ABSTRACT

Although Harr includes in his novel most of the familiar incidents of the Arthurian story, he casts some of them in a decidedly original form, often tracing events to human motives and efforts rather than to supernatural or other forces beyond the characters' control. For example, Merlin steals Kay's and Arthur's swords so that the latter will pull the sword from the stone, a feat he is able to accomplish only because the magician has revealed to him the secret mechanical device that holds the sword in place. Eventually, when Camelot begins to crumble, it does so not merely because of the love (here unconsummated) of Lancelot and Guinevere, nor does it result from the conflicts inherent in Arthur's system of justice and chivalry. Rather, Harr presents Modred as the mastermind of the entire cataclysm: it is he who sends a message asking Lancelot to come to Guinevere's chamber and then arranges for them to be discovered and for Lancelot's men to rescue him. Eventually, Guinevere is to undergo ordeal by fire (rather than be burned as legal punishment, as in most accounts), and it is Modred who has Lancelot informed, knowing that the latter will rescue the Queen and that, as a result, Arthur will go to war against him. The villain's plans work flawlessly until he incites Arthur's enmity by declaring himself king. Eventually, although Arthur has been called "once and future king," he and Modred kill each other, there being no mention of Avalon or Arthur's survival. [NJLJ

HAGEDORN, HERMANN (1882-1964), American educator, editor, and writer, in his one-act play The Silver Blade (1907) describes how Guinevere falls in love with Lancelot, who has come to escort her to her wedding with Arthur. Knowing that betrayal is inevitable, she contemplates suicide but chooses the path of least resistance. His short poem "The Song of the Grail Seekers" (1909) expresses the knights' "unquenchable yearning." [RHTJ

HAKON HAKONARSON, King of Norway (r. 121763), encouraged the translation of French literature of his time. Ultimately, his efforts established a body of translated works that was accessible not only in Norway but also in the rest of Scandinavia. The earliest work commissioned by Hakon is Tristrams saga, a translation of Thomas's Tristan. Written in 1226, this translation represents the only complete version of the Thomas-branch of the Tristan legend. According to its preface, Tristrams saga was translated by "Brother Robert." His name occurs in association with Elis saga, a translation of Elie de SI. Gille, a chanson de geste, also made at Hakon's behest. The remaining translations that originated in Hakon's coun are anonymous and include works that contain Arthurian material: Ivens saga, a version of Chretien de Troyes's Yvain; Mottuls saga, a rendering of the fabliau Le Mantel mautaillie; and Strengleikar, a significant compilation of the lais of Marie de France. It is also possible that two additional translations of Arthurian materialParcevals Saga and Erex saga, based on Chretien's Perceval and Erec et Enide-were also translated during this period. The extant manuscripts of these two translations do not mention Hakon's patronage. The literary activity at Hakon's court was influenced by close ties to Angevin England, which provided King Hakon with model and material. The translations share a common style characterized by rhetorical embellishment, rhythmic prose, and artistic elaboration. Hakon's patronage occupies an important position in the spread of Arthurian literature in the North. Many of these translations reached Iceland, where they were recopied or,

!IS in the case of Tristrams saga, adapted. A similar influence is present in Sweden, where Ivan Lejonriddaren, a translation of Yvain, was probably indebted to Ivens saga. These contributions position Hakon at the center of the international movement of Arthurian literature in Scandinavia. [ijR]

HALDEMAN, LINDA, American writer, uses a longlived Merlin's talents as an enchanter to provide the magic spell that will enable an exchange between a fairy and a human in The Lastbom of Elvinwood (1978), a fantasy in a contemporary setting. [RHT]

HALM, FRIEDRICH (pseudonym of Eligius Franz Joseph Reichsfreiherr von Munch-Bellinghausen; 1806-1871), wrote romantic plays and realistic novellas. In the dramatic poem Griseldis (premiered December 30, 1835), Halm transplants the Patient Griselda motif to Arthur's court. At Guinevere's instigation and with Arthur's approval, Griseldis must undergo tests of her loyalty and devotion (give away her son, leave the court in disgrace) for no apparent reason. The Queen is eventually humiliated by the simple maiden's endurance, and Lancelot, recognizing Guinevere's evil character, soberly rides back home to France. [EGF/PWM]

HAMILTON, LORD ERNEST (1858-1939), author of Launcelot: A Romance of the Court of King Arthur (1926), echoes Malory so aSSiduously as to give the effect of parody. In this version, Pelles is a converted Norseman, Launcelot is Elaine's husband, and Guenevere is a lecherous, deceitful liar who lures the hero to Vortigem's tower under false pretense, seduces him, and plans to murder Elaine. The complexities of the situation baffle the hero, but then, as the author tells us, "Sir Launcelot was a man of simple mind." [MAW]

HANDKE, PETER, a leading Austrian author, makes surprising use of the Parzival figure in his dramatic text Das Spiel Yom Fragen oder Die Reise rum sonoren Land ('The Play of the Query, or the Voyage to the Sonorous Land," 1989). Handke treats the themes of communication breakdown and the crisis of language. The protagonist, whose "action" resides in fragmented and disordered conversations, is called Parzival. Handke thus contributes to the German Parzival tradition, according to which this character, especially in Wolfram's Parzival, claims recognition as the prototypical seeker and questioner. The play premiered in Vienna on January 16, 1990. [UM/WCM]

HANRATTY, PETER, blends science fiction and fantasy in two novels that set Arthur's chivalric world in preRoman Britain. In The Last Knight of Albion: The Quest for Mordred (1986), Percevale, last survivor of the Round Table, seeks revenge against Mordred for using an atomic bomb, obtained from extraterrestrial aliens, at Camlann. Over the years, he loses most of his illusions about life, but when called upon to defend a town against a marauding army he rediscovers the importance of self-sacrifice, the quality that motivated the best among Arthur's followers.