Tristan and Iseult (novel)

1971 book by Rosemary Sutcliff

Tristan and Iseult

First edition

Author| Rosemary Sutcliff
Language| English
Genre| Arthurian romance
Publisher| The Bodley Head

Publication date

| 1971
Publication place| Great Britain
Media type| Print (Hardcover)
ISBN| 0-525-41565-3

Tristan and Iseult is a children's novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1971. A re-telling of the ancient legend, it received the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award in 1972,[1] and was runner-up for the 1972 Carnegie Medal.[2]

It is set primarily in Cornwall, and is Sutcliff's retelling of the Tristan and Iseult legend. Sutcliff tells the story again in an almost identical manner, albeit greatly shortened, in a chapter of her later Arthurian novel The Sword and the Circle (1981).

## Plot summary[edit]

Tristan is depicted as a prince of Lothian, whose father, King Rivalin married the sister of Mark of Cornwall, making Tristan the nephew of King Mark. Tristan's mother is shown as dying in his childbirth, and his name as being from the Latin root word trista,[1] reflecting the sadness of Rivalin at the loss of his wife.

He journeys to the Kingdom of Cornwall in effort to prove himself, and enters the service of King Mark without revealing his identity. After defeating the Irish champion Morholt, Tristan's identity is revealed, and his position as Champion of Cornwall solidified. Having been wounded by the poisoned blade of Morholt, Tristan wastes away, eventually being set adrift in a boat by his own choice. He lands on the shores of Ireland, and is healed by the skills of Iseult of Ireland, although without actually meeting her.

Upon returning to Cornwall, he is involved in a move to have King Mark marry. Tristan is sent on a quest to find a bride for the king, and winds up once again in Ireland. Tristan defeats a dragon, is once again healed by Iseult, and though given her hand in marriage as reward, promises to bring her back to Cornwall as bride for his Uncle. These events are shown in light of bringing peace to an ongoing war between the two kingdoms. Tristan and Iseult are stranded on a distant shore for a few days, delaying their return to Cornwall, and cementing their own love for each other, despite the commitments of circumstances. Sutcliff herself states that she intentionally left out the love potion as something 'artificial'.[3]

Upon returning to Cornwall, Iseult is wedded to King Mark. She and Tristan both seek to behave honorably by maintaining a distance between themselves. They eventually end up having a clandestine relationship, and are caught by King Mark. After various conflicts, Tristan is banished from Cornwall, and travels to Brittany, entering the service of King Hoel of Brittany. Tristan befriends Hoel's son Kahedin, and is married to Hoel's daughter, Iseult of the White Hands. The relationship is never consummated, with Tristan pining away for Iseult of Ireland. Kahedin is killed by the husband of his own original love, after a successful visit aided by Tristan. Tristan is once again sorely wounded, and sends for Iseult of Ireland to come and heal him. The returning ship is to unfurl white sails if it returns with her, and black sails if not, much like the story of Theseus returning to his father. Iseult of the White Hands lies to Tristan out of jealousy, saying that the sails are black, and he dies. Iseult of Ireland finds him dead, and dies by his side. They are buried together back in Cornwall, with a hazel tree growing from his heart and a honeysuckle from hers, intertwining above their graves.

As in many of her novels, Sutcliff depicts these ancient and legendary stories in a realistic fashion. She also focuses on the themes of individuals bound by obligation, also using the visual balance between the dark haired Tristan and the blonde haired Iseult.

## References[edit]

1. ^ The Horn Book (30 May 1911). "Past Boston-Globe Horn Book Award Winners". Retrieved 31 March 2013.
2. ^ Rosemary Sutcliff (4 December 2009). "The Lantern Bearers | Rosemary Sutcliff | Macmillan". Us.macmillan.com. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
3. ^ Sutcliff, Rosemary: Tristan and Iseult, Foreword p. vi

## External links[edit]

* Children's literature portal

* Official website with more on book and author

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Tristan and Iseult

Characters|

* Anguish of Ireland
* Brangaine
* Iseult
* Kahedin
* Mark of Cornwall
* Meliodas
* Morholt
* Tristan

Medieval sources|

* Thomas of Britain's Tristran
* Béroul's Tristan
* Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan
* Prose Tristan
* "Cligès"
* "Chevrefoil"
* Folie Tristan d'Oxford
* Sir Tristrem

Later literature|

* Tristram and Iseult (1852)
* Tristram of Lyonesse (1882)
* Tristan (1903)
* Finnegans Wake (1939)
* Tristan and Iseult (1971)
* Arthur Rex (1978)
* The Old French Tristan Poems (1980)

Music|

* Tristan und Isolde (1865, Wagner)
* Discography
* Tristan chord
* "Liebestod"
* Souvenirs de Munich (ca. 1887)
* Turangalîla-Symphonie (1949, Messiaen)
* Tristan (1975, Henze)
* Qntal III: Tristan und Isolde (2003)
* "Tristan" (2005)

Film|

* The Eternal Return (1943)
* The Woman Next Door (1981)
* Lovespell (1981)
* Fire and Sword (1982)
* In the Shadow of the Raven (1988)
* Tristan & Isolde (2006)

Art|

* Tristan Quilt
* Tristram and Isoude stained glass panels
* Tristan and Isolde (Egusquiza)

* v
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Works by Rosemary Sutcliff

Eagle of the Ninth |

* The Eagle of the Ninth
* The Silver Branch
* Frontier Wolf
* The Lantern Bearers
* Sword at Sunset
* Dawn Wind
* Sword Song
* The Shield Ring

Arthurian|

* The Lantern Bearers
* Sword at Sunset
* Tristan and Iseult
* The Arthurian Trilogy
* The Sword and the Circle
* The Light Beyond the Forest
* The Road to Camlann
* The Shining Company

Other novels|

| Children's novels|

* The Chronicles of Robin Hood (Oxford, 1950), illus. C. Walter Hodges
* The Queen Elizabeth Story (1950) illus. C. Walter Hodges
* The Armourer's House (1951) illus. C. Walter Hodges
* Brother Dusty-Feet (1952), illus. by C. Walter Hodges
* Simon (1953), illus. Richard Kennedy
* Outcast (1955), illus. Richard Kennedy
* Warrior Scarlet (1958), illus. Charles Keeping
* Knight's Fee (1960), illus. Charles Keeping
* Bridge Builders (1960), illus. Douglas Relf
* Beowulf: Dragonslayer (1961) illus. Charles Keeping
* The Hound of Ulster (1963), illus. Victor Ambrus
* The Mark of the Horse Lord (1965), illus. Charles Keeping
* The Chief's Daughter (1967), illus. Victor Ambrus
* The High Deeds of Finn MacCool (1967), illus. Michael Charleton
* A Circlet of Oak Leaves (1968), illus. Victor Ambrus
* The Witch's Brat (1970), illus. Richard Lebenson
* The Truce of the Games (1971), illus. Victor Ambrus
* Heather, Oak, and Olive (1972), illus. Victor Ambrus
* The Capricorn Bracelet (1973), illus. Charles Keeping (later, Richard Cuffari)
* The Changeling (1974), illus. Victor Ambrus
* We Lived in Drumfyvie (1975), by Sutcliff and Margaret Lyford-Pike
* Blood Feud (1976), illus. Charles Keeping
* Sun Horse, Moon Horse (1977), illus. Shirley Felts
* Shifting Sands (1977), illus. Laslzo Acs
* Song for a Dark Queen (1978)
* Eagle's Egg (1981), illus. Victor Ambrus
* Bonnie Dundee (1983)
* Flame-coloured Taffeta (1986), illus. Rachel Birkett
* The Roundabout Horse (1986) illus. Alan Marks
* A Little Dog Like You (1987) illus. Jane Johnson
* The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff (1987), illus. Charles Keeping—omnibus edition of Warrior Scarlet, The Mark of the Horse Lord, and Knight's Fee (1958–1965)
* The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup (1993, posthumous), illus. by Emma Chichester Clark
* Black Ships Before Troy (1993, posth.), illus. Alan Lee
* Chess-dream in a Garden (1993, posth.), illus. Ralph Thompson
* The Wanderings of Odysseus (1995, posth.), illus. Alan Lee

|

Adult novels|

* Lady in Waiting (1957)
* Rider on a White Horse (1959)
* Sword at Sunset (1963)
* The Flowers of Adonis (1969)
* Blood and Sand (1987)

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