Pennod 19 – ‘Iarlles y Ffynnon’, nid ‘Owain’

The Lady of the Fountain, not ‘Owain’

In this episode we discuss the last of the ‘native tales’ as we examine the artful construction of ‘The Lady of the Fountain’. We note the tendency to use the main male character’s name, ‘Owain’, for the title, and insist that it is the title found in the Red Book of Hergest which is correct – ‘The Lady of the Fountain’. Along with Gwenhwyfar and the maiden Luned, the Lady is one of a triad of strong and life-like female characters found in this story. It is she who rules in her realm, even though the black knight guards the magical fountain which is its entrance. Among the things which make this piece of medieval literature so great is the way in which it represents conversation and the interplay between characters, each one with her or his own unique personality. And why does Arthur sleep on ‘a mound of rushes’ (like an eagle in his nest, according to Richard Wyn Jones)?