Nine Medieval Romances of Magic

These new modern-English versions of medieval romances with magical themes bring the stories to life for modern readers. This book translates in modern English nine lively medieval verse romances, in a form that both reflects the original and makes them inviting to a modern audience. All nine tales contain elements of magic: shapeshifters, powerful fairies, trees that are portals to another world, magical armor, clothing, and animals. The romances address sexuality, agency, and identity-formation in unexpected ways. Part I begins with two versions of the story of a 'Loathly Lady' or shapeshifting hag that transforms into a beautiful woman: John Gower's ""Tale of Florent"" and Geoffrey Chaucer's ""Wife of Bath's Tale"". Three tales of fairy abductions follow: ""Thomas of Erceldoune"", ""The Ballad of Tam Lin"", and ""Sir Orfeo"". The final story in this group is Sir Launfal, about a destitute knight adopted by a fairy mistress. Part II contains four romances: ""Chaucer's parodic Sir Thopas"", in which the knight seeks a fairy mistress and arms to fight her guardian; ""Sir Gowther"", a tale that begins with a demonic birth and fairy abduction; ""Emare"", a Castaway Queen romance about a lady clothed in a magical love-cloth made by a Saracen princess; and, ""Floris and Blancheflour"", in which the girl Blancheflour is sold into Saracen slavery and her beloved Floris goes to rescue her.