The Romance of Erec and Enide was originally a sixth century Welsh figure, later connect with, and prominent in, Arthurian literature. This Geraint is debatably the one mentioned in a tenth/eleventh century poem, Geraint filius Erbin, found in The Black Book of Carmarthen, and is certainly the Geraint of the Mabinogion tale, Geraint Son of Erbin. Chretien de Troyes added the Breton name, Erec, in his twelfth century retelling of the Mabinogion tale, Erec and Enide.

The story of Erec and Enide fairly drips with psychological drama. In Constance Hieatt's retelling of this story, The Joy of the Court, upon hearing tell of the appearance of the great White Stag in the Forest of Dean, King Arthur declares, " 'Never have I heard of such a stag,' said the king, 'But this I know: his appearance must be a sign that a great adventure awaits one of us here.' "After lingering too long in the embrace of sleep, and missing the chance of an early morning ride with Arthur, the young and unproven Erec is all but lured into the forest by the Hunt of the White Stag, where he confronts Yder ap Nudd, who has taken captive the fair Enide. While Erec battles with Yder, Arthur is successful in the hunt-- whereupon the knights proceed to argue, to the point of blows, over whose lady should receive the stag's head as prize. Having defeated Yder, Erec returns to Arthur's court with his bride-to-be Enide, and her noble parents. The court unanimously confers the award of the stag's head upon Enide; the hunt of the White Stag is ended, but a new kind of forest-adventure begins. Erec is so enamored with his young bride, that he neglects the company of his friends, along with the hunt and the duties of the court. Erec's excessive devotion to Enide and his sensitive nature drive him to being "deludedly cruel." After Enide reveals to Erec that she has heard the rumors of the court declare him made cowardly by love, Erec, in a hotheaded attempt to prove himself a truly brave knight, plunges Enide and himself into the forest, a wild ride, and a host of troubles and temptations. It is significant that beneath this story lies the pervading search for the missing knight Mabon. Erec, having first refused to join in with Arthur in his hunt for the lost knight, returns to being, ironically, the man to end the search. By blowing upon a silver horn, Erec breaks the spell of delusion and slumber that had entrapped Mabon and many other men like him.

From The Joy of the Court, Constance Hieatt's retelling of Eric and Enid see Pauline Baynes' illustration of the Capture of the White Stag...

Back to "The Hunt" Mainpage