Tirant lo Blanc
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Tirant lo Blanc is an epic romance written by the Valencian knight Joanot Martorell, finished by Martí Joan De Galba and published in Valencia in 1490. It is one of the best known medieval works of literature in the Valencian language, and played an important role in the evolution of the Western novel thanks to its influence on Cervantes.
The medieval spelling is Tirant lo Blanch; a literal English translation of the title would be The White Knight or Tirant the White, the name of the main character of the romance.
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[edit] Influence
Tirant lo Blanc is one of the most important books of Valencian literature. It is considered a major influence for Miguel de Cervantes' book, Don Quixote de la Mancha, which was written a century later; comparisons between the two show many similarities.[citation needed]
In the following fragment of the Quixote, the priest and the barber throw to the bonfire books of Don Alonso (Don Quixote):
- -"God bless me!" said the curate with a shout, "'Tirante el Blanco' here! Hand it over, gossip, for in it I reckon I have found a treasury of enjoyment and a mine of recreation. Here is Don Kyrieleison of Montalvan, a valiant knight, and his brother Thomas of Montalvan, and the knight Fonseca, with the battle the bold Tirante fought with the mastiff, and the witticisms of the damsel Placerdemivida, and the loves and wiles of the widow Reposada, and the empress in love with the squire Hipolito--in truth, gossip, by right of its style it is the best book in the world."[citation needed]
Although regarded as a masterpiece of late medieval literature, it is not commonly known now due to the treatment that political history has given to Catalan literature, but it was a success and reprinted and translated or plagiarised many times during the 16th century.[citation needed]
[edit] Plot
Tirant lo Blanc is a story about a knight — Tirant — from Brittany, who has a series of adventures across Europe (he joins in knightly competitions in England and France) until the Emperor of the Greeks asks him to help in the war against the Turks. Tirant accepts, is made Megaduke of the Empire, becomes the captain of an army, defeats the Turks and saves the Empire, then battles Moors in many regions of the Oriental Mediterranean and Northern Africa, but dies just before he can marry the pretty heiress of the Empire.
Some parts of Tirant bear certain parallels with the life of Admiral Roger de Flor, the leader of the Almogavars (Catalan and Aragonese mercenaries that helped the Byzantine Empire to fight the Turks), and who was murdered by the Byzantines. There are also similarities with the Hunyadi.
The loss of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire (1453) was considered at the time to be a major blow to Christian Europe. In writing his novel Martorell perhaps rewrote history to fit what he wanted it to be.
[edit] Movie
A film based on the book was released in early 2006. Though it retains the original title, the film was made in English.
[edit] Bibliography
Two modern translations of the book into English include:
- Tirant Lo Blanc, translated by David H. Rosenthal (1983, 1996), ISBN 0-8018-5421-0
- Tirant Lo Blanc: The Complete Translation (Catalan Studies, Vol 1), translated by Ray La Fontaine (1994), ISBN 0-8204-1688-6
[edit] External links
- The White Knight: Tirant lo Blanc, available freely at Project Gutenberg edited and translated into English by Robert S. Rudder
- Tirant lo Blanch, handheld edition at PalmCAT.org (English and Catalan editions)
- Tirant lo Blanch (in Catalan)
- Tirant lo Blanc: An Analysis of its Transitional Styles by Suzanne S. Hintz
