UTHER AND YGERNE: FOOTNOTES
1 warned thourgh, announced throughout.
3 dide ordeyne, arranged; longed to, concerned.
5 spedde, fared (prospered); chese, choose.
6 that, what; wende, thought.
8 ones, once.
10 voyde, empty.
12 mete, dine.
13 yede, went; cleped, named them to; sette, seated.
15 tokenynge, meaning.
17 yaf, gave.
19 hem lyked, they felt; talent, desire.
23 prese, company.
28 begeten, begotten.
39 semblaunce, appearance.
47 assaye, try it.
48 doute, fear.
51 lesynge, falsehood; Ne were, If it were not for.
59 lever, rather.
60 shrewe, rascal; quynsyne, fifteen-day period.
64 madde, insane; cherles, ruffians.
65 moche, many; leved, believed.
69 Witson-even, Whitsunday Eve.
70 ordeyned, devised.
75 anoon as, as soon as.
76 leed, [molten] lead.
80 quynsyne, fifteenth day.
83 evell spedde, done wrongly.
86 be, by.
87 sege, seat; no force is, is no point.
88 ne nought, nor anything.
89 that, what.
90 wurship, honor.
93 beilde, build.
94 howsynge, housing.
95 as Pasch, such as Easter.
96 Yole, Yule; Halowmesse, Allhallows; ageyn, before.
97 everich, each.
99 sef of, except for.
105 ageins, to.
106 sigh, saw.
108 trowed, believed.
112 hilde, held; that2, who.
114 praide, requested; Pasch, Easter.
116 coveyed, attended.
121 mete, dinner.
122 eschewe, avoid.
123 aparceyved, realized.
127 mysese, discomfort.
128 tweyne, two.
131 theras, where.
133 somowne, summon.
134 holde to, be held until.
135 quynsine, fifteenth day; araide, prepared.
140 astates, estates.
141 beste sittynge, appropriate.
142 Gretly, Exuberant.
145 ne, nor.
148 wonder, wondrous.
151 volunté, desire.
153 dismayest thee so, do you despair.
155 longeth to soche mystere, concerns such matters.
157 spede, success.
161 compers, companions.
163 wolde noon, would [have] none.
164 hilde, kept; wherefore, why [is it].
168 volenté, wishes.
171 hir sayned, crossed herself.
176 wurship, honor.
178 jape, jest.
180 ne ye ne, neither you nor.
181 me, myself.
182 diffende, protect.
187 jour, day.
188 cowpe, cup.
192 noon evell, no evil.
193 gramercy, great thanks; cleped, called.
195 mete, dinner.
198 wax, turned; reade, red.
200 be, by.
202 sigh, saw.
205 semblaunce, appearance.
206 bourdes weren up, tables were put away.
210 Mysaventure, Ill luck; counseile, secret.
211 be than, by then.
212 Gowe, se, Let us go see.
214 suffred, waited.
215 loigynge, lodging.
225 wolde, wish.
228 beseke, beseech.
230 als, as.
236 wiste, knew.
238 dispite, insult.
242 outerage, insult.
243 rede, advice.
244 forfet, offence.
248 forme, manner.
256 betyden, happen.
259 assawte, assault.
260 godes, goods.
267 diffied, challenged.
269 ther, where; arayed, prepared; osteye, make war.
275 agein, against.
278 doute of no man, fear of anyone.
279 stuffed, provisioned.
282 somowne, summon.
285 dispyte, insult; reson, reasonable.
286 forfet, insult; lefte in, occupied.
294 besynesse, effort.
297 irouse, angry; on the tother side, at the same time.
298 sore distreined, sorely upset; that, so that.
299 hevy, sad.
303 reste, sleep.
304-05 oon sole, one single.
311 suffred, allowed.
312 sethe, since.
314 do therto, do anything about it; ne1, nor.
316 hele, health.
319 meyné, retinue.
320 partie, portion.
321 ne, nor; maner wise, fashion.
324 oste, host.
324-25 nothinge kenned, knew not at all.
333 quyte, satisfy.
335 counseile, satisfy (provide for).
338 here, hear.
344 lowgh, laughed.
345 ought, at all.
347 efte, again.
354 crepell, cripple.
357 conne, give.
366 grucchynge, complaining.
370 sone perceyvinge, quick to understand.
371 will, wish.
375 what ye ben, who you are.
376 priked, hastened (galloped, pranced).
378 yove, sent.
379 aperceyvaunte of hym, aware of who he is.
383 oo, one; than, then.
384 hym, himself.
390 cleped, called.
393 ought wroth, at all angry; other, either.
398 agein, toward.
399 halsed, embraced.
406 sigh, saw.
407 strongely, probingly.
409 perceyved, recognized.
410 soill, alone.
412 corage, desire; lesynge, lie.
415 purchace, obtain.
416 here, her.
418 be founden, exists.
423 me forthinketh, I regret.
426-27 hiest seintewaries, most holy relics.
429 mal engyn, evil purpose, deceit.
433 demened, conducted.
435 semblaunce, appearance.
436 wene, think.
437 privy, trusted.
438 hight, is called.
440 ly, lodge.
445 wheder, where.
451 dissevered, separated.
452 Frote, Rub; visage, face.
455 mynde, recollection.
459-60 semeth thee be me, do I look to you.
462 semed, thought.
464 cleped, called.
465 apertly, clearly; hem semed, it seemed to them.
467 diffended, ordered; not wite, know.
468 Inowe, Enough.
469 contene, enjoy.
472 gat, begat.
482 seynynge hem, blessing them.
486 covenaunte, bargain.
488 covenauntes, promises.
490-91 will that thow knowe, want you to know.
491 an heyre male, a male heir.
492 yoven, given.
496 semblaunce, appearance.
499 koye, quiet (coy).
502 meynee, company.
503 maistries, great deeds.
UTHER AND YGERNE: NOTES
Uther and Ygerne
[Fols. 20r (line 15)-31v (line 13)]
The story of Uther's great desire for the wife of the Duke of Cornwall and the subsequent begetting of Arthur is one of the most important episodes in Arthurian literature. It first occurs in Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain (Thorpe, pp. 204-08), and treatments of it remain relatively consistent throughout the Middle Ages -- compare Geoffrey's account, for example, with the version of the story with which Thomas Malory begins his Morte D'Arthur. The version in the PM, while somewhat fuller than most of the treatments of this episode and also somewhat richer in characterization, preserves all the essential narrative features.
2-3 Pentecoste and Witsontyde. The Feast of Pentecost is one of the most important religious holidays of the Middle Ages, and it is also one of the most important time periods in Arthurian literature, for more of the central events in the Arthur Story occur around this date than around any other. Pentecost is a moveable feast, with its date determined by the date of Easter. Pentecost occurs on the seventh Sunday after Easter and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples. Whitsunday is another name for Pentecost, and Whitsuntide is the period of several days immediately following Pentecost. Also important during this holy time is the first Sunday after Pentecost, which is Trinity Sunday, and the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday, which is Corpus Christi, a festival celebrating the Eucharist.
7 fyfty. It appears that Merlin's Round Table is designed to seat a total of fifty-one, if the fifty knights that Merlin is going to select occupy every seat except for the one that remains empty. In comparison with other medieval romances, this is a smaller number of seats than is usual. In Malory, for example, the number of seats is 150. On the other hand, the number of seats at the table used for the Last Supper was merely thirteen.
10 the voyde place. The empty place at the table, as will soon be explained, is reserved for a person of unusual merit. Anyone else attempting to sit in this seat will suffer dire consequences. In Malory and other accounts the empty seat is called the Siege Perelous.
20-21 we be entred as brethern. The fifty knights, by virtue of sitting together at the Round Table, have formed a special bond of brotherhood which they are now loath to break. The suggestion seems to be that this is the initial formation of a fellowship of knights who will be known as the Knights of the Round Table.
26 who shall fulfille the place that is voyde. In response to the king's question, Merlin explains that the empty seat will not be filled until some time well in the future. Merlin also points out that the person who will do this will also sit in the empty seat at the table of Joseph of Arimathea, providing another link between the two tables. The knight who will accomplish these deeds will be the pre-eminent Grail knight, Sir Galahad.
32 hensforth that ye hoilde alle youre grete festes in this town. Thus Cardoell is established as Uther's principal city and the place where the Round Table resides permanently.
85 hem that wolden begile. The belief that a "beguiler will himself be beguiled" was a common medieval proverb. Chaucer's Reeve quotes a version of it near the end of his tale when he says, A gylour shal hymself bigyled bi (CT I.4321).
101 the Duke of Tintagel. Throughout this section of the PM Ygerne's husband is always called the Duke of Tintagel; he is never referred to as the Duke of Cornwall, nor is he named Gorlois, as he is in most accounts.
105 she was right a gode lady. Ygerne's moral rectitude is emphasized here, as it is throughout Arthurian tradition. She makes every effort to thwart Uther's desires and to remain a virtuous wife. Malory, similarly, refers to her as "a passyng good woman" (Vinaver, p. 3).
145 ete ne slepe . . . ne ride. Uther, in his inability to eat, sleep, or ride, exhibits traits shared by many a medieval lover.
167 alle the londe of Logres. Here Logres refers to a large geographical area, whereas earlier (and more commonly in the PM) it refers to a city.
266-67 sende, . . . forty dayes before. The king is advised by his council to give the duke forty days in which to respond to the king's challenge. If the duke fails to do the king's bidding by the end of that time, then the king may launch his assault.
278 another castell. The other castle is not named in the PM. Geoffrey of Monmouth calls it Dimilioc, and Malory identifies it as Castel Terrabyl.
324-25 he mette with a man that he nothinge kenned. Merlin's shape-shifting abilities are fully displayed in this episode, as Merlin appears to Ulfin first in the guise of an old man and then as a cripple. This anticipates the more remarkable shape-shifting that Merlin will soon engage in involving Ulfin, the king, and Merlin himself.
451 he toke an herbe. Here Merlin, Ulfin, and the king achieve the likenesses of the duke and his men by rubbing an herb on their skin. In Geoffrey of Monmouth they drink a concoction that Merlin has devised. Malory offers no explanation as to how their physical transformations were brought about.