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Sir Orfeo
An edition with notes, introduction, and glossary of the 3 manuscripts of the Middle English poem Sir Orfeo.
79 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1330
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
October 18, 2017
i can't complain about a fix-it fanfic
March 6, 2025
Sir Orfeo, a redoing of Orpheus but with a much happier ending. I like the change out of the River Styx with the macabre courtyard.
Lovely, otherworld set apart from reality, or known as Faerie. I read both the Middle English version and the modern translation. Both good, both similar and yet different. I don’t feel scholarly enough to explain why, but the ME version appeals more to me. Maybe it’s the stumbling and needing to speak it aloud that endears me. While the modern version language is so everyday until the translator seemed to be at a loss for how to meet meaning and rhyme and plopped an archaic word in.
Regardless, this was fun. And I’ll definitely be making my way through more of Middle English Breton Lays.
Medieval chivalric romance
Here is the modern translation I read: https://chaucer.fas.harvard.edu/sir-o...
Lovely, otherworld set apart from reality, or known as Faerie. I read both the Middle English version and the modern translation. Both good, both similar and yet different. I don’t feel scholarly enough to explain why, but the ME version appeals more to me. Maybe it’s the stumbling and needing to speak it aloud that endears me. While the modern version language is so everyday until the translator seemed to be at a loss for how to meet meaning and rhyme and plopped an archaic word in.
Regardless, this was fun. And I’ll definitely be making my way through more of Middle English Breton Lays.
Medieval chivalric romance
Here is the modern translation I read: https://chaucer.fas.harvard.edu/sir-o...
September 29, 2022
a good translation of the old tale. i do prefer the original greek myth with orpheus and eurydice, but this is a unique and lighthearted spin on it.
December 13, 2018
Sir Orfeo is an anonymous middle English narrative poem that retells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. The earliest Middle English version is found among other tales in the Auchinleck manuscript, which dates from about 1330-1340, Geoffrey Chaucer its possible owner. Sir Orfeo appears to have been written during the second half of the 13th century, and its chief version consists of 602 short lines of rhyming couplets.
In the poem, the reader is exposed to the romance of King Orfeo, a harp player without equal and his fair wife, Heurodis. At the beginning of May, King Orfeo’s wife falls into a deep sleep under an imp, or grafted, tree and dreams she is abducted by the fairy King, shown his fantastic kingdom, and told that, come tomorrow, she will be kept there forever. To thwart the realization of the dream, Orfeo has hundreds of knights guard Heurodis, but they prove ineffective as the fairy King uses enchantment to take her away effortlessly.
Distraught, Orfeo abandons his kingdom to the charge of his steward and takes to the woods barefoot, his only possessions his cloak and harp. Living off nuts, roots, and bark for more than ten years, Orfeo wanders aimlessly. His only respite from grief comes from playing his harp, which soothes him and enchants all the woodland creatures. One day, he chances upon his wife among a group of ladies from the fairy kingdom. Although Orfeo’s appearance shows the effect of a decade in the wilderness, and his hair is rough and hangs to his waist, Heurodis recognizes him instantly. Overcome with emotion, neither can speak to the other.
Orfeo follows her through a rock and below ground to the fairy kingdom. He gains permission from the porter to enter the castle and, although the fairy King reproaches him for entering his domain without invitation, he listens to Orfeo as he plays his harp. Impressed by his skills, he offers Orfeo whatever his heart desires. Orfeo demands Heurodis and, although the fairy King hesitates to give her to him because the couple seem so mismatched, he honors his word and relinquishes her. Orfeo returns to his kingdom but does not reveal his identity until he tests his steward’s loyalty. The steward passes the test, Orfeo makes his true identity known, and Orfeo and Heurodis are newly crowned. They live and rule in peace until their deaths, upon which, the steward becomes king.
The story contains a mixture of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with Celtic mythology. However, there are many notable differences between the two tales. In Sir Orfeo the main resolution occurs in Fairyland instead of Hades, and the ending is a happy one. But what truly sets Sir Orfeo apart is the fact that the poem is characterized by the complete abandonment of the ancient Greek spirit and worldview that coloured the original myth. Instead, it is steeped in the Celtic spirit and all its sublime beauty.
The Celtic imagined reality is haunted by the idea of the dreamy Otherworld, a parallel dimension where the fairies and the dead reside. In the poem, proof of that is the presence of the fairies who spirit Heroudis away. The fairy land is conceived as a parallel dimension to the everyday world rather than the Land of the Dead as in the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
In contrast to the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, the underworld is not a world of the dead, but rather a world of people who have been taken away when on the point of death. In “The Faery World of Sir Orfeo“, Bruce Mitchell views the passage as an interpolation. On the other hand, in the article “The Dead and the Taken” D. Allen points out that the theme of another world of people who are taken at the point of death (while not dead yet) is a well-established element in folklore, and therefore shows the complete folklorisation of the Orpheus story.
Ruth Evans considers the lay of Sir Orfeo not merely a medieval retelling of Orpheus, but a work heavily influenced by the politics of the time; Orfeo has been criticized as a rex inutilis. The medieval literary motif of the useless king links Orfeo with several late thirteenth and early fourteenth-century sovereigns, including Edward II. Moreover, in his role as a harpist, as a type of David, Orfeo becomes the royal figure upon whom many medieval kings modeled themselves.
As an outcast from society, Orfeo presents the figure of the king as an isolated man. He leaves his kingdom in the hands of his steward, upsetting the order of things. Orfeo himself is upset when his wife his taken, and Evans claims in her essay that the poem’s narrative syntax, by doubling social order with the classic romance structure of exile, risk and then reintegration suggests an emotional link to the loss and recovery of a wife with the loss and recovery of a kingdom. Therefore, the figure of the queen stands for political stability and prosperity of the kingdom and the land itself.
In her essay Sparagmos: Orpheus Among the Christians, Patricia Vicari rejects the idea of the christianization of the myth. In Sir Orfeo the hero is very Celticized, and the fate of Queen Heurodis is similar to the fates of other Celtic heroines. Sir Orfeo remains faithful to a rather pantheistic view, where the fairy king of Celtic literature rules over the Otherworld as a force of nature, neither good nor bad – as opposed to J. Friedman, who argues that Christian undertones relate Heurodis to Eve taken away by Satan in the form of a fairy king. This Christian reading doesn’t hold much merit. The Otherworld is presented as both alluring and menacing and the fairy King is not cast in the role of the villain. What’s more Heurodis is not being punished for any kind of sin or transgression, nor is she necessarily the victim of a targeted attack, but was merely a hapless victim in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But beneath all the symbolism and ambiguity, Sir Orfeo reads as a tale of loyalty and devotion. An exemplary fruit of the Celtic worldview, the poem involves spells and enchantment, a King who loses everything only to regain it after years of suffering, fidelity to spouse and to lord, love, and the all-powerful, magical properties of music.
And so beguiling is the atmosphere that permeates the whole poem, that so many centuries after its composition it still has the ability to mesmerize the reader and invite many more interpretations, as is the case with all fine artistic creations.
In the poem, the reader is exposed to the romance of King Orfeo, a harp player without equal and his fair wife, Heurodis. At the beginning of May, King Orfeo’s wife falls into a deep sleep under an imp, or grafted, tree and dreams she is abducted by the fairy King, shown his fantastic kingdom, and told that, come tomorrow, she will be kept there forever. To thwart the realization of the dream, Orfeo has hundreds of knights guard Heurodis, but they prove ineffective as the fairy King uses enchantment to take her away effortlessly.
Distraught, Orfeo abandons his kingdom to the charge of his steward and takes to the woods barefoot, his only possessions his cloak and harp. Living off nuts, roots, and bark for more than ten years, Orfeo wanders aimlessly. His only respite from grief comes from playing his harp, which soothes him and enchants all the woodland creatures. One day, he chances upon his wife among a group of ladies from the fairy kingdom. Although Orfeo’s appearance shows the effect of a decade in the wilderness, and his hair is rough and hangs to his waist, Heurodis recognizes him instantly. Overcome with emotion, neither can speak to the other.
Orfeo follows her through a rock and below ground to the fairy kingdom. He gains permission from the porter to enter the castle and, although the fairy King reproaches him for entering his domain without invitation, he listens to Orfeo as he plays his harp. Impressed by his skills, he offers Orfeo whatever his heart desires. Orfeo demands Heurodis and, although the fairy King hesitates to give her to him because the couple seem so mismatched, he honors his word and relinquishes her. Orfeo returns to his kingdom but does not reveal his identity until he tests his steward’s loyalty. The steward passes the test, Orfeo makes his true identity known, and Orfeo and Heurodis are newly crowned. They live and rule in peace until their deaths, upon which, the steward becomes king.
The story contains a mixture of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with Celtic mythology. However, there are many notable differences between the two tales. In Sir Orfeo the main resolution occurs in Fairyland instead of Hades, and the ending is a happy one. But what truly sets Sir Orfeo apart is the fact that the poem is characterized by the complete abandonment of the ancient Greek spirit and worldview that coloured the original myth. Instead, it is steeped in the Celtic spirit and all its sublime beauty.
The Celtic imagined reality is haunted by the idea of the dreamy Otherworld, a parallel dimension where the fairies and the dead reside. In the poem, proof of that is the presence of the fairies who spirit Heroudis away. The fairy land is conceived as a parallel dimension to the everyday world rather than the Land of the Dead as in the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
In contrast to the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, the underworld is not a world of the dead, but rather a world of people who have been taken away when on the point of death. In “The Faery World of Sir Orfeo“, Bruce Mitchell views the passage as an interpolation. On the other hand, in the article “The Dead and the Taken” D. Allen points out that the theme of another world of people who are taken at the point of death (while not dead yet) is a well-established element in folklore, and therefore shows the complete folklorisation of the Orpheus story.
Ruth Evans considers the lay of Sir Orfeo not merely a medieval retelling of Orpheus, but a work heavily influenced by the politics of the time; Orfeo has been criticized as a rex inutilis. The medieval literary motif of the useless king links Orfeo with several late thirteenth and early fourteenth-century sovereigns, including Edward II. Moreover, in his role as a harpist, as a type of David, Orfeo becomes the royal figure upon whom many medieval kings modeled themselves.
As an outcast from society, Orfeo presents the figure of the king as an isolated man. He leaves his kingdom in the hands of his steward, upsetting the order of things. Orfeo himself is upset when his wife his taken, and Evans claims in her essay that the poem’s narrative syntax, by doubling social order with the classic romance structure of exile, risk and then reintegration suggests an emotional link to the loss and recovery of a wife with the loss and recovery of a kingdom. Therefore, the figure of the queen stands for political stability and prosperity of the kingdom and the land itself.
In her essay Sparagmos: Orpheus Among the Christians, Patricia Vicari rejects the idea of the christianization of the myth. In Sir Orfeo the hero is very Celticized, and the fate of Queen Heurodis is similar to the fates of other Celtic heroines. Sir Orfeo remains faithful to a rather pantheistic view, where the fairy king of Celtic literature rules over the Otherworld as a force of nature, neither good nor bad – as opposed to J. Friedman, who argues that Christian undertones relate Heurodis to Eve taken away by Satan in the form of a fairy king. This Christian reading doesn’t hold much merit. The Otherworld is presented as both alluring and menacing and the fairy King is not cast in the role of the villain. What’s more Heurodis is not being punished for any kind of sin or transgression, nor is she necessarily the victim of a targeted attack, but was merely a hapless victim in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But beneath all the symbolism and ambiguity, Sir Orfeo reads as a tale of loyalty and devotion. An exemplary fruit of the Celtic worldview, the poem involves spells and enchantment, a King who loses everything only to regain it after years of suffering, fidelity to spouse and to lord, love, and the all-powerful, magical properties of music.
And so beguiling is the atmosphere that permeates the whole poem, that so many centuries after its composition it still has the ability to mesmerize the reader and invite many more interpretations, as is the case with all fine artistic creations.
December 6, 2025
3.5
Reread:
Never become an English major. You’ll be writing essays about harps and rocks.
———
"’Allas!’ quath he, ‘forlorn icham!
Whider wiltow go, and to wham?
Whider thou gost, ichil with the,
And whider y go, thou schalt with me.’"
Absolutely devastating to realize I’m a huge fan of medieval romances now. I got excited when he passed through the rock. The rock!
Reread:
Never become an English major. You’ll be writing essays about harps and rocks.
———
"’Allas!’ quath he, ‘forlorn icham!
Whider wiltow go, and to wham?
Whider thou gost, ichil with the,
And whider y go, thou schalt with me.’"
Absolutely devastating to realize I’m a huge fan of medieval romances now. I got excited when he passed through the rock. The rock!
January 8, 2024
Feels good to get back to some Middle English. Another completely wack story - Sir Orfeo's wife gets taken by some Fairies, so he goes into the woods in despair but manages to find her and win her back from the Fairy King by doing none other than playing his harp really well. Totally nonsensical, completely fun.
November 6, 2023
This reminded me so much of Orpheus. I can't wait to learn more about this little book next week in my Medieval Literature class!
Read
August 8, 2024miche! y biseche ous to bring bac midde anglisch anon
March 19, 2024
// 4
What can I say?? Sir Orfeo. Best medieval romance. (in MY heart)
Read for essay-writing (will return to read this for fun at a later date)
// 3
Physically I am getting ready to revise for another exam. Mentally I am lying face down on the carpet and screaming. Just finished final number four :))))) I am SO TIRED I can't even TELL you. I wrote three essays in about five days and I still have two more to write............. why did I choose this major!!!!
I'll remember that I actually love reading a lot in a few hours but for now I am in a mood to Complain
// 2
Read for class this time!
// 1
exams are over and I'm ready now for Unrestrained Summer Fun*
*catching up on all the book club readings, writing within an inch of my life, baking with my sister, frolicking through the buttercups and the daisies, answering every single message and email I haven't checked since April
What can I say?? Sir Orfeo. Best medieval romance. (in MY heart)
Read for essay-writing (will return to read this for fun at a later date)
// 3
Physically I am getting ready to revise for another exam. Mentally I am lying face down on the carpet and screaming. Just finished final number four :))))) I am SO TIRED I can't even TELL you. I wrote three essays in about five days and I still have two more to write............. why did I choose this major!!!!
I'll remember that I actually love reading a lot in a few hours but for now I am in a mood to Complain
// 2
Read for class this time!
// 1
exams are over and I'm ready now for Unrestrained Summer Fun*
*catching up on all the book club readings, writing within an inch of my life, baking with my sister, frolicking through the buttercups and the daisies, answering every single message and email I haven't checked since April
October 17, 2022
i know this is inspired by orpheus and eurydice, but i think it mirrors odysseus and penelope as well, perhaps even more so - orfeo is odysseus and the steward is penelope, waiting faithfully for orfeo's return. orfeo even disguises himself on his return, just like odysseus! interesting gay people moment.
my first experience reading middle english - i thought my german knowledge would help, but it only did minimally i think, and i of course had to rely a lot on the glossary of certain words and phrases given with the text. but by the end i think i really got the hang of it, and im excited to read more middle english texts! there were some interesting pronoun moments.
i was assigned this for the last week of my greek and roman myth class, and by coincidence a friend of mine was assigned it this same week for the first of his medieval lit class!!
my first experience reading middle english - i thought my german knowledge would help, but it only did minimally i think, and i of course had to rely a lot on the glossary of certain words and phrases given with the text. but by the end i think i really got the hang of it, and im excited to read more middle english texts! there were some interesting pronoun moments.
i was assigned this for the last week of my greek and roman myth class, and by coincidence a friend of mine was assigned it this same week for the first of his medieval lit class!!
November 22, 2020
I didn't read this exact edition, but read Sir Orfeo for class and need to pad my Goodreads challenge. This is a fun Celtic retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, and the queer energy between Orfeo and the Fairy King and Orfeo's steward was ripe for the overreaching imagination.
May 13, 2015
I read Tolkien's translation of this epic poem. I really loved it. It was running like water in a river. It was pretty.
May 24, 2017
This one was interesting to read after just reading the original myth. So sappy and watered down compared to Orpheus and Eurydice! I'm a sucker for retellings, though.
November 17, 2022
This is a really delightful Medieval poem, a good happy ending, and interesting Christ-narratives.
July 5, 2022
Okay, I freaking loved this. It was just so lyrical and reading it was almost like reading a rap song. All the verses just clicked into place so well.
14th century poem about a king who has his wife stolen by fairies and has to venture into 'fairy lond' to save her. He travels for years and grows a beard and is basically a beggar.
Then he finds 'fairy lond' and he plays an instrument really well and the fairy king is like "That was dope. What do you want for payment?" and the king is like, "That lady." And the fairy king is like, "I dunno, man. That's a queen and you look really busted." And the king is like, "Pretty please?" and the fairy king is like "Meh, fine."
Then the king brings his queen home and he finds an old servant who is still mourning his disappearance years ago and he's like, "Calm down, dude! I'm right here!"
And they all HEA.
It was a fun read.
14th century poem about a king who has his wife stolen by fairies and has to venture into 'fairy lond' to save her. He travels for years and grows a beard and is basically a beggar.
Then he finds 'fairy lond' and he plays an instrument really well and the fairy king is like "That was dope. What do you want for payment?" and the king is like, "That lady." And the fairy king is like, "I dunno, man. That's a queen and you look really busted." And the king is like, "Pretty please?" and the fairy king is like "Meh, fine."
Then the king brings his queen home and he finds an old servant who is still mourning his disappearance years ago and he's like, "Calm down, dude! I'm right here!"
And they all HEA.
It was a fun read.
March 30, 2021
Gonna try the tolkien translation as this one just didn't do it for me.
October 29, 2021
super interesting. Opens up even more the more you read. It's always fun to read old time-y re-tellings/fix-it fanfic lol.
January 19, 2022
This is a great medieval poem
October 9, 2023
silly little man and his harp
December 18, 2025
I love my medieval lit course <3
January 3, 2017
Obviously nothing compares to the myth, but Sir Orfeo is just as wonderful. I read it for class and I was not one bit disappointed. A must-read even if for the pure purpose of comparison to the classic myth.
September 6, 2020
A very pleasant read. The rhyming was beautiful!
December 6, 2023
Orfeo really was the original Snow White, huh?
June 11, 2021
Basically Arthurian romantic poetry and Greek mythology chucked into a blender.
It's good, it's nice, it's sweet and simple, but sadly rather depthless for me.
It's good, it's nice, it's sweet and simple, but sadly rather depthless for me.
April 4, 2024
"Sir Orfeo" is a medieval romance that belongs to the genre of Breton lays, a type of narrative poetry popular in the 12th and 13th centuries. The tale draws on classical mythology, particularly the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but it presents a unique twist on the theme. While "Sir Orfeo" provides entertainment through its fantastical elements and adventurous plot, it also carries several moral and thematic lessons.
At its core, "Sir Orfeo" is a story of profound love and unwavering devotion. Orfeo's relentless pursuit of his wife, Heurodis, even after she is abducted by the fairy king, demonstrates the lengths to which one will go for love.
Orfeo's musical talent serves as a central motif throughout the narrative. His ability to enchant both humans and supernatural beings with his music highlights the transformative power of art and the transcendent nature of beauty.
Orfeo's resilience in the face of adversity serves as an inspiring example. Despite losing his kingdom and enduring years of sorrow, he remains steadfast in his quest to reunite with his beloved Heurodis.
The story also explores the fleeting nature of happiness and the unpredictability of fate. Orfeo experiences both joy and sorrow, reminding readers of the ephemeral nature of worldly pleasures.
"Sir Orfeo" juxtaposes the magical realm of fairyland with the mundane world of medieval England. This contrast underscores the tension between the enchanting allure of the supernatural and the comforts of ordinary life.
As for its entertainment value, "Sir Orfeo" is indeed a captivating tale that seamlessly blends elements of romance, adventure and fantasy. The narrative is rich in vivid imagery and suspenseful twists, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Additionally, the story's exploration of timeless themes such as love, loss and redemption, ensures its enduring appeal. While it may lack the complexity and depth of some later literary works, its charm lies in its simplicity and timeless themes. It serves as both an entertaining adventure and a poignant meditation on the human experience.
At its core, "Sir Orfeo" is a story of profound love and unwavering devotion. Orfeo's relentless pursuit of his wife, Heurodis, even after she is abducted by the fairy king, demonstrates the lengths to which one will go for love.
Orfeo's musical talent serves as a central motif throughout the narrative. His ability to enchant both humans and supernatural beings with his music highlights the transformative power of art and the transcendent nature of beauty.
Orfeo's resilience in the face of adversity serves as an inspiring example. Despite losing his kingdom and enduring years of sorrow, he remains steadfast in his quest to reunite with his beloved Heurodis.
The story also explores the fleeting nature of happiness and the unpredictability of fate. Orfeo experiences both joy and sorrow, reminding readers of the ephemeral nature of worldly pleasures.
"Sir Orfeo" juxtaposes the magical realm of fairyland with the mundane world of medieval England. This contrast underscores the tension between the enchanting allure of the supernatural and the comforts of ordinary life.
As for its entertainment value, "Sir Orfeo" is indeed a captivating tale that seamlessly blends elements of romance, adventure and fantasy. The narrative is rich in vivid imagery and suspenseful twists, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Additionally, the story's exploration of timeless themes such as love, loss and redemption, ensures its enduring appeal. While it may lack the complexity and depth of some later literary works, its charm lies in its simplicity and timeless themes. It serves as both an entertaining adventure and a poignant meditation on the human experience.
July 23, 2025
"But as he heard Sir Orfeo play
Forgot his heaviness straightway,
And deemed himself in Paradise
For joy of such sweet melodies.
[...]
His harp, which was wont to be his glee,
He keepeth safe in a hollow tree,
And when the sun shone bright again
To take that harp he aye was fain,
And to temper the cords as should seem him good,
Till the music rang through the silent wood,
And all the beasts that in woodland dwell
For very joy at his feet they fell;
And all the birds in the forest free
Were fain to seek to the nearest tree,
And there on the branch they sat a-row
To hearken the melody sweet and low;
But when his harp he had laid aside
Nor beast nor bird would with him abide.
[...]
With all manner of music and minstrelsy;
I' faith there was joyous melody,
And the tears of joy they fell like rain."
Forgot his heaviness straightway,
And deemed himself in Paradise
For joy of such sweet melodies.
[...]
His harp, which was wont to be his glee,
He keepeth safe in a hollow tree,
And when the sun shone bright again
To take that harp he aye was fain,
And to temper the cords as should seem him good,
Till the music rang through the silent wood,
And all the beasts that in woodland dwell
For very joy at his feet they fell;
And all the birds in the forest free
Were fain to seek to the nearest tree,
And there on the branch they sat a-row
To hearken the melody sweet and low;
But when his harp he had laid aside
Nor beast nor bird would with him abide.
[...]
With all manner of music and minstrelsy;
I' faith there was joyous melody,
And the tears of joy they fell like rain."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2023
A tale of Sir Ofreo, a king who looses his wife as prophesied. In despair, he lives in the wilderness for ten years, until he approaches a group of ladies and sees his wife. They run away, and he follows them to the hidden kingdom and then plays his harp to the king in return for his wife. He goes back to his own kingdom undercover as a beggar. When asked, he tells the steward that Ofreo had been killed and he took the harp from his dead body. This was to test the stewards loyalty. Since the steward weeper and loved the lost king, Ofreo promised him the kingdom after he died. This poem rhymes in couplets, which I enjoyed for an easy, short read. I think it would have been a better poem if the wife had some dialogue after Ofreo found her again.
Stand Outs
-N/A
Stand Outs
-N/A
January 20, 2025
What can I say, I actually loved this poem's dreadfully cheesy ending. Even with its clear links to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Sir Orfeo definitely felt like its own thing when I read it. It is a short read that has a nice pace overall, and is generally a fairly easy romance to get into. Again, as optimistic as the whole premise of the ending is, I can't help but admire the aspects of loyalty and love that the poem foregrounds. The Celtic Otherworld elements are a welcome addition as well.
'Sir Orfeo' is 100% one of the most enjoyable pre-Early Modern English texts I have read so far.
'Sir Orfeo' is 100% one of the most enjoyable pre-Early Modern English texts I have read so far.
October 20, 2023
A retelling that is all magic and fairies and flowers and totally cute stuff.
I liked reading this since it rhymed and felt like Dr. Seuss meets knightly romance, meets middle English.
However, it's weak as a retelling of Orhpeus and Eurydice. It holds it's own and flows well, but failed to interest me due to a lack of any real conflict.
Perhaps it's due to the short length of the poem, or that the original story is better. Regardless, this translation is too whimsical for me. Orfeo just does his thing without having to face any consequences for leaving the kingdom. That did it for me.
I liked reading this since it rhymed and felt like Dr. Seuss meets knightly romance, meets middle English.
However, it's weak as a retelling of Orhpeus and Eurydice. It holds it's own and flows well, but failed to interest me due to a lack of any real conflict.
Perhaps it's due to the short length of the poem, or that the original story is better. Regardless, this translation is too whimsical for me. Orfeo just does his thing without having to face any consequences for leaving the kingdom. That did it for me.
October 21, 2024
not sure i can count this as having read a book lol but it was a fun middle english poem based on the story of orpheus and eurydice !
quite graphic at points - his wife literally tears her face off - but, as someone else has already said in their review, it is quite literally a fix-it fanfic. the king and queen return to their land and happily rule for the rest of their lives, their stories being remembered in a lay!
im excited to look at the manuscript context next week
quite graphic at points - his wife literally tears her face off - but, as someone else has already said in their review, it is quite literally a fix-it fanfic. the king and queen return to their land and happily rule for the rest of their lives, their stories being remembered in a lay!
im excited to look at the manuscript context next week
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews