[114] Cf. Introduction to M. Paulin Paris's _Romans de la Table Ronde_, p. 81 _et seq._, also M. de Villemarqué's _Merlin_, p. 121.
[115] Dr. Wechssler's interesting study on '_die verschiedenen Redaktionen des Graal-Lancelot Cyklus_' will be referred to later on. It is an excellent statement of certain aspects of the problem, but further research shows some of his conclusions to be very doubtful. His judgment with regard to the _Queste_ variants is certainly at fault.
[117] Cf. Rhys, _Studies in the Arthurian Legend_, chap. iii. The author remarks that to this day in some parts of Wales it is held an insult, as implying a reflection on her moral character, to call a girl Guinevere.
[118] 'Arthur gave in charge all that he had to Mordred and the queen. That was evil done that they were born, for the land they destroyed with sorrows enow. And at the end themselves the Worse (devil) began to destroy that they there forfeited (lost) their lives and their souls, and ever since are loathed in every land, that never a man will offer prayer for their souls.'
[119] This line is lacking in the oldest MS., but can be supplied from the later recension: 'Man knew not, in sooth, whether she were dead (and how she hence departed), whether she herself were sunk in the water.'
[120] The _Merlin_ of course deals with a period anterior to this _liaison_, but as we possess it, it has been, as we saw above, redacted under the influence of a tradition of which the amours of Lancelot and Guinevere formed an integral part.
[121] Cf. _Legend of Sir Gawain_, p. 76 _et seq._
[122] On this point, cf. my _Legend of Sir Gawain_, Mr. Maynadier's _Wife of Bath's Tale_ (both in Grimm Library), and M. Marillier's article in _Revue des religions_ (July-August, 1899), already referred to.
[123] I have purposely omitted Tristan, as, though a Celtic hero, he is only indirectly connected with Irish tradition.
[124] I am glad to find that M. Gaston Paris evidently holds this view, as in a note to his discussion of the tradition that Roland was Charlemagne's son as well as his nephew, in the _Histoire Poétique de Charlemagne_, he refers to Gawain as holding the same position.
[125] The above remarks of course refer to Gawain as connected with Arthur; originally he was probably independent. As our knowledge stands at present, the parallels between Gawain and early Irish tradition appear to belong mainly to the _Ultonian_ cycle; while in the case of Arthur the parallels are rather to the _Ossianic_.