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Gereint [ 'reinted ], also Geraint , is a legendary figure from Celtic mythology . He is the title character of the Middle Cymrian story Gereint fab Erbin ("Gereint, Erbins Sohn"), one of the "three romances" ( Y Tair Rhamant ).

history

A historical person who lived at the end of the 6th century is probably united. He is possibly identical to Gerontius , a troop commander of the Roman counter-emperor Constantine III. on whose orders he marched into Gaul with British troops in 407 , but against which he soon rebelled. Konstantin's son Constans was besieged, captured and executed by Gerontios in Vienne ( Vienna ). The names Konstantin and Gerontios are passed down in the Welsh saga as Constantin (father Erbins) and Gereint (protagonist and Constantin's grandson).

"[...] and we are messengers from the heiress, the son of your uncle Constantin."

Another Gereint is mentioned around 150 years earlier in the Y Gododdin as a brave fighter from the Hen Ogledd (the "old north"); in the Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin ("The Black Book of Carmarthen") is a prize poem ( Englynion Gereint , "The Stanzas Gereints"), passed down for him.

From united, the enemy of oppression,
I saw white horses, their fetters blood-red
and after the battle cry - grim death.

United fab heiress

Gereint and Enid
( Gustave Doré , 1878)

In the pursuit of an unknown knight who had insulted him and Queen Gwenhwyfar , Gereint fab heiress takes up quarters with an impoverished nobleman and meets his daughter Enid , with whom he immediately falls in love. He defeats his enemy, helps the girl's father to regain his possession and leads Enid as his bride to the court of King Arthur . After the wedding he becomes ruler of his old father's heir, but there is a falling out with his young wife. Since he falsely accuses her of unfaithfulness, he forces her to go about in silence with him as his squire.

“Hurry up,” he ordered, “saddle my horse and get my armor ready! But you get up, "he continued, turning to Enit," dress yourself and have your horse saddled and use the worst riding garb as clothing. And shame on me ", he cried," if you return here before you have found out whether I have lost my strength as completely as you say [...] "

Only after many adventures, in which he most recently died, did he recognize her loyalty and love and be reconciled with her again.

Matière de Bretagne

In the novel versions of the Matter of Britain contributes Gereint in Chrétien de Troyes in his poem Erec and Enide and Hartmann von Aue in Erec the name Erec.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the Emperor Arthur. Part 1, p. 22 f.
  2. Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 1, p. 204.
  3. Helmut Birkhan: Celtic stories from the emperor Arthur. Part 1, p. 211 f.