The middle Dutch prose Lancelot

More about the book

The thirteenth century saw a significant rise in Arthurian prose romances in France, exemplified by the extensive Old French Vulgate Cycle. Scholars generally agree that the original cycle consisted of three main prose romances: the Roman de Lancelot en prose, the Roman de la Queste del Saint Graal, and the Roman de la Mort le Roi Artu. Later, two additional works, the Estoire del Saint Graal and the Vulgate Merlin, were incorporated as preludes to the trilogy. This collection has survived in nearly one hundred manuscripts and has been translated into many major Western European languages. Orlanda Lie focuses on the only verse translation of the Lancelot en prose, found in the Rotterdam Fragments, to compare it with the Middle Dutch, Middle High German, and Old French versions. The analysis will concentrate on sections of Lancelot en prose that parallel the Rotterdam Fragments, exploring the relationship between the French manuscripts and the Dutch and German translations. While the study emphasizes the manuscript tradition of Lancelot en prose, it also briefly discusses key stylistic and structural features of the entire trilogy, as these may have influenced its manuscript history. The volume includes a diplomatic and critical edition of the Rotterdam Fragments, along with a modern English translation.