Myles Wright
Professor Pressman
ECL 305
14 April 2024
The Romance of the Faery Melusine: Not a Romance
The Romance of the Faery Melusine, written by Andre Lebey, retells the medieval France legend of the Faery Melusine. The legend follows Raymondin who accidentally kills his uncle while hunting. Fleeing deep into the forest, Raymondin encounters Melusine, who promises to help him evade his fate by marrying him, making him the greatest and wealthiest lord of his time. However, Raymondin must swear to Melusine that on “each Saturday, from sundown to dawn on the following day, never must (he) try to see (Melusine) in any way whatever” (Lebey, 27). Eventually, Raymondin is driven to break his sacred promise to Melusine, causing her to leave him and never return. The legend is originally dated back to 1393, and many variations of the story have been told. Across many countries and cultures we see recurring stories of supernatural or shapeshifting women marrying human men. The medieval French legend of Melusine, being one of the most widely known. Why is this narrative so common? What ideas might these stories across lands, seas, and cultures share? Through diction and imagery, The Romance of the Faery Melusine, reveals the ways in which female sexuality was abused and persecuted in Medieval Europe.
Chapter 14, “Betrayal”, best shows how even in marriages built on trust, women were abused and taken advantage of sexually during this time. The descriptions in the chapters serves as an allegory for marital rape. In this chapter, Raymondin, ridden with both guilt and an insatiable desire to know what Melusine does on Saturdays, forces his way into her chambers. As Raymondin first makes his way towards Melusine “The little door violently broke down…He climbed quickly in his eagerness to strike” (Lebey, 121). This is not a scene of discovery, it is a scene of violence, first setting the tone as he breaks down the door, as Raymondin violates his wife’s privacy and trust. The use of the word “strike” further implicates the use of violence in his planned encounter with Melusine. Upon finding the final obstacle to Melusines chambers, it is described as an “almost imperceptible line between two of the thick polished planks of which the door was made. Even though they were mortised into one another to make one seen like all the rest, there was a tiny space visible at the point of joining” (Lebey, 122). Oxford English Dictionary defines mortise as “a cavity, hole, or recess into which the end of some other part of a framework or structure is fitted so as to form a joint”. These planks, which Raymondin must break through, serve as a symbol for the female genitalia. Later, his knife as a symbol for the male counterpart. Forcing his way into the planks, “He pulled out his flat knife… held his breath as he started to slide in the blade and push it slowly, leaning on it with all his strength and weight. The blade entered a little, so slowly that he almost began to despair” (Lebey, 122). The next few pages of the novel center around Raymondin breaking through the planks, though not innately sexual, the word choice and detailed descriptions contribute to the sexual undertones. “As he inserted a little more of the thin blade to enlarge the space he had with such difficulty obtained, it snapped with a dry, clear, crystal sound” (Lebey, 123). The word choice of “inserted” and “enlarge” emphasizes the sexual tone. The planks finally begin to give way with a sharp, violent sound. Raymondin’s efforts, and the sexual connotations continue, “his efforts against the wood… feeling the sweat on his brow and down the length of his body” (Lebey, 123). Raymondin feels that he has “struggled well”, again adding to the sense that this is a struggle, he is unwelcome, and violating privacy (Lebey, 123). The descriptions further: “The blade entered better, and engaged the length of three angles already. He had raised it, and putting it back he leaned against it with all his might. Then, wedged against it to get more leverage, he felt the wall suddenly give, heavily and slowly behind him” (Lebey, 123). Finally, Raymondin breaks through, the wall giving with heavy, slow reluctance.
As Raymondin creeps towards Melusine, “in the moonlight that made his coat of mail glisten, he had the appearance of a strange serpent with iron scales” (Lebey, 124). This hints that he himself is in the wrong, rather than Melusine who, even in concealing her identity, provided for Raymondin. “He slid”, as a serpent, as he violated Melusine’s promise. As he recognizes the wrong he has committed against Melusine, he reflects on the life that has been given to him, “it shone sweetly, polished like a mysterious otherworld fruit. But then the fruit disappeared, as if it had ever been only a dream” (Lebey, 125). The symbol of the fruit stands out. The religious connotation is relevant during this time in medieval France, and the characters of the novel hold Christians beliefs. In this case Raymonid beholds the fruit, but instead of Eve or Melusine, it was him who takes a bite of the apple. His promise to her broken, her trust violated, forcing her to leave him forever. When Raymondin first views Melusine in her natural form, she is described as holding “a mirror, its crystal reflecting the moonlight on her face, which despite the life that animated it as she slowly smiled to herself, gave it an almost lifeless quality” (Lebey, 125). Female sexuality was persecuted during this time, seen as unholy or unnatural, and mermaids were often a symbol of sexual temptation. This scene can be viewed as a female pleasure moment, Melusine enjoying or taking pride in herself. Raymondin views Melusine’s private moment of pleasure as lifeless, reflecting the common beliefs of this time.
Across cultures, women have endured brutalities, even in marriages built upon trust. This could be one possible explanation for the recurring supernatural bride across a variety of cultures. These stories are so common because they reflect a shared sense of violation for women throughout various histories. This particular novel, The Romance of the Faery Melusine, reveals the ways in which female sexuality was abused and persecuted in Medieval Europe.