Yde et Olive
Encyclopedia
Yde et Olive is an Old French
chanson de geste
. It is a sequel to Huon de Bordeaux and follows the Chanson d'Esclarmonde, the story of Huon's wife, and Clarisse et Florent, the story of Yde's parents, in the cycle. It is perhaps the earliest Old French adaptation of the myth of Iphis
. This myth is found in Ovid's
Metamorphoses, but other ancient Indian sources and no sources at all have also been suggested for the chanson. Yde et Olive is a relatively unstudied chanson, with only one critically edited published text, Max Schweigel's from 1889, and one unpublished edition from a 1977 dissertation by Barbara Anne Brewka at Vanderbilt University
.
The marriage of Clarisse and Florent and Clarisse' death while giving birth to Yde are briefly recounted in Yde et Olive, but the first major theme of the work is the grieving of Florent and his refusal to remarry. As Yde grows into a young woman much like her mother, her father falls in love with her and plans to marry her. Disgusted by the prospect, Yde, disguised as a man, flees the country and embarks on a series of chivalric adventures that eventually land her in Rome
, where she begins to serve the king, Oton. Impressed by her valour, Oton decides to marry Yde to his one and only daughter, Olive, and make her his heir. Though she initially opposes the idea, Yde surrenders to wed Olive. The couple, at Yde's insistence, practice abstinence for the first week after their wedding. Yde then tells Olive the truth about her sex and convinces her to keep the secret, but their conversation is overheard and reported to the king, who vows to kill them both if the story is true. In order to discern its veracity Oton summons Yde to bath with him. The girl prays and an angel rescues her by appealing to the king not to test such a tried and true vassal
. The angel then announces that Yde is now a man, that Oton will die eight days hence, and Yde and Olive will conceive a child, which occurs that very night.
The story of Yde and Olive was worked into dramatic form in the Miracle de la fille d'un roy (1454). It does not significantly deviate from the chanson except in its finale. In the early sixteenth century it was printed as part of Les prouesses et faictz merveilleux du noble huon de bordeaulx, which was translated into English and printed as The Boke of Duke Huon of Burdeux by John Bourchier, Lord Berners
, for Francis Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon
, early in the century, to be printed twice more, c. 1570 and in 1601.
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
chanson de geste
Chanson de geste
The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of heroic deeds", are the epic poems that appear at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known examples date from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, nearly a hundred years before the emergence of the lyric poetry of the trouvères and...
. It is a sequel to Huon de Bordeaux and follows the Chanson d'Esclarmonde, the story of Huon's wife, and Clarisse et Florent, the story of Yde's parents, in the cycle. It is perhaps the earliest Old French adaptation of the myth of Iphis
Iphis
Iphis was a name attributed to three individuals:-Daughter of Ligdus :According to Greek mythology and the Roman poet Ovid, who wrote about transformations in his Metamorphoses, Iphis was the daughter of Telethusa and Ligdus in Crete. Ligdus had already threatened to kill his pregnant wife's...
. This myth is found in Ovid's
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
Metamorphoses, but other ancient Indian sources and no sources at all have also been suggested for the chanson. Yde et Olive is a relatively unstudied chanson, with only one critically edited published text, Max Schweigel's from 1889, and one unpublished edition from a 1977 dissertation by Barbara Anne Brewka at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
The marriage of Clarisse and Florent and Clarisse' death while giving birth to Yde are briefly recounted in Yde et Olive, but the first major theme of the work is the grieving of Florent and his refusal to remarry. As Yde grows into a young woman much like her mother, her father falls in love with her and plans to marry her. Disgusted by the prospect, Yde, disguised as a man, flees the country and embarks on a series of chivalric adventures that eventually land her in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where she begins to serve the king, Oton. Impressed by her valour, Oton decides to marry Yde to his one and only daughter, Olive, and make her his heir. Though she initially opposes the idea, Yde surrenders to wed Olive. The couple, at Yde's insistence, practice abstinence for the first week after their wedding. Yde then tells Olive the truth about her sex and convinces her to keep the secret, but their conversation is overheard and reported to the king, who vows to kill them both if the story is true. In order to discern its veracity Oton summons Yde to bath with him. The girl prays and an angel rescues her by appealing to the king not to test such a tried and true vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
. The angel then announces that Yde is now a man, that Oton will die eight days hence, and Yde and Olive will conceive a child, which occurs that very night.
The story of Yde and Olive was worked into dramatic form in the Miracle de la fille d'un roy (1454). It does not significantly deviate from the chanson except in its finale. In the early sixteenth century it was printed as part of Les prouesses et faictz merveilleux du noble huon de bordeaulx, which was translated into English and printed as The Boke of Duke Huon of Burdeux by John Bourchier, Lord Berners
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners was a statesman and translator, born at Sherfield, Hertfordshire, England, to Sir Humphrey Bourchier and Elizabeth Tilney, and educated at Oxford University. He held various Offices of State, including that of Chancellor of the Exchequer to King Henry VIII, and...
, for Francis Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon
Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon
Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, KG was the eldest son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the ex-mistress of Henry VIII....
, early in the century, to be printed twice more, c. 1570 and in 1601.