Eachtra to Mhadra Mhaoil
Eachtra an Mhadra Mhaoil ("The adventures of the dog with the clipped ears") is an Irish story from the legendary circle of King Arthur . A second saga of the same structure is Eachtra Mhacaoimhan-iolair ("The Adventures of the Eagle Boy").
Text history
The story has come down to us in several manuscripts, all of which date from the 18th century. The age of the story is, according to the language, in the 15th / 16th centuries. Century. A takeover of Dutch Arthurian traditions is likely, an indication of this is the name form Balbhuaidh for Gawan , which is closer to the Dutch Walewijn than to the French Gawaine . Another indication of the origin is the use of the word ridire ("knight"). Regular military and peaceful contacts between Ireland and Flanders have been documented since 1167, when a mercenary army of Normans, Welsh and Flemings fought in Ireland for the first time.
The previous oral tradition is clearly understandable in the structure of the story. Despite the exotic locations, this legend is entirely part of the narrative tradition of Irish mythology. Unlike the Arthurian heroes of the Matière de Bretagne , the protagonists have magical powers and are subject to the typical Irish gessi (taboos). The connection to the Arthurian legend is limited to a mention of the king under the title Rí at Domhain ( "King of the World").
content
The Ridire an Lóchrainn ("Knight of the Lantern"), a magician, appears at the court of King Arthur, the Halla Deirg ("Red Hall"), and initially leads one of the classic doorkeeper talks (see Pa ŵr yw'r porthor?, " Who is the porter? ”). Then he calls on the knights present to fight, which Balbhuaidh (Gawan) immediately accepts . While pursuing his opponent, Balbhuaidh encounters a dog with cropped ears and tail, which helps him hunt further. In fact, this dog is Alastrann Iongantach ("Alastrann the Wonderful"), the son of the King of India , whom his step-brother has bewitched and mutilated. This stepbrother is the knight of the lantern, whom the two companions are now pursuing. Similar to the old Irish immrama ("rowing", seafaring, sea voyage to mythical islands), this hunt leads from island to island, whereby the knight of the lantern often disappears in a magic mist ( Fíth-fáth ) thanks to his druid magic powers . The persecution even goes to Egypt and India, but eventually the magician can be forced to restore Alastrann to his true beautiful form.
See also
literature
- Helmut Birkhan : Post-ancient Celtic reception. Praesens Verlag, Vienna 2009, ISBN 978-3-7069-0541-1 , p. 224 f.