One tenth of Tandareis: on characters and programmatic reduction of Arthurian literature
One tenth of Tandareis: on characters and programmatic reduction of Arthurian literature

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the Old Czech adaption of Pleier’s Middle High German Arthurian romance Tandareis. The most outstanding feature of the Czech Tandariáš is its significant reduction in length. Cut down to a tenth, the narrator skips over most of the comments and reflections in order to concentrate on courtly (love) scenes and a remarkably stronger, more powerful and talkative female character compared to the German source. In addition, the Czech text features a specific form of realism and displays narrative strategies of liberalism. In this respect, Tandariáš moderately equals social hierarchies, when i.e. both courtly and uncourtly characters negotiate economic rewards. The article asks questions about the impact of such plot -related observations on the level of discourse as well as the way the story is told.

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