Well there you are! I remember promising you last time that we’d take a more comprehensive look at our dear friends Tristan and Isolde’s love lives very soon, and I plan to deliver on that promise. Now, this is our longest tale yet, and Tristan will appear very soon, but as for the story you’re about to hear right now, our little Cornwallian soap opera begins generations before Tristan was even born, and it seems that drama just runs through his veins. Before we begin, I have to warn you that this first part of the text includes a non-graphic depiction of suicide, and if you feel the need to skip over it for this reason, rest assured that you won’t be missing much of the main story. Now without much further ado, here’s what’s believed to be the last Tristan text, and possibly the last Arthurian text overall, to be added to the medieval canon, The Byelorussian Tristan, otherwise known as the Povest o Tryshchane, as translated by Zora Kipel.
-Sir Bedevere
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Here begins the tale of the knights from the Serbian books. In particular the famous knights Tristan, Antsolot and Bovo and many other valorous knights.
There was a king by the name of Klevdas; he had great affection for King Apolon, and because of their great affection, they stayed with each other for long periods, coming with all their servants and their courts. And King Apolon came with his court to King Klevdas and resided with him for a year. King Apolon had a very beautiful queen.
King Klevdas's son was a very fine youth, a valorous knight: he was enamored of Apolon's queen with a great love: when he could not endure it anymore, he told her about great love for her. She did not want in any manner to allow that and said to him, “Are you not ashamed to tell me this?” Seeing that he could accomplish nothing, he waited till King Apolon departed from King Klevdas for his own kingdom; then the son of King Klevdas got ready, took in company with him some worthy youths. and sat in ambush in the forest near the road. When King Avalon came closer to him — they prepared themselves and were waiting for King Apolon — they attacked him and, catching him, wounded him brutally, so that from these wounds he could not live, and they destroyed all his party. King Apolon said to his queen. “As I said to you yesterday, so it happened and this cruel death came to me.” She was very sad and sorrowful and said. “By God, I do not know how this evil happened.”
When the son of King Klevdas returned he came into a high chamber where the queen was ushered, and he wanted to fulfill his desire with her. The queen saw that he had committed much harm because of her and said to him. “Oh, evil and wicked man, my lord came here for your good honor, but you put him to death and wanted yet to shame me, but this will not be.” And having said so, she disengaged from him and jumped out of the window of a very high castle and brought herself to death. When he saw this, he said, “I myself murdered the queen, the marvel of this world, by my own recklessness.” And, crying, he ordered them to bury her, and he sent word to King Apolon to check his wounds: he was told that the king would not live and he ordered them to let him be.
After King Apolon died, he directed them that his body be thrown into the river and drowned. And when they threw it into the river, there was a greyhound, which never left the kings side, but swam after his master down the river; he found him in a very deep whirlpool, seized him by his hand and pulled him onto the bank with his teeth. He dug a hole with his paws and put his master into it and covered it with sand, so that no animal could reach him, and sat on this grave to guard it.
King Klevdas went on a chase and was riding along a river and caught many animals; he was riding toward a town when he came near Apolon's greyhound. The greyhound, seeing people, started to howl very loudly. When the king saw the greyhound he sent some men to see what it was. They went and, after having seen it, they reported to the king, saying, “It looks like a person was recently buried and a greyhound is standing on the grave and will not move from it.” The king was very wise and went himself to see this hound. He said, “This is the greyhound of King Apolon, who said about this hound, ‘This Is my greatest friend.’” He told them to open the grave to see the dead body. When they did so, he saw that it was King Apolon: he hit his chest and in a very loud voice said, “I am now lost disgracefully, because my greatest friend has died treacherously in my home; he should have been protected.”
Crying, the king dismounted his horse and ordered he be taken to the town that was not far from there; and having dressed the body of King Apolon as was proper, put him in a crypt. Then King Klevdas gave an order to announce a decree in every place to find out who murdered King Apolon; he was willing to bestow great gifts on whomever might know something certain about it. But if someone knew and did not want to tell the truth, he would be punished at the stake.
When the decree from the king came out, one of Apolon’s maid servants said, “My lord king, if you keep your covenant, I know about King Apolon and what death he died and I can tell you everything; but, according to your pledge, I ask of you one promise.” Said the King, “Whatever you'll ask me give it to you.” And the girl recounted all in order: how his son was enamored of Apolon’s queen but could not have her in any way; how he sat in ambush in a forest and killed King Apolon, her husband.,and destroyed all his company, and how the queen killed herself from sorrow; and everything that happened was recounted to him in order. And King Klevdas said. “My son destroyed me and Apolon.” He sent for Apolon’s son and gave instructions to care for him until he was of age. Then he sent for his son and when he came before him, looked at him very severely and said. “Despicable person, you have murdered one of the best kings and my greatest friend in my house and thus you have destroyed and shamed me. But I will so act that you will take a punishment that is suitable for such a vile deed.”
And when he saw the king’s bad will against himself, he cried out, “My lord, have mercy”; but the king did not succumb to any pity and ordered them to build a fire and to throw his son it. The girl who had told this kneeled before the king and said, “My lord king, now keep your vow as you promised me. The king said, “Tell me, girl.” The girl said, “I beg for your son.” The king said, "I am ready to give him to you but he must face his death.” And he ordered him to be thrown into the fire, and he died instantly. The king said to the girl: “Take him with you; this is my will to punish such a disgrace; take him and bury him.”