The Historical Context of Béroul’s Tristan et Yseut
Having originated from Celtic legend and developed within the French oral tradition, Tristan et Yseut as told by Béroul tells the tragic love story of a Cornish knight and an Irish princess. In an attempt to help woo the fair Yseut in favor of the Cornish king Mark, the knight Tristan accidentally drinks a love potion with Yseut and falls in love with her. The two characters thus begin a scandalous love affair, which, seen as an unrepentant sin in the historical context of the story, ultimately leads to tragedy: Tristan is exiled in Brittany and dies in battle, and the fair Yseut dies in grief by his side. The story takes place within the late twelfth century, which is often considered to be l’apogée du Moyen-Âge—the climax of the Middle Ages—despite the Middle Ages’ tremendous duration from the fall of the Roman Empire to the start of the Renaissance. As I hope to illuminate in this introduction, Tristan and Yseut occurs in a historical context marked by the French feudal system, patriarchy, and the “morality” the Catholic Church. It is also during this century that literature written in Vulgar Latin as well as new literary forms arose and permitted the inception of French literature.
One of the most defining characteristics of French territory in the twelfth century is the hierarchical system of feudality—a system of military obligations between an overlord (un seigneur) and a vassal (un vassal) that functioned to structure society. Seeing as France was not yet considered a united country, the region was divided into various principalities, or independent states (“Introduction: Le Moyen Age” 1). Powerful feudal overlords, such as dukes and counts, maintained control over these principalities through contracts of servitude known as the Contrat vassalique (“Introduction: Le Moyen Age” 1). These contracts—the defining feature of feudal society—obliged the feudal overlords to offer “fidelity, protection, and the inheritance of a fief/territory” to the vassal, and obliged the vassal to offer “fidelity, help, and advice” to the overlord in return (“La société féodale: quelques définitions”). This system gave a structure to French society at the time and acted as a defining characteristic of the twelfth century.
In addition to the feudal system, the twelfth century in France is also characterized by the emerging use of Vulgar Latin (Old French) in literature as well as the birth of new literary forms. It is important, firstly, to acknowledge that the people belonging to the region now known as France wrote in Classical Latin up until the end of the eleventh century (Durvye 8). However, the twelfth century brought about a surge of new forms of literature in Vulgar Latin, such as la chanson de geste (e.g. La Chanson de Roland), la poésie lyrique (e.g. songs by Jaufré Rudel), and le roman “courtois” (e.g. works by author Chrétien de Troyes) (Durvye 8), which were produced, shaped, and transmitted by jongleurs, trouvères and troubadours (Durvye 8). Seeing as the majority of the population at this time could not read or write (including much of the aristocracy), stories, such as the tale of Tristan and Yseut, were sung orally, thus rendering a vast number of alternative versions of each narrative (Durvye 8-9). Clercs would then copy the manuscripts into writing (Durvye 9). Not only did the twelfth century witness the creation of new literary forms, but it also marked the monumental switch from Classical Latin to Vulgar Latin in literature, thus resulting in the birth of French literature.
Finally, other notable characteristics of the twelfth century in France are patriarchal society and the influence of the Catholic Church. On one hand, women enjoyed greater social freedom during the twelfth century than in the centuries to follow. Women were actually allowed to occupy many of the same roles as men, take part in the contrat vassalique, own fiefs, and even fight at the frontline in battle (“Introduction: Le Moyen Age” 3). On the other hand, women’s lives were still nevertheless restricted through the institutions of marriage and Catholicism (“Introduction: Le Moyen Age” 3). Patriarchal society and the powerful influence of the Catholic Church encouraged women “to strive towards emulating the Virgin Mary, by being modest in their conduct and remaining courteous and dignified, regardless of the situation” (“Marriage and Virtue”). Women were ultimately expected to become faithful wives and mothers. In other words, the twelfth century marked a period of new liberations for women, however the patriarchal society and the Catholic Church nevertheless exacted specific gender roles from members of society.
It is within this historical context marked by feudalism, literary and linguistic transformation, and patriarchal and religious oppression that Béroul’s written version of Tristan et Yseut emerges. These various institutions worked to structure french society throughout the Twelfth Century and greatly influenced the sense of intrigue, morality, and judgement which Béroul presents in his rendition of this classic tale.
Works cited
Durvye, Catherine. Étude sur Béroul: Tristan et Yseut, ou, le roman de Tristan. Paris: Ellipses, 2000. Print.
“Introduction: Le Moyen Age.” Cahier de lectures, Français 215. 1-4.
“Marriage and Virtue: Expectations of the “Good” Woman in 12th Century Society.” Notes on Paper. 26 May 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
“La société féodale: quelques définitions.” Cahier de lectures, Français 215.
Witdouck, Sally, Michiel Van Kampen, and Tristan-David Depré. “Tristan et Iseut (Béroul, XIIe S.) ‐ Commentaire et analyse d’un extrait en ancien français.” Tristan Et Iseut (Béroul, XIIe S.) ‐ Commentaire et analyse d’un extrait en ancien français. Universiteit Gent. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.