversation and provides some ‘characterisation’ of the some ‘characterisation’ of the protagonists => cf. Chrétienprotagonists => cf. Chrétien

Function of dialogue 2Function of dialogue 2

In Middle English romances, on-In Middle English romances, on-record opening moves that take record opening moves that take place within a small number of place within a small number of turns are used mainly to turns are used mainly to motivate the ensuing action.motivate the ensuing action.