From Midrashim to Merlin: the "Translation" of Jewish Commentaries in Heldris de Cornuälle's Le Roman de Silence

Authors

Renee Scherer '08, Illinois Wesleyan University

Abstract

While there has been a great deal of investigation into the sources of Arthurian legend, much of this has centered around the influence of Celtic legends and has depended upon a strictly Christian catalogue of comparative imagery. Many of the tales of Arthur contain allusions, however, to Jewish biblical commentaries and legends. These connections demonstrate the presence of a strong Jewish influence upon the development of medieval Arthurian romances. Critic Sarah Roche-Mahdi writes that Heldris of Cornwall, the name used by the author of Le Roman de Silence, "delights in turning and twisting a word, in lifting a phrase, passage, motif, plot from its context, reversing, expanding or purposefully suppressing it" (7). Heldris makes significant use of Jewish source materials in this process.

Recommended Citation

Scherer '08, Renee (2007) "From Midrashim to Merlin: the "Translation" of Jewish Commentaries in Heldris de Cornuälle's Le Roman de Silence," The Delta: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol2/iss1/6