Gautier
d'Arras - 1120
Related to the
Lords of Arras, this poet, protected by Aélis de Blois, sister of Marie de Champagne
probably was a clergyman.
He is said to
have participated in the second Crusade (1147-1149), preached at Vézelay by Saint Bernard
de Clairvaux.
He was at the
court of Champagne, a contemporary and rival of Chrétien de Troyes. He is the author of a
romantic tale dedicated to Marie de Champagne, Éraclès, (between 1176-77, then 1179-81)
which features the Byzantine emperor Héraclius and which he wrote using ancient sources
(Héraclius seized the Real Corss of Christ from the infidels and brought it back to
Jerusalem), legends of his times and introduced an urbane tale of adultery illustrating
the vanity of conjugal jealousy.
Gautier
d'Arras is also the author of another tale, « Ille et Galeron » (circa
1177-78), based on a lay Breton of which Marie de France had already written a very
romantisized version under the title of “Lai
d'Eliduc: comment la pitié conduit à l'amour !”
Works by
Gautier d'Arras or about him:
-
"Éracle", edited by Guy Raynaud de Lage, Honoré Champion, 1976.
- "Ille
et Galeron", Published by Yves Lefèvre and Félix Lecoy, 1988, Honoré Champion,
1999.
-
"Ille et Galeron", translated in French by Jean-Claude Delclos and Michel
Quereuil, Honoré Champion, 1993.
-
"Ille et Galeron", Ms. 6987, fol. 290, Bibl, nationale d'Aupais (Fabliau de):
Ms. n° 7218.
-
"Gautier d'Arras, l'autre chrétien", Corinne Pierreville, Honoré Champion,
2001.
-
"Gautier d'Arras, Eracle", Collectif , Honoré Champion, ISBN: 2 8520 3001
2.
The Eracle by
Gautier d’Arras was one of the first French tales; the author is a protégé of Marie
de Champagne and Thibaut de Blois, respectively spouse and brother of Henri le Libéral.
Gautier’s
Eracle is full of innuendos to the chivalrous and princely life of Comte de Champagne ; of
the contacts between the Emperor of the Orient and the Holy Land; but also of the
geopolitical situation in the second half of the XIIth century.
Éraclès had
received exceptional powers from God which allowed him to know everything about women,
stones and horses.
"Upon the
death of his father, Éraclès is bought by the emperor of Byzance, who refused to believe
in the powers of the child. Éraclès proves his powers by finding a rock which protects
from water, iron and fire and a horse which wins all races. He also found a wife for the
emperor who had decided to marry. Athanaïs is a model of virtue, but
the emperor, jealous, has her imprisoned in a tower before leaving for war. She
avenges herself in the company of Paridès. The emperor informed of the infidelity
renounces the marital ties to let her go with Paridès. Here the first part of the tale
stops then addresses another subject: the wood from the Holy Cross has been split in two
pieces on orders from Hélène. She gave a piece to her son Constantin and had the other
locked in the Holy Sepulcher. Cosdroès seizes the holy relic. Éraclès kills him and
brings the Holy Cross to Jerusalem".
Part of the
original version of Éraclès in available on the French page.