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Medieval Arthurian Literature

Gottfried von Strassburg: Tristan

13th century, Middle High German | Middle English translation, 14th century, National Library of Scotland.

Tristan set off once more for Ireland, but this time disguised as a Norman merchant.

Following his return from Ireland, where he disguised himself as the minstrel Tantris, Tristan is welcomed by King Mark who makes his nephew heir to the Cornish throne. But the Cornish nobles become jealous of Tristan and insist that King Mark takes a wife and produces a proper heir instead. They suggest that Tristan be sent back to Ireland to fetch the beautiful young princess Isolde.

So Tristan sets off once more for Ireland, but not, as might be expected, as the minstrel Tantris, but in disguise, this time as a Norman merchant. He rids Ireland of a dragon, and at first the two Isoldes, mother and daughter, do not recognise him as he recovers from these martial exertions. Then, while he is in the bath one day, Queen Isolde discovers some damage to Tristan’s sword that exactly matches the splinter of steel recovered from the head of her brother whom Tristan killed in a fight to free Cornwall from extortion. The minstrel Tantris, alias the Norman merchant, is not who he seems!