Robin Hood and the golden arrow, guitar accompaniment

About the scene and clip:
The performer sings the ballad and accompanies himself on a guitar. (A fellow student serves as music stand from which the performer reads the words of the song.)

About the work:
Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow is one of many ballads about the legendary popular hero Robin Hood, yeoman outlaw, defender of the poor and weak against the rich and powerful. Such songs and tales arose in 14th-century England, and this ballad may have originated in the medieval Gest of Robyn Hode. The ballads tell of Robin Hood’s life and numerous adventures, and of his encounters with a wide array of characters. In this lengthy ballad, Robin Hood, dressed in red instead of green, and therefore unrecognized, bears away the prize of archery—the golden arrow—against the arrogant Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood ballads continue to be sung today in the United Kingdom and in parts of the United States.

About the genre:
A ballad is a song that tells a story; ballads are often fairly long, composed of a dozen or more stanzas. Although many other songs, both long and short, also tell stories, the term “ballad” used in this particular sense dates from the late Middle Ages. Some late-medieval ballads and a great many early-modern ballads survive, some of them in multiple versions, and throughout the world. Documentation for ballad melodies is in general substantially later than for the texts.

About the edition/translation:
A recent edition of the text of this ballad is in Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales, ed. Stephen Knight and Thomas H. Ohlgren, Kalamazoo Michigan, Medieval Institute Publications, 1997 (this ballad is also at present available on the web: search “TEAMS texts online”). The classic edition for traditional ballads, often with many variants, is The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ed. Francis James Child, New York, Dover, 1965, 5 vols (1888); this song is Vol. 3, No. 152. Ballad melodies, like the words, often exist in many versions; for this song, as for most, the surviving melodies are substantially later than the Middle Ages; see Bertrand Harris Bronson, The Singing Tradition of Child’s Popular Ballads, Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1959-72, 4 vols.; Vol. 3, p. 52.

About the performer/ensemble:
Greg Powell is a Drama student in the Experimental Theatre Wing at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a group independent study with Prof. Timmie (E.B.) Vitz in fall 2005. It took place on December 15, 2005, as part of an event titled “Making It Real: Performing the Middle Ages,” at an Off-off-Broadway venue in New York City—The American Place Theatre, 266 West 37th St (22nd floor). The performance was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Gina Guadagnino was the videographer.

Robin Hood and the bold peddler, guitar accompaniment

About the scene and clip:
The performer sings the ballad and accompanies himself on the guitar.

About the work:
Robin Hood and the Pedlar Bold is one of many ballads about the legendary popular hero Robin Hood, yeoman outlaw, defender of the poor and weak against the rich and powerful. Such songs and tales arose in 14th-century England, though this ballad is not among the early ones. The ballads tell of Robin Hood’s life and numerous adventures, and of his encounters with a wide array of characters, some of whom he recruits to his merry band. The bold peddler of this ballad turns out to be Robin’s own cousin, Gamble Gold—and at the end, they dine and drink cheerily together. Robin Hood ballads continue to be sung today in the United Kingdom and in parts of the United States.

About the genre:
A ballad is a song that tells a story; ballads are often fairly long, composed of a dozen or more stanzas. Although many other songs, both long and short, also tell stories, the term “ballad” used in this particular sense dates from the late Middle Ages. Some late-medieval ballads and a great many early-modern ballads survive, some of them in multiple versions, and throughout the world. Documentation for ballad melodies is in general substantially later than for the texts.

About the edition/translation:
The classic edition for traditional ballad texts, often with many variants, is The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ed. Francis James Child, New York, Dover, 1965, 5 vols (1888); this song is Vol. 3, No. 132. The melody of this ballad also exists in several versions; see Bertrand Harris Bronson, The Singing Tradition of Child’s Popular Ballads, Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1959-72, 4 vols.; Vol. 3, p. 40.

About the performer/ensemble:
Greg Powell is a Drama student in the Experimental Theatre Wing at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a group independent study with Prof. Timmie (E.B.) Vitz in fall 2005. It took place on December 15, 2005, as part of an event titled “Making It Real: Performing the Middle Ages,” at an Off-off-Broadway venue in New York City—The American Place Theatre, 266 West 37th St (22nd floor). The performance was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Gina Guadagnino was the videographer.

Moor of Venice: Shakespeare’s source for Othello

About the scene and clip:
The solo performer tells the end of the tragic Italian story of Othello, the Moor of Venice, and his wife Desdemona.

About the work:
The tale of Othello—The Moor of Venice—was originally told by the Italian author Giambattista Cinthio (or Cinzio) Giraldi. It was part of a tale collection published in 1565, titled Gli Hecatommiti ovvero cento novella, similar in concept to Boccaccio’s Decameron (stories told by ten characters, over the course of ten days, on fixed themes). Shakespeare drew heavily from this tale in his tragedy Othello.

About the genre:
This story belongs to the tale tradition. The tale, like the epic, is an ancient genre and one found everywhere in the world. Many tales are firmly rooted in oral tradition and are recited or told by amateur and professional storytellers and performers. Other tales are the work of literarily sophisticated authors and are often intended to be read aloud or silently from written texts. Some tales circulate separately, while others are part of collections, which may be set in complex frames (as in the case of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Boccaccio’s Decameron and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). There are many sub-groups of tales with specific characteristics; see for example the “lai” and the “fabliau.”

About the edition/translation:
English translation in Geoffrey Bullough, Narrative and Dramatic Sources of Shakespeare, 8 vols; Vol. 7 (1973), pp. 241-52. Original text: Gli Hecatommiti di Giambattista Giraldi Cinthio, ed. Giovanni Bertino, Sassari, G. Galliozzi & Co, 1903.

About the performer/ensemble:
Elyse Beyer is a Drama student in the Stella Adler Studio of Acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a group independent study with Prof. Timmie (E.B.) Vitz in fall 2005. It took place on December 15, 2005, as part of an event titled “Making It Real: Performing the Middle Ages,” at an Off-off-Broadway venue in New York City—The American Place Theatre, 266 West 37th St (22nd floor). The performance was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Gina Guadagnino was the videographer.

Orfeo: Opening scenes

About the scene and clip:
The solo performer recounts and acts out the opening section of the tale of Sir Orfeo: the hero, a master harper, appears; and his wife, the beauteous Heurodis, while napping on the grass, suddenly has a mysterious frenzy (we discover later that she has just received an unwelcome summons from fairyland).

About the work:
Sir Orfeo is a Middle English tale, composed in rhymed couplets, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century. The story is an adaptation—and in important respects a transformation—of an ancient story. In the classical myth, Eurydice, beloved wife of the great harp-player Orpheus, dies; the grieving Orpheus goes down to Hades to win her back by playing his harp for the gods of the underworld. They agree to give her back to him—on condition that he must not look back as he leads her away. But, at the last moment, having looked back to make sure she was following, he loses her forever, and he must return home alone. In the Middle English story, Sir Orfeo is a king and a master harper, whose wife, Heurodis, is snatched away and taken off to fairyland. Orfeo follows, disguised as a minstrel, and manages to find her. The king of “Faërie” is so taken with Orfeo’s harp-playing that he promises to give him any reward—and Orfeo asks for Heurodis. This Orpheus (unlike his classical namesake) succeeds in bringing his wife back home—to great rejoicing and minstrelsy. The couple live happily ever after (or, more precisely: “long they lived, till they were dead”). Harpers were inspired by the story to compose beautiful lays in honor of the lovers.

A related clip on this website is “King Orfeo: Sung,” which is taken from another medieval English version of the story of Orpheus–an early ballad.”

About the genre:
A narrative lai is a short poetic tale composed in verse, which may claim to have a Breton original with harp accompaniment. The 12th-century Anglo-Norman woman poet Marie de France is the best known author of lais in French, and may be one of the creators of the genre.

About the edition/translation:
Sir Orfeo, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo, tr. J.J.R. Tolkien, New York, Ballantine, 1980, pp. 169ff. Original text: Sir Orfeo, ed. A.J. Bliss, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, 1966.

About the performer/ensemble:
Nick Spangler is a Drama student in the CAP21 Studio at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a group independent study with Prof. Timmie (E.B.) Vitz in fall 2005. It took place on December 15, 2005, as part of an event titled “Making It Real: Performing the Middle Ages,” at an Off-off-Broadway venue in New York City—The American Place Theatre, 266 West 37th St (22nd floor). The performance was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Gina Guadagnino was the videographer.

Roncisvalle: Maggio performance

About the scene and clip:
On a large field, a group of performers act out and sing the battle at Roncevaux (Roncisvalle in Italian) where the heroic Roland and the French rear-guard die—a story originally told in the Old French Song of Roland. Roland’s betrothed, Alda, comes and weeps over his lifeless body; this scene is absent from the original Roland, but similar scenes are present in various other versions of the story.

This performance is from an Italian “Maggio” version of the famous French story of Roland’s death at Roncevaux. This sort of performance is termed Maggio from celebrations associated with May Day; traditional in the Apennine region of northern Italy, Maggio is a form of popular opera dating back to the 18th century. The actors use a variety of props, such as steel swords, and wear costumes characteristic of the Italian Maggio performance tradition, including heavily-embroidered black velvet jackets, tall black boots, and plumed helmets; Christian knights wear black capes; Saracens wear red ones. The director whispers lines to the actors, who do not need to know all their lines by heart. The performers sing their parts, accompanied by musicians playing the guitar, violin and accordion.

See also on this site the “Tristano e Isotta” clip, another Maggio performance.

About the work:
Roncisvalle is an Italian “Maggio”—dramatized and sung—reworking of the medieval story of the battle of Roncevaux in The Song of Roland. (Also see above under “About the scene and the clip”.)

About the genre:
The Maggio performance tradition draws strongly on romance and epic traditions—as well as on opera, which did not yet exist in the Middle Ages.

Medieval romances are typically long narratives of love and adventure in which an aristocratic hero (or occasionally a heroine) proves himself in combat and courtship. Medieval romance arose in France and Anglo-Norman England in the 12th century and spread through Western and even Eastern Europe. Many early romances tell the stories of knights and ladies at King Arthur’s court. In the 12th and 13th centuries, romances are composed in verse (typically octosyllabic rhymed couplets), and are commonly performed aloud from memory by minstrels; romances are also sometimes read aloud. In the 13th century, some romances begin to be written in prose; public and private readings become more frequent.

The epic is an ancient genre and is found in almost every culture. It is a long heroic narrative which tells of war and great deeds. Epics are generally composed in verse, and sung from memory or improvised in performance by professional performers with instrumental accompaniment. These narratives are created from traditional elements, commonly without recourse to writing, by poets whose names are often unknown to us. Among the famous traditional epics are the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer; the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf; and the Old French Song of Roland. Many known poets adopt epic forms and themes for their literary verse (such as Virgil in his Aeneid).

About the edition/translation:
The Italian script is not available.

About the performer/ensemble:
The performers are the inhabitants of Villa Minozzo, a town in the Apennine Mountains, province of Reggio Emilia. The company has its own website: www.Costabona.it.

About the production:
This performance took place in Rossena, Italy, in July 2002. It was videoed by Prof. JoAnn Cavallo of the Italian Department at Columbia University. Copies of the documentary DVD “Il Maggio Emiliano: Ricordi, riflessioni, brani,” of which this is a clip, are available through Prof. Cavallo.

Tristano: Maggio performance

About the scene and clip:
This performance is from a “Maggio” version of the medieval stories of Tristan and Isolde [Tristano e Isotta]. Tales about these famous lovers were originally told in French medieval works dating from the 12th and 13th centuries; such stories spread throughout Europe and still survive. This sort of performance is termed Maggio from celebrations associated with May Day. Maggio performance, traditional in the Apennine region of northern Italy, is a form of popular opera dating back to the 18th century. The entire performance of the tale includes the following scenes: the page’s introduction; Tristan goes mad from unfounded jealousy; Tristan and Isolde are reunited; King Mark exiles Tristan; Isolde laments over Tristan’s departure; King Arthur welcomes Isolde; a battle between King Mark and King Arthur and his knights; Tristan’s death; Lancelot’s lament.

In this clip, King Arthur, Lancelot and other knights attack King Mark for having brought about the death of the lovers, who lie dead on the ground. In the middle of a large field, the performers sing and act out their parts. The director whispers lines to the performers, who do not need to know all their lines by heart. The singing is punctuated by accordion flourishes. Unlike other Maggio companies in Emilia, these performers do not adopt the traditional costumes (embroidered black velvet with a strongly symbolic use of color), but instead vary their costumes to fit the story being performed.

See also on this site the “Roncisvalle” clip, another Maggio performance.

About the work:
Tristano e Isotta is an Italian “Maggio”—dramatized and sung—reworking of the medieval story of Tristan and Iseut. (See also see under “About the scene and clip”).

About the genre:
The Maggio performance tradition draws strongly on romance and epic traditions—as well as on opera, which did not yet exist in the Middle Ages.

Medieval romances are typically long narratives of love and adventure in which an aristocratic hero (or occasionally a heroine) proves himself in combat and courtship. Medieval romance arose in France and Anglo-Norman England in the 12th century and spread through Western and even Eastern Europe. Many early romances tell the stories of knights and ladies at King Arthur’s court. In the 12th and 13th centuries, romances are composed in verse (typically octosyllabic rhymed couplets), and are commonly performed aloud from memory by minstrels; romances are also sometimes read aloud. In the 13th century, some romances begin to be written in prose; public and private readings become more frequent.

The epic is an ancient genre and is found in almost every culture. It is a long heroic narrative which tells of war and great deeds. Epics are generally composed in verse, and sung from memory or improvised in performance by professional performers with instrumental accompaniment. These narratives are created from traditional elements, commonly without recourse to writing, by poets whose names are often unknown to us. Among the famous traditional epics are the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer; the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf; and the Old French Song of Roland. Many known poets adopt epic forms and themes for their literary verse (such as Virgil in his Aeneid).

About the edition/translation:
Tristano e Isotta: script published in the journal Il Cantastorie, n. 3, 1981 (Terza serie), Reggio Emilia, Italy.

About the performer/ensemble:
The company is located in Frassinoro, a town in the Apennine Mountains (province of Modena) of Italy.

About the production:
This performance took place in Frassinoro (Modena), Italy, in July 2002; it was videoed by Prof. JoAnn Cavallo of the Italian Department at Columbia University. Copies of the documentary DVD “Il Maggio Emiliano: Ricordi, riflessioni, brani,” of which this is a clip, are available through Prof. Cavallo.

Jataka: Two tales

About the scene and clip:
The performer reads aloud and acts out two stories from the Indian Jataka. He does the tale of the Bodhisattva born as an acrobatic elephant; and he tells the story of the widowed husband whom the Bodhisattva heals of his excessive grief for his dead wife: the husband is cured when he learns that his late queen, Ubari, is now a dungworm.

About the work:
The Indian tales of the Jataka are part of a large body of folklore and literature concerning the previous births of the Buddha as Bodhisattva (one seeking or revealing Buddha-hood). The tales generally show the Bodhisattva, who has taken some particular human or animal form, displaying and teaching his wisdom to those around him, and sometimes performing miracles. The tales survive in various forms and collections in Pali (a vernacular dialect of Sanskrit), Sanskrit, and other languages, and influenced storytelling in many parts of the world—in particular, stories involving animals, from Aesop’s fables to the medieval fabliaux, and beyond. Though some tales from the Jataka go back to before the 3rd century BC, the Pali text may date from around the 5th century AD.

About the genre:
This story belongs to the tale tradition. The tale, like the epic, is an ancient genre and one found everywhere in the world. Many tales are firmly rooted in oral tradition and are recited or told by amateur and professional storytellers and performers. Other tales are the work of literarily sophisticated authors and are often intended to be read aloud or silently from written texts. Some tales circulate separately, while others are part of collections, which may be set in complex frames (as in the case of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Boccaccio’s Decameron and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). There are many sub-groups of tales with specific characteristics; see for example the “lai” and the “fabliau.”

This story also belongs to the genre of hagiography. Stories about the saintly wisdom, heroism, or miracles of remarkable men and women exist in many religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Such stories are termed “hagiography.” In medieval Europe, the saint’s life or legend was an extremely popular type of work. A great many stories (and plays) about male and female Christian saints exist in Latin and in all the vernacular languages. These works may focus on the saint’s dramatic death by martyrdom, or recount the remarkable miracles performed by the saint, or may relate the entire life of the holy man or woman. Among the most important collections of saints’ lives and legends is The Golden Legend by Jacobus of Voragine. Chaucer’s “Prioress’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales is a tale of martyrdom. Miracle and pious tales about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, constitute a special, and highly important, category of saintly legends.

About the edition/translation:
The Jataka, or Stories of the Buddha’s Former Births. Translated from the Pali by various hands under the editorship of Professor E. B. Cowell. London, Published for the Pali Text Society by Luzac & Comp., 1969, 6 v.; Vols. I-II translated by Robert Chalmers (1895); I, pp. 269ff; II, pp. 108ff.

About the performer/ensemble:
Dave Perlow is a Drama student in the CAP 21 Studio at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a group independent study with Prof. Timmie (E.B.) Vitz in fall 2005. It took place on December 15, 2005, as part of an event titled “Making It Real: Performing the Middle Ages,” at an Off-off-Broadway venue in New York City—The American Place Theatre, 266 West 37th St (22nd floor). The performance was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Gina Guadagnino was the videographer.

William in Monastery: William forces his way into monastery and beats up monks

About the scene and clip:
In this scene, William, the great—and comic—warrior-turned-monk, forces his way into his monastery and beats up the monks for having tried to have him killed. He then asks the prior for permission to leave for good. The strongly physical performer tells the story, acting out all the parts.

About the work:
The epic William in the Monastery tells the final part of the great career of William of Orange (Guillaume d’Orange), the hero of an entire cycle of French medieval epic songs. (He was an historical figure, a 9th-century contemporary of Charlemagne; many legends arose about him, and he was revered as a saint.) William is a strongly colorful, often comic, hero. Like most medieval French epics, William in the Monastery is composed in laisses (or stanzas) of variable length with ten-syllable lines in assonance (the final vowel is the same within each laisse). Such epics were originally sung by jongleurs, often with vielle accompaniment. This very funny epic dates from the late 12th century; it deals with William’s life after the death of his wife, Guibourc. William decides to become a monk and enters a monastery, but he does not fit in at all: he is huge and alarming, has a violent temper, and eats much more than the other monks. His fellow monks try to get rid of him by having him killed by robbers in a forest, but he defeats and kills all the brigands after having invited them to attack him. He then returns to the monastery; he forces his way in, beats up the monks, then asks the prior for pardon and permission to leave forever: granted! William becomes a saintly—but still warlike—hermit. (His hermitage was called “Saint-Guillaume-du Désert”; the place still exists in the south of France.) After this point, the two surviving manuscripts differ—and one is damaged—but in both versions William has a few final fights with Saracens; in one he must fight with the devil himself (need we say that William wins?).

About the genre:
The epic is an ancient genre and is found in almost every culture. It is a long heroic narrative which tells of war and great deeds. Epics are generally composed in verse, and sung from memory or improvised in performance by professional performers with instrumental accompaniment. These narratives are created from traditional elements, commonly without recourse to writing, by poets whose names are often unknown to us. Among the famous traditional epics are the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer; the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf; and the Old French Song of Roland. Many known poets adopt epic forms and themes for their literary verse (such as Virgil in his Aeneid).

This story also belongs to the genre of hagiography. Stories about the saintly wisdom, heroism, or miracles of remarkable men and women exist in many religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Such stories are termed “hagiography.” In medieval Europe, the saint’s life or legend was an extremely popular type of work. A great many stories (and plays) about male and female Christian saints exist in Latin and in all the vernacular languages. These works may focus on the saint’s dramatic death by martyrdom, or recount the remarkable miracles performed by the saint, or may relate the entire life of the holy man or woman. Among the most important collections of saints’ lives and legends is The Golden Legend by Jacobus of Voragine. Chaucer’s “Prioress’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales is a tale of martyrdom. Miracle and pious tales about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, constitute a special, and highly important, category of saintly legends.

About the edition/translation:
Guillaume d’Orange: Four Twelfth-Century Epics, tr. Joan M. Ferrante, New York/London, Columbia University Press, 1974, laisses 28ff, pp. 301ff. Original text: Le Moniage Guillaume, ed. Wilhelm Cloetta, New York, Johnson Reprint Corporation, 1968, 2 vols. (Paris, 1901).

About the performer/ensemble:
Nick Robbins is a Drama student in the Meisner Studio at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a group independent study with Prof. Timmie (E.B.) Vitz in fall 2005. It took place on December 15, 2005, as part of an event titled “Making It Real: Performing the Middle Ages,” at an Off-off-Broadway venue in New York City—The American Place Theatre, 266 West 37th St (22nd floor). The performance was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Gina Guadagnino was the videographer.

Conquest: William enters the Saracen city of Orange

About the scene and clip:
The performer tells about William’s entry into Orange, acting out all the characters in a strongly physical manner.

About the work:
The Conquest of Orange tells a major story in the great life of William of Orange (Guillaume d’Orange), who was the hero of an entire cycle of French medieval epic songs. (He was an historical figure, a 9th-century contemporary of Charlemagne; many legends arose about him, and he was revered as a saint.) William is a strongly colorful, often comic, hero. In this late-12th-century epic, which contains many funny scenes, William conquers the southern-French city of Orange from its Saracen lord, King Aragon, and wins the love of Queen Orable, taking her away from her husband; she converts to Christianity and adopts a new name, Guibourc. Like most medieval French epics, The Conquest of Orange is composed in laisses (or stanzas) of variable length with ten-syllable lines in assonance (the final vowel is the same within each laisse). Such epics were originally sung by jongleurs, often with vielle accompaniment.

About the genre:
The epic is an ancient genre and is found in almost every culture. It is a long heroic narrative which tells of war and great deeds. Epics are generally composed in verse, and sung from memory or improvised in performance by professional performers with instrumental accompaniment. These narratives are created from traditional elements, commonly without recourse to writing, by poets whose names are often unknown to us. Among the famous traditional epics are the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer; the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf; and the Old French Song of Roland. Many known poets adopt epic forms and themes for their literary verse (such as Virgil in his Aeneid).

About the edition/translation:
Guillaume d’Orange: Four Twelfth-Century Epics, tr. Joan M. Ferrante, New York/London, Columbia University Press, 1974, laisses xv, pp. 152ff. Original: La Prise d’Orange, ed. C. Régnier, Paris, Klincksieck, 1970.

About the performer/ensemble:
Dave Perlow is a Drama student in the CAP 21 Studio at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a book party for Performing Medieval Narrative at the Maison Française of New York University in October 2005. The event was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Videography was by NYU-TV.

Conquest: William and Orable in the dungeon

About the scene and clip:
This clip shows William and his men in the Saracen dungeon; the Saracen queen Orable arrives to help them—and romance develops. This is a very comic performance: the female actor plays William and his men, and the male actor plays Orable—but this epic itself is of a highly comic, even rather parodic, nature.

About the work:
The Conquest of Orange tells a major story in the great life of William of Orange (Guillaume d’Orange), who was the hero of an entire cycle of French medieval epic songs. (He was an historical figure, a 9th-century contemporary of Charlemagne; many legends arose about him, and he was revered as a saint.) William is a strongly colorful, often comic, hero. In this late-12th-century epic, which contains many funny scenes, William conquers the southern-French city of Orange from its Saracen lord, King Aragon, and wins the love of Queen Orable, taking her away from her husband; she converts to Christianity and adopts a new name, Guibourc. Like most medieval French epics, The Conquest of Orange is composed in laisses (or stanzas) of variable length with ten-syllable lines in assonance (the final vowel is the same within each laisse). Such epics were originally sung by jongleurs, often with vielle accompaniment.

About the genre:
The epic is an ancient genre and is found in almost every culture. It is a long heroic narrative which tells of war and great deeds. Epics are generally composed in verse, and sung from memory or improvised in performance by professional performers with instrumental accompaniment. These narratives are created from traditional elements, commonly without recourse to writing, by poets whose names are often unknown to us. Among the famous traditional epics are the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer; the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf; and the Old French Song of Roland. Many known poets adopt epic forms and themes for their literary verse (such as Virgil in his Aeneid).

About the edition/translation:
Guillaume d’Orange: Four Twelfth-Century Epics, tr. Joan M. Ferrante, New York/London, Columbia University Press, 1974, laisses xliv ff., pp. 179ff. Original: La Prise d’Orange, ed. C. Régnier, Paris, Klincksieck, 1970.

About the performer/ensemble:
Eric Giancola and Kelly Swartz are Drama students in the CAP 21 Studio at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2005).

About the production:
This performance was created for a book party for Performing Medieval Narrative at the Maison Française of New York University in October 2005. The event was also sponsored by “Storytelling in Performance,” a workshop funded by the Humanities Council of New York University and co-directed by Profs. Timmie Vitz, Nancy Regalado and Martha Hodes. Videography was by NYU-TV.