Category Archives: Week 5: Medieval Melusine

Week 5: Melusine

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After going over the scheduled story for this week, Melusine, even though an intriguing tale of Raymond discovering his wife’s secret it also came to me as a representation of how women restrain from being their true selves out of fear of their spouse’s thoughts. Raymond’s reaction to the sensitive secret that his wife has been hiding away from him, to me, is though shocking, also filled with fear not of her but for her. “It was not horror that seized him at the sight, it as infinite anguish at the reflection that through his breach of faith he might lose his lovely wife forever” (Lebey 88) I’ve read my peers responses to this, and I appreciate how we agree and take notice of how much Raymond cares about his wife in comparison to the lack of care for the nautical women in other folk tales. Melusina identifies herself as a woman of God, “I am as faithful a Christian as you are.” (Lebey 25) I will assume that though Melusina practiced Christianity, she’s aware of what her true nature meant to those that aren’t like her, which is why she keeps it out of light. This to me represents the darkest desires of women that need to be tied up and put away due to the danger of being categorized as a “monster.” .

Week 5 – Legend of Melusina

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What piqued my interest at a first glance was the description of Melusina’s ability to travel between all planes of existence that I can think of. She can slither and exist in the horizontal plane, she can swim, she can exist on the ground, and she can fly. In my eyes, this gives her some form of omnipotence that seems significant to the story.

As I continued to read the version of the story, I realized that maybe she does have some sort of all-powerfulness. With the line, “and though people may not perceive me in the air, yet they will see me by the Fountain of Thirst” (Keightley 85) it is suggested that Melusina will always have some presence and influence over the castle.

In many of these stories, the knowledge or power possessed by female characters seems somewhat contrary to the culture at the time and place of the story. Why is it that the mermaids are powerful characters when the stories are being written and re-written in times of intense female degradation? I wonder if maybe the power that is alluded to is the power of female sexuality. This power that women have is displayed appears similar to what was depicted in Macbeth by Lady Macbeth. I’m not sure if that is a message of this particular story, but I imagine that many of the texts interpreted by the Catholic church were manipulated to paint women in a way that warns men of there sexuality.

On the other hand, I’m excited to open this up in class because I sense there are many things that went entirely over my head. The dialect from the time is somewhat confusing to me. The change over time of these stories is interesting and I would like to see a side-by-side of the progression of a story over the years. It would be cool to see the different biases that a particular interpreter might have compared to others depending on the time frame and cultural norms at the time.

Week 5: What does the story of Melusine say about humanity’s relationship with the natural world?

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As I learned about Melusina through The Legend of Melusina and The Romance of the Faery Melusine, I became intrigued by what these stories say about man’s relationship with the natural world. Chapter one of The Romance of the Faery Melusine discusses man’s innate desire to conquer “the unknown” as doing so is “the extension of their physical and spiritual power” (23). At the beginning of the chapter, the nature surrounding the village is described as “menacing,” “dangerous,” and “somehow diabolic” (11). The natural enviornment is seen as unpredictable and threatening— and confronting nature’s force is explained to be a true test of character. 

This merciless description of nature differs greatly from the words used to describe Melusine. Legend of Melusina describes the maiden as beautiful and well-mannered (Bacchilega, Brown 87). The Romance of Faery Melusine emphasizes Melusine’s beauty by illustrating her as a “force of light” (25) that is “smiling upon” Raymondin (25). Despite Melusine’s connection to the natural world, she is far from the savage description of nature given earlier in the story. In fact, she is not “diabolic” (11) but rather “a faithful Christian” (25) meant to “put a seal of truth upon the words of the old lord” (26). This portrayal suggests that Melusine is the embodiment of harmony and goodness within the natural world. 

Perhaps Raymond’s broken vow of not seeing Melusine on Saturdays is a cautionary tale explaining the consequences of violating nature’s laws. Melusine’s transformation into a serpent or dragon may be symbolic of man’s arrogance and pride. Do humans need to conquer the unknown to truly show their “mettle” (12)? Maybe embracing and respecting our natural world is a better testament to our spirit and morals. 

Overall, the story of Melusina highlights the complex relationship humans have with nature and warns humanity of the consequences that come with disrupting nature’s balance. 

Week 5: Christian Themes and New Interest for Men

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For this weeks reading, I found that there were more Christian themes and new interest for men. A lot of the stories we have read previously, where, somewhat putting women as mermaids in which they were sexualized, lusted, dangerous, but in this weeks, reading, we kind of continue that theme of the siren, where women now offer men knowledge. Some of the reading for me was a little bit difficult to understand, but what I picked up on from “The Legend of Melusina” and the other three versions of the same tale was sort of the curiosity of the unknown. This theme almost reminded me of somewhat the Christian sort of wanting the readers to fear this unknown or better yet stay true to their promises and have faith. The stories, in a way, reminded me of Adam and Eve, and not trusting that same serpent symbol. If Eve were to have simply listened to what God said, then there would be no trouble, and in this case, if the king were to have listened and not seen Melusina on Saturday, then all would have been well. It’s as if the church was trying to push the message that you need to have faith and discipline, regardless of your curiosity of the unknown; to essentially not be led into temptation. I just enjoyed how, in this case, the unknown was the sort of knowledge thing rather than the temptation of a woman’s body, or what women might dangerously do. This is the sort of spreading I was used to before coming into this class, rather than putting women into negative light in order to teach them and spread messages.

Week 5: Melusina, the Ghost Mermaid

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One thing I absolutely love about this course is the fact that we are learning so much about other cultures’ core values and beliefs through these stories. This week, we took a look at France through the story Legend of Melusina. Count Raymond is married to a beautiful woman named Melusina in the story. She promises their love will be long and plentiful as long as he never tries to see her on Saturdays. Greed (a recurring sentiment we should all be familiar with by now) takes over Raymond’s heart, and he makes a point of seeing her on a Saturday – but he is shocked to see that she has transformed into a snake. After this, she curses him and his lineage and turns into a spectral entity that – when seen – is the precursor for the current crown’s death. This feels like a campfire story, and that’s awesome. It’s got clear morals like don’t give in to greed and respect your partner’s boundaries – the combination of the two makes this piece genuinely progressive and timeless.

What’s more is the fact that, even though she put a hex on Raymond and his bloodline, she isn’t necessarily portrayed as a malignant entity. She’s simply the victim of a broken promise. This isn’t a cautionary tale of vicious monsters or women who are up to no good. This isn’t a story about a righteous man who can do no wrong. Melusina is the victim – and the man, Raymond, is a fool. This is a story about appreciating what you are given, especially if you didn’t ‘earn’ or create it. I am excited to hear other students’ interpretations of the piece, its message, and its literary value compared to some of the other stories we’ve covered. It’s cool to see a story that wants its audience to treat each other respectfully.

Also, I wasn’t sure where to fit this in, but Melusina is doomed to spend eternity in pain and suffering as a ghost – which hammers in the idea that she isn’t the ‘monster’ here. I am a little worried about the detail of Raymond and Melusina’s children being born with deformities – it almost makes me feel like the intended moral of the story is something more along the lines of “don’t be so blinded by desire that you don’t recognize the monster in your home.” However, as we saw with the Oxford English Dictionary definitions of day one, words can stay the same and change meanings. No matter an author’s intent, it is what you take away from it that really makes a difference in anything.

Week 5 – The Faery at the Fountain

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Chapter 3 of The Romance of the Faery Melusine (Gareth Knight, translated by Andre Lebey, 19th C) I thought was interesting to read about since in the back of my head all I was thinking about was that they were hinting about mermaids or sirens the entire time. Reading the Legend of Melusina (The Penguin Book of Mermaids, 85-87) and it stating that her mother “condemned Melusina to become every Saturday a serpent, from the waist downwards” (page 86), which stuck with me because as I read Chapter 3 of The Romance of the Faery Melusine I unnoticed how stories were worded differently. In summary on page 25 it was almost as if Melusina was mind reading Raymondin which to me gives the idea off that she might be a siren, since in last weeks class one of the main discussions of a siren was that they have been somewhat presented as mystical beings that hold all the knowledge in the world which can include the thoughts of others. It was interesting that no where in this chapter it was clearly stated what mythical being Melusina could’ve been, but they made it a point to mention the beauty and knowledge she held that left Raymondin wondering “if he were still alive” (24). 

One of the biggest points I found interesting that was made within chapter 3 is the idea of blinded trust due to feminine beauty. Before even knowing Melusina’s name, Raymondin was able to fully confide in Melusina and the contract of marriage she has set up for the both of them which made me wonder how beautiful Melusina could have been that it left Raymondin unable to comprehend what is being said and the contract he is signing himself up for. It isn’t such a surprise that he was able to trust Melusina because of how differently things were done and said in the past, but it’s strange that Raymondin himself didn’t stop to question if she was even a mythical being since sirens were existent in that period of time. The idea of feminine beauty through this story has had an emphasis on me in that now I can only imagine the power that mermaids, sirens and so many other feminine mythical beings would have over the male population.

Week 5 Melusine/Great Old Hunter

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What I found interesting about Tuesday’s readings is that all three texts are intertwined. “The Legend of Melusine” and “The Faery at the Fountain” are the same story with “The Legend of Melusine” providing more of a general overview of the tale. Both stories mention that Raymond and his uncle (The Count of Poiters) were on a boar hunting trip in Colombier which accidentally ended in The Count dying by the hand of Raymond. This relates to “The Great Old Hunter” who is, Aimery the Count of Poiters, and ends with him giving his intent to go boar hunting in Colombier the following day, possibly the day he dies (pg 15). It was fun piecing these together in chronological order and building almost a movie in my head.

Although these texts don’t mention it, there are a few ways they relate to the character traits of mermaids/sirens. “The Legend of Melusine” and “The Faery at the Fountain” both describe Melusine as extremely beautiful, to the point where it’s “love at first sight” for Raymond and even lessens his guilt of killing of his uncle, “His former sadness, his remorse, even his exhaustion he threw off in exasperation.” (The Faery at the Fountain pg 27). “The Faery at the Fountain” describes Raymond possibly being deceived by Melusine, “If some of this was inclined towards deception, he did not notice but followed her willingly” (pg 28). Going back to “The Great Old Hunter” it says “She sang a lay so beautiful and sweet That birds who came to hear her song Soon after sang it too… Whose eyes, wide open, great and singular, are the best rulers of a bird” (pg 13). This relates to Sirens as we know are a hybrid between woman and bird and sing beautiful “lays” as mentioned in “Odysseus and the Sirens”.

One thing I found interesting was how Melusine is depicted as being involved in some sort of sorcery, “Dear friend, I give you these two wands whose stones have special virtue…preserves from accidental death by weapons…gives victory in any dispute or combat” (The Faery at the Fountain pg 28). In the same text she says, “you must promise not only to take me as your wife, but never again to doubt – you understand, never, sir knight – that I would conduct myself honestly and in a Christian manner, beyond any sorcery” (pg26). Even though she denies her involvement in sorcery, it sounds like sorcery to me.

Week 5: Medieval Melusine

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When looking over the reading from this week, the ‘Legend of Melusina’ chapter was quite interesting to read. The depiction of the relationship in between Elinas and Fay was quite interesting. When Elinas first sees her at the fountain, he is dealing with the grief of losing his wife. He is taken by her beauty and she had made him promise to never never see her at the time of her “lying-in”. When he did she left and took her three daughters will her, to a high mountain in Albania. I found it so interesting that when her daughter Melunisa came of age, she asked what her father had did, and then he pledged vengeance against him, which is where the story really begins. Melunisa then proceeds to get her sisters to join her in vengeance and they go to his castle to take him and all of his wealth, and inclose him with a charm. When her mother discovers this, she sentences Melunisa to become a serpent every Saturday for the rest of her being, and could find a husband who wouldn’t see her on Saturdays. In my head, I would have thought that the mother might be glad that Melunisa had done this to the King, but instead she is punished. I feel as this really shows the character of the mother, as she did not want revenge, unlike her daughter Melunisa. When she finds Raymond, he is so taken with her he agrees to these terms, until he breaks them. On page 88 when it says “But it was not the horror that seized him at the sight, it was the infinite anguish at the reflection that through his breach of faith he might lose his lovely wife for ever.” I found this quote to be specially sad and contribute to the story line. Raymond was not disturbed by the sight of his wife with a tail, but he was in pain over the fact that he knew he was going to lose her. This took me by surprise, because so far in all the readings, people have only ever been disturbed by the sight of something like this, something un-human. Raymond was different, he loved his wife so much that even though he might’ve been “un-human” at times, it didn’t matter to him. He knew he breached the trust and the oath between them on Saturdays, and he died. He would’ve rather been dead than without her, and call me crazy but I thought this story was beautifully romantic.

Week 5: Melusine and the Environment

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The reading this week was very interesting in the way that it talked about human’s connection with nature. There were multiple times throughout the first chapters where the story described a mutually beneficial relationship between the environment and people. The first instance I noticed of it was in “The Great Old Hunter” where the author mentions that: “Man developed without dissociating or abstracting himself from the world. In short, he knew how to love it, to give and to take in many ways, as he needed” (Lebey, p.12). Humans, men specifically, at this time were able to peacefully coexist with the world. They were not taking excessively from the land but living in harmony with it. This quote explains that this was a process because men “developed” into learning their position and did not just automatically know how to respect the environment. While humans are benefiting from the resources that the environment provides, the environment is benefiting from the love and care of humans. I found this interesting because there is not often any mention of love or giving when discussing the environment. Many modern stories do not acknowledge the respect that the environment is owed and there is hardly any reference to giving back to it in any sort of way. Another moment that stood out to me that revealed a lot about the relationship with the environment was in the description of the wands that Melusine gave to her husband. The wands were made from the elements and contained stones that would help whoever had them with living and battles. These wands were a literal manifestation of what the foundations of the world can help men with. Melusine explains that the core of the stones “is also influenced by what we imagine, and the stones do the rest” (Lebey, p. 28). My understanding of this is that the stones worked depending on the intention of the person using them, so to want to do something that is out of line with nature, in general, would end with not the best results. While the Earth is giving these gifts to someone, they are not meant to be used in a way that would be detrimental to the environment. The environment provides for people but in return requires respect, care, and honesty. 

Melusina, The Christian Siren

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In this week’s reading of The Romance of The Faery Melusine, I found myself surprised by the empathy and warmth the story showed towards the female belonging to the natural world. In the stories of sirens/mermaids we’ve examined that were told through a Christian lens, not only the creatures, but women as a species, have been scorned and made to be seen as inherently wicked or “the world’s most imperfect creature(s)…” (Merpeople, a Human History, Scribner). The female visage was exposed and warped by the church into a symbol for debauchery and sin, and the stories they peddled of feminine monsters were anything but kind.

However, Melusine’s story is the first exception we’ve come across in this course.

Melusine is a holy woman, asserting multiple times in the text that she “is as faithful a Christian as you are” (25), that she “will conduct [herself] honestly and in a Christian manner.” (26), and even claims that she, “next to God,” (25), can help Raymondin best out of his precarious situation.

In this way, Melusine goes from a wicked woman to be wary of, to a lady who acts under the watchful gaze of God, deserving of empathy and love. The story makes emphasis of this piety to fashion a bridge between mythical scaly women and Christianity; once made to be the antithesis of one another, now taken into acceptance—conditionally.

Melusine’s heed of God’s will is what makes her acceptable, otherwise, she would be just another siren.

But this begs the question: Why did the author seek to design a derivative of a mermaid that is now deserving of reverence and sympathy?