Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/210

198 and its first continuation; in addition, he used other French Arthurian compositions, among these "Mule sans frein," "Lai du Corn," and "Lai du Mantel" (or variants of the extant lays). From this material, together with reminiscences of classical mythology, German folk-lore, and an abundant employment of free fancy, Heinrich produced an independent poem, called by him the Krone, which he pretended to have rendered from a French original; the tale he supplied with an outfit of proper names, in great measure of his own invention.

In the long narrative, the concluding and principal exploit is the discovery of the Grail. For the history, suggestions were contributed by the narrative of Crestien, abundantly altered and interpolated. In order to weave together the parts of his rambling and incoherent story, he followed a frequent practice of recasters by bringing the chief characters into relations of kinship. Thus, in the earlier portion of the tale, the hero is made to enter into a permanent love relation with a certain Amurfina (the hint for whose personality is taken from the story of "Mule sans frein"); having occasion to introduce the enchanter who, in Crestien's account, constructs the castle of Igerna (called by Wolfram Clinschor). Heinrich represents him as a priest and magician, uncle of Amurfina, named Gansguoter, who, after the death of Uter Pandragon, has bespelled Igern (Igerna), King Arthur's mother, by his playing on the viol, and built for her a castle. It is while undergoing an attack in a hostile castle (the Cavalon of Crestien) that Gawain is laid under obligation to find the Grail, or return within a year (the author is careful not to lay himself under the necessity of making his hero revisit the spot, as in the French tale he is bound to do); in this manner is introduced a quest of the Grail, which occupies the final part of the narration. The writer sees fit to complicate his inconsequent fiction by requiring the seeker of the Grail to carry certain amulets, namely, a ring given Arthur by Vrou Saelde (a German replica of the Latin Fortuna), the gem of a girdle granting invincibility, and magic gloves; these requirements give opportunity for long episodes, are stolen, and recovered with the aid of the benevolent Gansguoter. In the course of adventures, the hero reaches the abode of an unnamed sister of Gansguoter (and consequently aunt of Amurfina), qualified as a goddess, from whom he receives directions in regard to his behavior when he shall arrive in the castle of the Grail; he is to avoid somnolence, and to ask a question concerning the Grail. Gawain, now accompanied by Lanzelet (Lancelot) and Calocreant (the Calogrenant of Crestien, Colgrevance of Malory), is presently conducted to the hall of his quest, where he is welcomed by an old man lying on a couch, who