Post by F***@aol.comIs anyone aware of any coherent effort to try to locate the places in
Chretien de Troyes' romances?
Dear Fool
Yes.
Kind regards
Malcolm Martin
PS. As to the question you did not ask (there is no fool like an old fool?)
it is:
Darrah, John "Paganism in Arthurian Romance" The Boydell Press 1994 ISBN 0
85115 350 X (p/b 1997 pub DS Brewer Cambridge ISBN 085991 426 7).
Despite the title, one of Darrah's main area of interest (most of the second
half of the book) is the geography of the medieval romances, including
Chretien. Starting with references to the Severn, he looks at the geography
of the romances (or, as he calls it, 'legendary Britain'), and then follows
this up with a gazetter of places - stating what they are in the literature
and suggesting possible locations, some more tentative than others.
Especially when coupled with the current OS Map of Roman Britain (which
shows the roads and known settlements) I have found this an extraordinary
useful book.
If Darrah is correct, then Chretien appears to have had a fairy detailed
knowledge of South Wales/South England's geography, either from personal
knowledge or from its pre-existence in his sources.
Kind regards
Malcolm.