The Romance of Yder, ed. and trans. by Alison Adams

Isdernus (Yder) on the archivolt of Modena Cathedral, ca. 1120–1140.
Isdernus (Yder) on the archivolt of Modena Cathedral.
Source: Username.Ruge, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A young man (Yder) renders a service to King Arthur but the king shows a lack of gratitude, resulting in the fellow going off on adventures. He later becomes the object of Arthur’s jealousy when the king compels Guinevere to reveal the man whom she’d least object to marrying should Arthur die — though young Yder already loves another. Eventually, Arthur sends Yder on a quest to kill a couple giants, and despite his success, he is badly served by another knight and left for dead. Will our young hero win through? The unrelentingly negative portrayal of King Arthur in this romance is worth remarking, but the story as a whole is relatively undistinguished. Mildly recommended.

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