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King Mark of Cornwall was the brother of Tristan's mother (named Elyzabeth
in Malory; Blanscheflur in Gottfried;
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| King Mark listens to the
crying of Iseult after Tristan's death. |
Blauncheflour in Sir Tristrem) and uncle to Sir Tristan.
Mark appears in early Celtic literature such as he Triad
telling the story of Tristan as one of the three powerful swineherds
of Britain. In this Triad, "Drystan son of Tallwch" watches
over the swine of "March" (Mark) while the swineherd delivers
a message from Drystan to Essylt. The Welsh work was the source for an episode
in Masefield's play Tristan and Isolt, in which Arthur appears as
a "Captain of the Host" and is subordinate to Mark. There is some
evidence for an actual Welsh nobleman, March son of Meirchyawn, behind the
figure of Mark.
In the ninth-century Life of Paul Aurelian (St. Pol a monk of Landevennec
and patron saint of Paul in Cornwall) by Wrmonoc, Mark is identified with
Cunomorus (Welsh Kynvawr), who ruled Cornwall in the early sixth century,
and who probably had his seat at Castle Dore, a hillfort near Fowey. Wrmonoc
says of St. Paul: "fama ejus regis Marci pervolat ad aures quem alio
nomine Quonomorium vocant". Cunomorus and Tristan are associated on
the famous Tristan Stone (also located in Fowey), a memorial stone commemorating
Drustanus, son of Cunomorus.
Mark figures in the medieval Tristan and Iseult tales as the rival to Tristan,
originally as a basically noble man caught up in the tragic circumstances,
but increasingly as a figure who exhibits traits inconsistent with chivalrous
conduct. He, or a modern analogue of his character, also appears in modern
reworkings of the legend, including those by Thomas Hardy, John Masefield,
Martha Kinross, Don Marquis, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch,
John Erskine, John Updike, and many others.
© The Camelot Project, The University of Rochester
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