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英雄艾文荷 Ivanhoe
本書是司各特最著名的一部作品，在他的歷史小說中占有一個特殊的位置。首先，這是他第一次跨出蘇格蘭題材的範圍，從而為他今後擴大創作視野奠定了基礎。其次，他的蘇格蘭小說雖然稱為歷史小說，實際它們反映的時代都離司各特所生活的社會不遠，有的甚至涉及了他的童年，以至青年時期。可是在《英雄艾文荷》（以下稱《艾文荷》）中，他卻把他的故事一下子推前了幾百年，把中世紀中葉的英國作為歷史背景。這樣，可以說，隨着《艾文荷》的問世，司各特纔真正成了名符其實的歷史小說傢。第三，司各特作為一個浪漫主義作傢，富有傳奇色彩的中世紀正是最適合他的創作才能發揮長處的時期。因此，正如他在本書的導言中所說，它“獲得了極大的成功，可以說，自從作者得以在英國和蘇格蘭小說中運用他的虛構才智以來，他這纔真正在這方面取得了遊刃有餘的支配能力”。毫不奇怪，巴爾紮剋正是在讀了《艾文荷》之後，纔對司各特的歷史小說發出了由衷的贊美；也毫不奇怪，小說發表後立即不脛而走，成了司各特最暢銷的一本書，人們談到司各特時，都會把《艾文荷》與他聯繫在一起，它理所當然地成了他的代表作品。
《英雄艾文荷》-介紹
《艾文荷》以十二世紀末年英國獅心王理查在位時期的民族矛盾和階級矛盾為背景，抒寫了一個充滿騎士精神的、絢麗多彩的英雄故事。小說着重描寫了三件大事：一，阿什口比武大會，二，托奎爾斯通城堡的爭奪戰，三，聖殿會堂對麗貝卡的審問。這三個富有浪漫主義氣息的場面，當然不是互相孤立的，而是通過情節的發展，一環扣一環逐步形成的，因而使小說構成了一個整體。比武是司各特喜愛的題材，騎士精神也是他所嚮往的中世紀風尚，然而在這裏，比武大會不僅是正義和邪惡力量的一次較量，同時也是全書的一個序麯和人物介紹，書中所有的重要人物幾乎都在這裏出場，並得到了基本的刻劃。在比武場上取得勝利的，也正是符合歷史發展趨勢，决定歷史發展進程的幾股力量的代表人物：艾文荷、理查和洛剋斯利等等。托奎爾斯通城堡的爭奪戰則是正義和邪惡力量的又一次較量。最後以城堡的陷落，邪惡力量的失敗告終。顯然，在作者心目中，以諾曼武士為代表的這股邪惡力量是必然會失敗的，這不僅在於它不得人心，違背了人民的意志，也由於它內部潛伏着嚴重的危機，這便是以烏爾莉加為代表的它的內部矛盾。烏爾莉加既與諾曼貴族有着血海深仇，又成了他們的玩物，與他們沆瀣一氣，同流合污，最後纔在復仇的怒火中將城堡付之一炬。這是司各特着力描寫的一個充滿浪漫色彩的人物。對麗貝卡的審問是全書的餘波，然而是不可缺少的一部分，正是通過對而貝卡的審問，作者嚮我們揭示了作為諾曼徵服的強大支柱的聖殿騎士團的殘酷、虛偽、狡詐的真面目，它的反人民性質决定了它的必然滅亡。這是一場黑白顛倒、用心險惡的所謂審問，在這裏受害者成了被告和囚犯，被判處火刑，害人者卻以奉行天意的正義面目出現，成為審問的法官，高踞在法庭上。聖殿騎士團是十字軍中最著名的騎士組織，自封為上帝的使者，可是它最英勇的騎士布裏恩·布瓦吉貝爾卻是一個桀騖不馴，為了滿足私欲可以把一切置之不顧的個人野心傢。、這個騎士團的覆滅對消除諾曼人和撒剋遜人的隔閡，建立統一的民族國傢都是必要的，因此它也真正宣告了小說中的故事的結束。
本書雖然以《艾文荷》為名，但正如司各特的其他許多小說一樣，艾文荷在書中主要衹是起了聯繫情節的紐帶作用，作者着力描寫的是其他一些人物，其中最主要的便是獅心王理查一世。理查是金雀花王朝的第二代君主，而金雀花王朝實際是諾曼王朝的繼續，1154年諾曼王朝絶嗣，纔由亨利一世的外孫安茹傢的亨利繼位，稱亨利二世，建立了安茹王朝，又稱金雀花王朝，因此這也是諾曼人的一統天下。理查一世是亨利二世的兒子，於1189年繼承王位，但次年即組織第三次十字軍，遠征巴勒斯坦，1192年與蘇丹薩拉丁休戰，在驚險的回國途中被奧地利公爵逮捕，兩年後按照騎士制度的規矩，繳納了大量贖金纔獲得釋放。本書故事便發生在獅心工回國的短暫時期。不久，他又離開英國，前往諾曼底，與法王腓力二世進行了長達五年的戰爭，最後於1199年在法國利摩日附近陣亡。這樣，理查雖然在位十年，在英國當國王的日子卻屈指可數，對英國的歷史也可說毫無影響。然而他英勇無敵，豪放不羈，又力大無窮，任俠使氣，不僅喜歡戰爭生活，而且喜歡單槍匹馬，建立他的所謂功勳；他愛好唱歌，據說還寫過不少抒情歌麯，尤其是他對諾曼人和撒剋遜人一視同仁，因此深得撒剋遜人的好感，成了民間傳說中的英雄人物，在英國流傳的不少歌謠都以他為主人公。司各特筆下的獅心王正是這樣一個人物，他的形象幾乎完全建立在傳說和民謠的基礎上，與歷史上的理查並不一致。司各特所需要的也正是這樣一個傳奇式人物，他在小說中前前後後用了幾章篇幅，着力渲染他的這一方面。在比武大會中，他是來無蹤去無影的俠客式人物，接着他又出現在教士的隱修室中喝酒唱歌，談笑風生；在托奎爾斯通城堡爭奪戰中，他又成了軍事指揮官和身先士卒的勇士，然後他又單槍匹馬奔走各地，一會兒與羅賓漢一夥人飲酒作樂，一會兒又來到了聖殿會堂主持正義。這樣，獅心王理查成了司各特所有小說中刻劃得較成功的形象之一。
司各特是一個保守主義作傢，然而他明白，人心嚮背是决定歷史趨勢的基本因素，因此在他的歷史小說中，人民群衆總是占有一個不容忽視的地位，在本書中代表這股力量的，首先當然是民間傳說中的英雄人物羅賓漢和他手下的一群緑林好漢。關於羅賓漢的出身和生平已無從查考，然而可以確定這是諾曼統治時期的一個人民反抗者，在蘇格蘭和英格蘭一帶流傳着他許多劫富濟貧、鋤強扶弱的故事，司各特也是在這些傳說的基礎上塑造這個人物形象的。據說他本來是一個自耕農，亦即自食其力的個體農業勞動者，他的部下也大多是自由農民和手藝人，他們都是在諾曼人的橫徵暴斂和土地兼併下走上破産的道路，因而淪為盜匪的。根據傳說，羅賓漢是一個出色的弓箭手，他的弓箭至今仍保存在約剋郡的一個陳列室裏。在小說中，他也是首先在阿什口的比武場上以弓箭比賽的優勝者出現。他英勇機智，不畏強暴，作為剪徑的強人，也態度鮮明。在托奎爾斯通城堡的爭奪戰中，他是人民力量的組織者和領導人。接着作者還花了兩章篇幅，專門描寫這夥強人內部的嚴明紀律，對戰利品的公正分配等等。看來，作者對這部分人的活動基本是持肯定態度的。
小說中另一些代表人民的人物，便是小醜汪八和牧豬人葛四，這也是作者着力描寫的兩個人。他們屬於人民的最下層，論身份是奴隸，然而他們愛憎分明，既純樸又狡猾，充滿了對諾曼壓迫者的仇恨。當然作者在描寫這些人物時，也反映了他自己對宗法製生活方式的嚮往。如果說葛四雖然對莊主塞德裏剋忠心耿耿，但仍憧憬着自由的生活，那麽汪八這個人是連自由也不要，寧可終生當奴隸的；不過這正如羅賓漢一夥人儘管是法律的反抗者，在得知黑甲騎士即理查工時，便紛紛嚮他下跪表示忠誠一樣，也是符合歷史情況的。
在小說中，莊主塞德裏剋雖然作為反抗諾曼壓迫的堅強戰士出現，作者仍嚮我們指出，這些人的願望根本不可能實現，塞德裏剋連攻打一個城堡也無能為力，他的復國希望衹是建立在阿特爾斯坦和羅文娜的結合上。可是阿特爾斯坦實際是一個生性懶散、衹關心口腹之欲的人，他的身上體現了撒剋遜王族的一個致命弱點。因此這兩個人與其說反映了撒剋遜人的反抗精神，不如說作者通過他們嚮讀者表明，撒剋遜人已無力推翻諾曼人的統治，英國衹能走和解的道路；兩個民族平等相處，融為一體，纔是保證國傢繁榮富強，人民安居樂業的唯一正確方向，而理查和艾文荷，以至洛剋斯利等等正是代表了這樣一個歷史趨勢。
司各特是浪漫主義作傢，他的創作方法歸根結底一句話，便是歷史真實與大膽想象的結合。他的小說並不拘泥於歷史事實，儘管他有時不惜用大量的繁瑣考證，說明他所寫的一切似乎都鑿鑿有據，然而在更多的場合，在人物塑造和情節處理上，他卻是靠大膽的想象取勝的。為了說明自己在歷史小說創作上的一些觀點，他還專門虛構了一個考古學家德賴斯達斯特博士，讓他作為自己的觀點的對立面，出現在他的一些小說的導言中，本書也是這樣。在第二篇導言（緻德賴斯達斯特博士的致敬信）中，他明確說明歷史小說不是考古學著作，重要的不是細節上的真實，而是展示歷史的風貌。他提出了“虛構和真實相結合”的原則，認為他這麽做沒有超出“一部虛構小說的作者所理應享有的特權”。這篇導言對我們理解司各特的創作是十分重要的。可以說，司各特在本書中，用淋漓酣暢的筆墨描繪了中世紀一個風雲變幻的時代，他在真實的歷史氛圍中為我們塑造了大量虛構的人物，這些人物儘管出自虛構，卻栩栩如生，真實地反映了歷史的進程，他的成功主要便來源於此。因此英國十九世紀著名思想傢和文學家托馬斯·卡萊爾在談到司各特的歷史小說時指出，它們讓我們看到的“不是歷史書和文件記錄中的那種抽象的人”，而是“真正生活在過去的時代中的活生生的人物”。正是在這個意義上，司各特纔被公認為西方歷史小說的創始人。
另一方面，司各特是一個著名的多産作傢，他的寫作速度令人吃驚，這勢必給他的作品帶來一些缺點，例如他往往為了行文方便，讓他的人物說出按照他們的性格或按照當時的具體場合不應該說出的話來。在情節處理上，他也往往任意拉長或縮短時間上的距離，即興式的處理故事。本書中二個特別荒謬的情節便是阿特爾斯坦的突然復活，這甚至連作者本人也感到不合情理，以致不得不加上一條腳註，聲明這是應出版商的要求。它顯然破壞了作者原來的設計，阿特爾斯坦本來是應該死的，這才能解决艾文荷和羅文娜之間的問題，一切合情合理，然而阿特爾斯坦一復活，便變得無法解决，於是衹得讓他聲明放棄婚事，從而背離了他一貫的表現。從這一點上我們可以看到，司各特有時在創作上往往隨心所欲，以致給作品留下了一些難以自圓其說的漏洞。
《艾文荷》是最早介紹到中國的西方小說之一，在國外又拍過電影，有過許多譯本，還出現過不少改寫本和刪節本，它的影響是很大的。
Plot introduction
Ivanhoe is the story of one of the remaining Saxon noble families at a time when the English nobility was overwhelmingly Norman. It follows the Saxon protagonist, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king Richard I of England. The story is set in 1194, after the end of the Third Crusade, when many of the Crusaders were still returning to Europe. King Richard, who had been captured by the Duke of Saxony, on his way back, was still supposed to be in the arms of his captors. The legendary Robin Hood, initially under the name of Locksley, is also a character in the story, as are his "merry men", including Friar Tuck and less so, Alan-a-Dale. (Little John is merely mentioned.) The character that Scott gave to Robin Hood in Ivanhoe helped shape the modern notion of this figure as a cheery noble outlaw.
Other major characters include Ivanhoe's intractable Saxon father, Cedric, a descendant of the Saxon King Harold Godwinson; various Knights Templar and churchmen; the loyal serfs Gurth the swineherd and the jester Wamba, whose observations punctuate much of the action; and the Jewish moneylender, Isaac of York, equally passionate of money and his daughter, Rebecca. The book was written and published during a period of increasing struggle for emancipation of the Jews in England, and there are frequent references to injustice against them.
Plot summary
Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe is disinherited by his father Cedric of Rotherwood, for supporting the Norman King Richard and for falling in love with the Lady Rowena, Cedric's ward and a descendant of the Saxon Kings of England. Cedric had planned to marry her to the powerful Lord Aethelstane, pretender to the Saxon Crown of England, thus cementing a Saxon political alliance between two rivals for the same claim. Ivanhoe accompanies King Richard I to the Crusades, where he is stated to have played a notable role in the Siege of Acre.
The book opens with a scene of Norman knights and prelates seeking the hospitality of Cedric the Saxon, of Rotherwood. They are guided thither by a palmer, fresh returned from the Holy Land. The same night, seeking refuge from the inclement weather and bandits, the Jew Isaac of York arrives at Rotherwood. Following the night's meal, characterised in keeping with the times by a heated exchange of words between the Saxon hosts and their Norman guests, the palmer observes one of the Normans, the Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert issue orders to his Saracen soldiers to follow Isaac of York after he leaves Rotherwood in the morning and relieve him of his possessions a safe distance from the castle.
The palmer then warns the Jewish money lender of his peril and assists his escape from Rotherwood, at the crack of dawn. The swineherd Gurth refuses to open the gates until the palmer whispers a few words in his ear, which turns Gurth as helpful as he was recalcitrant earlier. This is but one of the many mysterious incidents that occur throughout the tale.
Isaac of York offers to repay his debt to the palmer by offering him a suit of armour and a destrier, to participate in the tournament of Ashby where he was bound. His offer is made on the surmise that the palmer was in reality a knight, having observed his knight's chain and spurs (a fact that he mentions to the palmer). Though the palmer is taken by surprise, he acquiesces to the offer, after the admonition that both armour and horse would be forfeit if he lost in combat.
The story then moves to the scene of the famed tournament of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, which was presided over by Prince John Lackland of England. Other characters in attendance are Cedric, Athelstane, the Lady Rowena, Isaac of York, his daughter Rebecca, Robin of Locksley and his men, Prince John's advisor Waldemar Fitzurse and numerous Norman knights.
In the first day of the tournament, a bout of individual jousting, a mysterious masked knight identifying himself only as "Desdichado", supposedly Spanish for the "Disinherited One" (though actually meaning "Unfortunate"), makes his appearance and manages to defeat some of the best Norman lances, including the Templar Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, Maurice de Bracy, a leader of a group of "Free Companions" or mercenary knights, and the baron Reginald Front-de-Boeuf. The masked knight declines to reveal himself despite Prince John's request, but is nevertheless declared the champion of the day and, as his due, is permitted to choose the Queen of the Tournament, which honour he bestows upon the Lady Rowena.
On the second day, which is a melée, Desdichado, as champion of the first day, is chosen to be leader of one party. Most of the leading knights of the realm, however, flock to the opposite standard under which Desdichado's vanquished opponents of the previous day fight. The Desdichado's side is soon hard pressed and he himself unfairly beset by multiple foes simultaneously, when a knight who had till then taken no part in the battle, thus earning the sobriquet Le Noir Faineant or the Black Sluggard, rides to the Desdichado's rescue. The rescuing knight, having evened the odds by his action, then slips away. Though the Desdichado was instrumental in wringing victory, Prince John being displeased with his behaviour of the previous day, wishes to bestow his accolades on the Black Knight who had ridden to the rescue. Since the latter is nowhere to be found, he is forced to declare the Desdichado the champion. At this point, being forced to unmask himself to receive his coronet, the Desdichado is revealed to be Wilfred of Ivanhoe himself, returned from the Crusades. This causes much consternation to Prince John and his coterie who now fear the imminent return of King Richard.
Because he is severely wounded in the competition and Cedric refuses to have anything to do with him, he is taken into the care of Rebecca, the beautiful daughter of Isaac of York, a skilled healer. She convinces her father to take him with them to York, where he may be best treated. There follows a splendid account of a feat of archery by Locksley, or Robin Hood at the conclusion of the tournament.
In the meanwhile, Maurice de Bracy finds himself infatuated with the Lady Rowena and, with his companions-in-arms, plans to abduct her. In the forests between Ashby and York, the Lady Rowena, her guardian Cedric and the Saxon thane Aethelstane encounter Isaac of York, Rebecca and the wounded Ivanhoe, who were abandoned by their servants for fear of bandits. The Lady Rowena, in response to the supplication of Isaac and Rebecca, urges Cedric to take them under his protection till York. Cedric acquiesces to it, being unaware that the wounded man is Ivanhoe. En route, they are captured by Maurice de Bracy and his companions and taken to Torquilstone, the castle of Reginald Front-de-Boeuf. The swineherd and serf, Gurth, who had run away from Rotherwood to serve Ivanhoe as squire at the tournament, and who was recaptured by Cedric when Ivanhoe was identified, manages to escape.
Le Noir Faineant in the Hermit's Cell by J. Cooper, Sr. From an 1886 edition of Walter Scott's works
The Black Knight, having taken refuge for the night in the hut of a local friar, the Holy Clerk of Copmanhurst, volunteers his assistance on learning about the predicament of the captives from Robin of Locksley who comes to rouse the friar for an attempt to free them. They then besiege the Castle of Torquilstone with Robin Hood's own men, including the friar, and the Saxon yeomen they manage to raise, who are angered by the oppression of Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and his neighbour, Philip de Malvoisin.
At Torquilstone, Maurice de Bracy presses his suit with the Lady Rowena, while his love goes unrequited. In the meantime, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who had accompanied de Bracy on the raid, takes Rebecca for his captive, and tries to force his attentions on her, which are rebuffed. Front-de-Boeuf, in the meantime, tries to wring a hefty ransom, by torture, from Isaac of York. Isaac refuses to pay a farthing unless his daughter is freed from her Templar captor.
When the besiegers deliver a note to yield up the captives, their Norman captors retort with a message for a priest to administer the Final Sacrament to the captives. It is then that Wamba slips in, disguised as a priest, and takes the place of Cedric, who thus escapes, bringing important information on the strength of the garrison and its layout.
Then follows an account of the storming of the castle. Front-de-Boeuf is killed while de Bracy surrenders to the Black Knight, who identifies himself as Richard of England. Showing mercy, the Black Knight releases de Bracy. Brian de Bois-Guilbert escapes with Rebecca and Isaac is released from his underground dungeon by the Clerk of Copmanhurst. The Lady Rowena is saved by Cedric, while the crippled Ivanhoe is plucked from the flames of the castle by the Black Knight. In the fighting, Aethelstane is grievously wounded while attempting to rescue Rebecca, whom he mistakes for Rowena.
Subsequently, in the woodlands, Robin Hood plays host to the Black Knight. Word is also conveyed by De Bracy to Prince John of the King's return and the fall of Torquilstone.
In the meantime, Bois-Guilbert rushes with his captive to the nearest Templar Preceptory, which is under his friend Albert de Malvoisin, expecting to be able to flee the country. However, Lucas de Beaumanoir, the Grand-Master of the Templars is unexpectedly present there. He takes umbrage at de Bois-Guilbert's sinful passion, which is in violation of his Templar vows and decides to subject Rebecca to a trial for witchcraft, for having cast a spell on so devoted a Templar brother as Bois-Guilbert. She is found guilty through a flawed trial and pleads for a trial by combat. De Bois-Guilbert, who had hoped to fight as her champion incognito, is devastated by the Grand-Master's ordering him to fight against her champion. Rebecca then writes to her father to procure a champion for her.
Meanwhile Cedric organises Aethelstane's funeral at Kyningestun, in the midst of which the Black Knight, arrives with a companion. Cedric, who had not been present at Robin Hood's carousal, is ill-disposed towards the Black Knight on learning his true identity. But King Richard calms Cedric and reconciles him with his son, convincing him to agree to the marriage of Ivanhoe and Rowena. Shortly after, Aethelstane emerges - not dead, but having been laid in his coffin alive by avaricious monks, desirous of the funeral money. Over Cedric's renewed protests, Aethelstane pledges his homage to the Norman King Richard and urges Cedric to marry the Lady Rowena to Ivanhoe. Cedric yields, not unwillingly.
Soon after this reconciliation, Ivanhoe receives a message from Isaac of York beseeching him to fight on Rebecca's behalf. Upon arriving at the scene of the witch-burning Ivanhoe forces de Bois-Guilbert from his saddle, but does not kill him - the Templar dies "a victim to the violence of his own contending passions," which is pronounced by the Grand Master as the judgment of God and proof of Rebecca's innocence. King Richard, who had quit the funeral feast soon after Ivanhoe's departure, then arrives at the Templar Preceptory, banishes the Templars from the Preceptory and declares that the Malvoisins' lives are forfeit for having aided in the plots against him.
Fearing further persecution, Rebecca and her father leave England for Granada, prior to which she comes to bid Rowena a fond farewell. Ivanhoe and Rowena marry and live a long and happy life together, though the final paragraphs of the book note that Ivanhoe's long service was cut short when King Richard met a premature death in battle.
Characters
* Wilfred of Ivanhoe – a knight and son of Cedric the Saxon
* Rebecca – a Jewish healer, daughter of Isaac of York
* Rowena – a noble Saxon Lady
* Prince John – brother of King Richard
* The Black Knight[disambiguation needed] or Knight of the Fetterlock – King Richard the Lionhearted, incognito
* Locksley – i.e., Robin Hood, an English yeoman
* The Hermit or Clerk of Copmanhurst –– i.e., Friar Tuck
* Brian de Bois-Guilbert – a Templar Knight
* Isaac of York – the father of Rebecca; a Jewish merchant and money-lender
* Prior Aymer – Prior of Jorvaulx
* Reginald Front-de-Boeuf – a local baron who was given Ivanhoe's estate by Prince John
* Cedric the Saxon – Ivanhoe's father
* Lucas de Beaumanoir – fictional Grand Master of the Knights Templars
* Conrade de Montfichet – Templar
* Maurice De Bracy – Captain of the Free Companions
* Waldemar Fitzurse – Prince John's loyal minion
* Aethelstane – last of the Saxon royal line
* Albert de Malvoisin – Preceptor of Templestowe
* Philip de Malvoisin – local baron (brother of Albert)
* Gurth – Cedric's loyal Swineherd
* Wamba – Cedric's loyal Jester
Unofficial sequels
* In 1850, novelist William Makepeace Thackeray wrote a spoof sequel to Ivanhoe called Rebecca and Rowena.
* Edward Eager's book Knight's Castle (1956) magically transports four children into the story of Ivanhoe.
* Christopher Vogler wrote a sequel called Ravenskull (2006), published by Seven Seas Publishing.
* Pierre Efratas wrote a sequel called Le Destin d'Ivanhoe (2003), published by Editions Charles Corlet.
* Simon Hawke uses the story as the basis for The Ivanhoe Gambit the first novel in his time travel adventure series TimeWars.
* The 1839 Eglinton Tournament held by the 13th Earl of Eglinton at Eglinton Castle in Ayrshire was inspired and modelled on Ivanhoe.
Allusions to real history and geography
The location of the novel is centred upon South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire in England. Castles mentioned within the story include Ashby de la Zouch where the opening tournament is held (now a ruin in the care of English Heritage), York (though the mention of Clifford's Tower, likewise an English Heritage property, and still standing, is anachronistic, it not having been called that until later after various rebuilds) and 'Coningsburgh', which is based upon Conisbrough Castle near Doncaster (also English Heritage and a popular tourist attraction). Reference is made within the story, too, to York Minster, where the climactic wedding takes place, and to the Bishop of Sheffield, although the Diocese of Sheffield was not founded until 1914. These references within the story contribute to the notion that Robin Hood lived or travelled in and around this area.
The ancient town of Conisbrough has become so dedicated to the story of Ivanhoe that many of the streets, schools and public buildings are named after either characters from the book or the 12th-century castle.
Influence on Robin Hood legend
The modern vision of Robin Hood as a cheerful, patriotic rebel owes much to Ivanhoe. "Locksley" becomes Robin's title in this novel and hereafter, although it is first mentioned as Robin's birthplace in 1600 and used as an epithet in one ballad. Robin Hood from Locksley becomes Robin of Locksley, alias Robin Hood. The Saxon-Norman conflict first mooted as an influence on the legend by Joseph Ritson is made a major theme by Scott, and remains so in many subsequent retellings. Scott actually shuns the convention of depicting Robin as a dispossessed nobleman, but Ivanhoe has contributed to this strand of the legend, too, because subsequent Robin Hoods (e.g. in the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks film, and 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) take on Wilfrid of Ivanhoe's own characteristics - they are returning Crusaders, have quarrelled with their fathers, and so forth. Also, the modern practice of depicting Robin as a contemporary of Richard I first appears in this novel; before that, he was generally placed two centuries later.
Robin's familiar feat of splitting his competitor's arrow in an archery contest appears for the first time in Ivanhoe.
Historical accuracy
The general political events depicted in the novel are relatively accurate; it tells of the period just after King Richard's imprisonment in Austria following the Crusade, and of his return to England. Yet the story is also heavily fictionalized.
There has been criticism, "... as unsupported by the evidence of contemporary records, of the enmity of Saxon and Norman, represented as persisting in the days of Richard I, which forms the basis of the story."
One inaccuracy in Ivanhoe created a new name in the English language: Cedric. The original Saxon name is Cerdic but Sir Walter committed metathesis. Satirist H. H. Munro, with his typical caustic wit, commented: "It is not a name but a misspelling."
A major inaccuracy is that in 1194 England it would have been quite impossible for Rebecca to face the threat of being burned at the stake on charges of witchcraft. The Church did not undertake the finding and punishment of witches until the 1250s, and death did not become the usual penalty until the fifteenth century; even then, the form of execution used for witches in England (unlike Scotland and Continental Europe) was hanging, burning being reserved for those also convicted of high or petty treason.
However, it should be noted that the method of Rebecca's execution is presented as proposed by Lucas Beaumanoir, Grand Master of the Knights Templars - a Frenchman and a fanatic, determined to root out "corruption" from the Templars. It is quite plausible that Beaumanoir, like many nobles of the time, would have considered himself above the law and entitled to execute a witch in his power in any way that he chose.
Another inaccuracy comes with the terms used by certain characters throughout the novel. At one point, Cedric refers to the lingua franca, an Italian term for "Frankish language" that would not be introduced into British vocabulary until the mid-1600s. Other such anomalies occur at random through the novel.
The novel's references to the Moorish king Boabdil are also anachronistic, since he lived about 300 years after Richard.
It must be noted, however, that Scott himself acknowledged that he had taken liberties with history in his "Dedicatory Epistle" to Ivanhoe. Modern readers are cautioned to understand that Scott's aim was to create a compelling novel set in a historical period, not to provide a book of history.
Rebecca Gratz as inspiration for the character Rebecca
It has been conjectured that the character of Rebecca in the book was inspired by Rebecca Gratz, a preeminent American educator and philanthropist who was the first Jewish female college student in the United States. Scott's attention had been drawn to Gratz's character by Washington Irving, who was a close friend of the Gratz family. The claim has been disputed, but it has also been well sustained in an article entitled "The Original of Rebecca in Ivanhoe", which appeared in The Century Magazine, 1882, pp. 679–682.
Gratz was considered among the most beautiful and educated women in her community. She never married, and is alleged to have refused a marriage proposal from a Gentile on account of her faith - a well-known incident at the time, which may have inspired the relationship depicted in the book between Rebecca and Ivanhoe.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel has been the basis for several movies:
* Ivanhoe (1913): Directed by Herbert Brenon. With King Baggot, Leah Baird, and Brenon. Filmed on location in England and at Chepstow Castle in Wales
* Ivanhoe (1952): Directed by Richard Thorpe and starred Robert Taylor as Ivanhoe, Elizabeth Taylor as Rebecca, Joan Fontaine as Rowena, George Sanders as Bois-Guilbert, Finlay Currie as Cedric, and Sebastian Cabot. The film has a notable jousting scene as well as a well choreographed castle siege sequence. The visual spectacle is given more attention than the dialogue and underlying story, though the main points of the plot are covered. The film was nominated for three Oscars:
o Best Picture - Pandro S. Berman
o Best Cinematography, Color - Freddie Young
o Best Music Score - Miklós Rózsa
There is also a Russian movie The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe (Баллада о доблестном рыцаре Айвенго) (1983), directed by Sergey Tarasov, with songs of Vladimir Vysotsky, starring Peteris Gaudins as Ivanhoe.
There have also been many television adaptations of the novel, including:
* 1958: A television series based on the character of Ivanhoe starred Roger Moore as Ivanhoe.
* 1970: A TV miniseries starring Eric Flynn as Ivanhoe.
* 1982: Ivanhoe, a television movie starring Anthony Andrews as Ivanhoe, Michael Hordern as his father, Cedric, Sam Neill as Sir Brian, Olivia Hussey as Rebecca, James Mason as Isaac, Lysette Anthony as Rowena, Julian Glover as King Richard, and David Robb as Robin Hood. In this version, Sir Brian is a hero. Though he could easily have won the fight against the wounded and weakened Ivanhoe, Brian lowers his sword and allows himself to be slaughtered, thus saving the life of his beloved Rebecca.
* 1986: Ivanhoe, a 1986 animated telemovie produced by Burbank Films in Australia.
* 1995: Young Ivanhoe, a 1995 television series directed by Ralph L. Thomas and starring Kristen Holden-Ried as Ivanhoe, Stacy Keach, Margot Kidder, Nick Mancuso, Rachel Blanchard, and Matthew Daniels.
* 1997: Ivanhoe the King's Knight a televised cartoon series produced by CINAR and France Animation. General retelling of classic tale.
* 1997: This version of Ivanhoe was released as a 6-part, 5-hour series, a co-production of A&E and the BBC. It stars Steven Waddington as Ivanhoe, Ciarán Hinds as Bois-Guilbert, Susan Lynch as Rebecca, Ralph Brown as Prince John and Victoria Smurfit as Rowena.
* 2000: A Channel 5 adaptation entitled Darkest Knight attempted to adapt Ivanhoe for an ongoing series. Ben Pullen played Ivanhoe and Charlotte Comer played Rebecca.
An operatic adaptation by Sir Arthur Sullivan (see Ivanhoe) ran for over 150 consecutive performances in 1891. Other operas based on the novel have been composed by Gioachino Rossini (Ivanhoé), Thomas Sari (Ivanhoé), Bartolomeo Pisani (Rebecca), A. Castagnier (Rébecca), Otto Nicolai (Il Templario)and Heinrich Marschner (Der Templer und die Jüdin). Rossini's opera is a pasticcio (an opera in which the music for a new text is chosen from pre-existent music by one or more composers). Scott attended a performance of it and recorded in his journal, "It was an opera, and, of course, the story sadly mangled and the dialogue, in part nonsense."
《英雄艾文荷》-介紹
《艾文荷》以十二世紀末年英國獅心王理查在位時期的民族矛盾和階級矛盾為背景，抒寫了一個充滿騎士精神的、絢麗多彩的英雄故事。小說着重描寫了三件大事：一，阿什口比武大會，二，托奎爾斯通城堡的爭奪戰，三，聖殿會堂對麗貝卡的審問。這三個富有浪漫主義氣息的場面，當然不是互相孤立的，而是通過情節的發展，一環扣一環逐步形成的，因而使小說構成了一個整體。比武是司各特喜愛的題材，騎士精神也是他所嚮往的中世紀風尚，然而在這裏，比武大會不僅是正義和邪惡力量的一次較量，同時也是全書的一個序麯和人物介紹，書中所有的重要人物幾乎都在這裏出場，並得到了基本的刻劃。在比武場上取得勝利的，也正是符合歷史發展趨勢，决定歷史發展進程的幾股力量的代表人物：艾文荷、理查和洛剋斯利等等。托奎爾斯通城堡的爭奪戰則是正義和邪惡力量的又一次較量。最後以城堡的陷落，邪惡力量的失敗告終。顯然，在作者心目中，以諾曼武士為代表的這股邪惡力量是必然會失敗的，這不僅在於它不得人心，違背了人民的意志，也由於它內部潛伏着嚴重的危機，這便是以烏爾莉加為代表的它的內部矛盾。烏爾莉加既與諾曼貴族有着血海深仇，又成了他們的玩物，與他們沆瀣一氣，同流合污，最後纔在復仇的怒火中將城堡付之一炬。這是司各特着力描寫的一個充滿浪漫色彩的人物。對麗貝卡的審問是全書的餘波，然而是不可缺少的一部分，正是通過對而貝卡的審問，作者嚮我們揭示了作為諾曼徵服的強大支柱的聖殿騎士團的殘酷、虛偽、狡詐的真面目，它的反人民性質决定了它的必然滅亡。這是一場黑白顛倒、用心險惡的所謂審問，在這裏受害者成了被告和囚犯，被判處火刑，害人者卻以奉行天意的正義面目出現，成為審問的法官，高踞在法庭上。聖殿騎士團是十字軍中最著名的騎士組織，自封為上帝的使者，可是它最英勇的騎士布裏恩·布瓦吉貝爾卻是一個桀騖不馴，為了滿足私欲可以把一切置之不顧的個人野心傢。、這個騎士團的覆滅對消除諾曼人和撒剋遜人的隔閡，建立統一的民族國傢都是必要的，因此它也真正宣告了小說中的故事的結束。
本書雖然以《艾文荷》為名，但正如司各特的其他許多小說一樣，艾文荷在書中主要衹是起了聯繫情節的紐帶作用，作者着力描寫的是其他一些人物，其中最主要的便是獅心王理查一世。理查是金雀花王朝的第二代君主，而金雀花王朝實際是諾曼王朝的繼續，1154年諾曼王朝絶嗣，纔由亨利一世的外孫安茹傢的亨利繼位，稱亨利二世，建立了安茹王朝，又稱金雀花王朝，因此這也是諾曼人的一統天下。理查一世是亨利二世的兒子，於1189年繼承王位，但次年即組織第三次十字軍，遠征巴勒斯坦，1192年與蘇丹薩拉丁休戰，在驚險的回國途中被奧地利公爵逮捕，兩年後按照騎士制度的規矩，繳納了大量贖金纔獲得釋放。本書故事便發生在獅心工回國的短暫時期。不久，他又離開英國，前往諾曼底，與法王腓力二世進行了長達五年的戰爭，最後於1199年在法國利摩日附近陣亡。這樣，理查雖然在位十年，在英國當國王的日子卻屈指可數，對英國的歷史也可說毫無影響。然而他英勇無敵，豪放不羈，又力大無窮，任俠使氣，不僅喜歡戰爭生活，而且喜歡單槍匹馬，建立他的所謂功勳；他愛好唱歌，據說還寫過不少抒情歌麯，尤其是他對諾曼人和撒剋遜人一視同仁，因此深得撒剋遜人的好感，成了民間傳說中的英雄人物，在英國流傳的不少歌謠都以他為主人公。司各特筆下的獅心王正是這樣一個人物，他的形象幾乎完全建立在傳說和民謠的基礎上，與歷史上的理查並不一致。司各特所需要的也正是這樣一個傳奇式人物，他在小說中前前後後用了幾章篇幅，着力渲染他的這一方面。在比武大會中，他是來無蹤去無影的俠客式人物，接着他又出現在教士的隱修室中喝酒唱歌，談笑風生；在托奎爾斯通城堡爭奪戰中，他又成了軍事指揮官和身先士卒的勇士，然後他又單槍匹馬奔走各地，一會兒與羅賓漢一夥人飲酒作樂，一會兒又來到了聖殿會堂主持正義。這樣，獅心王理查成了司各特所有小說中刻劃得較成功的形象之一。
司各特是一個保守主義作傢，然而他明白，人心嚮背是决定歷史趨勢的基本因素，因此在他的歷史小說中，人民群衆總是占有一個不容忽視的地位，在本書中代表這股力量的，首先當然是民間傳說中的英雄人物羅賓漢和他手下的一群緑林好漢。關於羅賓漢的出身和生平已無從查考，然而可以確定這是諾曼統治時期的一個人民反抗者，在蘇格蘭和英格蘭一帶流傳着他許多劫富濟貧、鋤強扶弱的故事，司各特也是在這些傳說的基礎上塑造這個人物形象的。據說他本來是一個自耕農，亦即自食其力的個體農業勞動者，他的部下也大多是自由農民和手藝人，他們都是在諾曼人的橫徵暴斂和土地兼併下走上破産的道路，因而淪為盜匪的。根據傳說，羅賓漢是一個出色的弓箭手，他的弓箭至今仍保存在約剋郡的一個陳列室裏。在小說中，他也是首先在阿什口的比武場上以弓箭比賽的優勝者出現。他英勇機智，不畏強暴，作為剪徑的強人，也態度鮮明。在托奎爾斯通城堡的爭奪戰中，他是人民力量的組織者和領導人。接着作者還花了兩章篇幅，專門描寫這夥強人內部的嚴明紀律，對戰利品的公正分配等等。看來，作者對這部分人的活動基本是持肯定態度的。
小說中另一些代表人民的人物，便是小醜汪八和牧豬人葛四，這也是作者着力描寫的兩個人。他們屬於人民的最下層，論身份是奴隸，然而他們愛憎分明，既純樸又狡猾，充滿了對諾曼壓迫者的仇恨。當然作者在描寫這些人物時，也反映了他自己對宗法製生活方式的嚮往。如果說葛四雖然對莊主塞德裏剋忠心耿耿，但仍憧憬着自由的生活，那麽汪八這個人是連自由也不要，寧可終生當奴隸的；不過這正如羅賓漢一夥人儘管是法律的反抗者，在得知黑甲騎士即理查工時，便紛紛嚮他下跪表示忠誠一樣，也是符合歷史情況的。
在小說中，莊主塞德裏剋雖然作為反抗諾曼壓迫的堅強戰士出現，作者仍嚮我們指出，這些人的願望根本不可能實現，塞德裏剋連攻打一個城堡也無能為力，他的復國希望衹是建立在阿特爾斯坦和羅文娜的結合上。可是阿特爾斯坦實際是一個生性懶散、衹關心口腹之欲的人，他的身上體現了撒剋遜王族的一個致命弱點。因此這兩個人與其說反映了撒剋遜人的反抗精神，不如說作者通過他們嚮讀者表明，撒剋遜人已無力推翻諾曼人的統治，英國衹能走和解的道路；兩個民族平等相處，融為一體，纔是保證國傢繁榮富強，人民安居樂業的唯一正確方向，而理查和艾文荷，以至洛剋斯利等等正是代表了這樣一個歷史趨勢。
司各特是浪漫主義作傢，他的創作方法歸根結底一句話，便是歷史真實與大膽想象的結合。他的小說並不拘泥於歷史事實，儘管他有時不惜用大量的繁瑣考證，說明他所寫的一切似乎都鑿鑿有據，然而在更多的場合，在人物塑造和情節處理上，他卻是靠大膽的想象取勝的。為了說明自己在歷史小說創作上的一些觀點，他還專門虛構了一個考古學家德賴斯達斯特博士，讓他作為自己的觀點的對立面，出現在他的一些小說的導言中，本書也是這樣。在第二篇導言（緻德賴斯達斯特博士的致敬信）中，他明確說明歷史小說不是考古學著作，重要的不是細節上的真實，而是展示歷史的風貌。他提出了“虛構和真實相結合”的原則，認為他這麽做沒有超出“一部虛構小說的作者所理應享有的特權”。這篇導言對我們理解司各特的創作是十分重要的。可以說，司各特在本書中，用淋漓酣暢的筆墨描繪了中世紀一個風雲變幻的時代，他在真實的歷史氛圍中為我們塑造了大量虛構的人物，這些人物儘管出自虛構，卻栩栩如生，真實地反映了歷史的進程，他的成功主要便來源於此。因此英國十九世紀著名思想傢和文學家托馬斯·卡萊爾在談到司各特的歷史小說時指出，它們讓我們看到的“不是歷史書和文件記錄中的那種抽象的人”，而是“真正生活在過去的時代中的活生生的人物”。正是在這個意義上，司各特纔被公認為西方歷史小說的創始人。
另一方面，司各特是一個著名的多産作傢，他的寫作速度令人吃驚，這勢必給他的作品帶來一些缺點，例如他往往為了行文方便，讓他的人物說出按照他們的性格或按照當時的具體場合不應該說出的話來。在情節處理上，他也往往任意拉長或縮短時間上的距離，即興式的處理故事。本書中二個特別荒謬的情節便是阿特爾斯坦的突然復活，這甚至連作者本人也感到不合情理，以致不得不加上一條腳註，聲明這是應出版商的要求。它顯然破壞了作者原來的設計，阿特爾斯坦本來是應該死的，這才能解决艾文荷和羅文娜之間的問題，一切合情合理，然而阿特爾斯坦一復活，便變得無法解决，於是衹得讓他聲明放棄婚事，從而背離了他一貫的表現。從這一點上我們可以看到，司各特有時在創作上往往隨心所欲，以致給作品留下了一些難以自圓其說的漏洞。
《艾文荷》是最早介紹到中國的西方小說之一，在國外又拍過電影，有過許多譯本，還出現過不少改寫本和刪節本，它的影響是很大的。
Plot introduction
Ivanhoe is the story of one of the remaining Saxon noble families at a time when the English nobility was overwhelmingly Norman. It follows the Saxon protagonist, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king Richard I of England. The story is set in 1194, after the end of the Third Crusade, when many of the Crusaders were still returning to Europe. King Richard, who had been captured by the Duke of Saxony, on his way back, was still supposed to be in the arms of his captors. The legendary Robin Hood, initially under the name of Locksley, is also a character in the story, as are his "merry men", including Friar Tuck and less so, Alan-a-Dale. (Little John is merely mentioned.) The character that Scott gave to Robin Hood in Ivanhoe helped shape the modern notion of this figure as a cheery noble outlaw.
Other major characters include Ivanhoe's intractable Saxon father, Cedric, a descendant of the Saxon King Harold Godwinson; various Knights Templar and churchmen; the loyal serfs Gurth the swineherd and the jester Wamba, whose observations punctuate much of the action; and the Jewish moneylender, Isaac of York, equally passionate of money and his daughter, Rebecca. The book was written and published during a period of increasing struggle for emancipation of the Jews in England, and there are frequent references to injustice against them.
Plot summary
Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe is disinherited by his father Cedric of Rotherwood, for supporting the Norman King Richard and for falling in love with the Lady Rowena, Cedric's ward and a descendant of the Saxon Kings of England. Cedric had planned to marry her to the powerful Lord Aethelstane, pretender to the Saxon Crown of England, thus cementing a Saxon political alliance between two rivals for the same claim. Ivanhoe accompanies King Richard I to the Crusades, where he is stated to have played a notable role in the Siege of Acre.
The book opens with a scene of Norman knights and prelates seeking the hospitality of Cedric the Saxon, of Rotherwood. They are guided thither by a palmer, fresh returned from the Holy Land. The same night, seeking refuge from the inclement weather and bandits, the Jew Isaac of York arrives at Rotherwood. Following the night's meal, characterised in keeping with the times by a heated exchange of words between the Saxon hosts and their Norman guests, the palmer observes one of the Normans, the Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert issue orders to his Saracen soldiers to follow Isaac of York after he leaves Rotherwood in the morning and relieve him of his possessions a safe distance from the castle.
The palmer then warns the Jewish money lender of his peril and assists his escape from Rotherwood, at the crack of dawn. The swineherd Gurth refuses to open the gates until the palmer whispers a few words in his ear, which turns Gurth as helpful as he was recalcitrant earlier. This is but one of the many mysterious incidents that occur throughout the tale.
Isaac of York offers to repay his debt to the palmer by offering him a suit of armour and a destrier, to participate in the tournament of Ashby where he was bound. His offer is made on the surmise that the palmer was in reality a knight, having observed his knight's chain and spurs (a fact that he mentions to the palmer). Though the palmer is taken by surprise, he acquiesces to the offer, after the admonition that both armour and horse would be forfeit if he lost in combat.
The story then moves to the scene of the famed tournament of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, which was presided over by Prince John Lackland of England. Other characters in attendance are Cedric, Athelstane, the Lady Rowena, Isaac of York, his daughter Rebecca, Robin of Locksley and his men, Prince John's advisor Waldemar Fitzurse and numerous Norman knights.
In the first day of the tournament, a bout of individual jousting, a mysterious masked knight identifying himself only as "Desdichado", supposedly Spanish for the "Disinherited One" (though actually meaning "Unfortunate"), makes his appearance and manages to defeat some of the best Norman lances, including the Templar Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, Maurice de Bracy, a leader of a group of "Free Companions" or mercenary knights, and the baron Reginald Front-de-Boeuf. The masked knight declines to reveal himself despite Prince John's request, but is nevertheless declared the champion of the day and, as his due, is permitted to choose the Queen of the Tournament, which honour he bestows upon the Lady Rowena.
On the second day, which is a melée, Desdichado, as champion of the first day, is chosen to be leader of one party. Most of the leading knights of the realm, however, flock to the opposite standard under which Desdichado's vanquished opponents of the previous day fight. The Desdichado's side is soon hard pressed and he himself unfairly beset by multiple foes simultaneously, when a knight who had till then taken no part in the battle, thus earning the sobriquet Le Noir Faineant or the Black Sluggard, rides to the Desdichado's rescue. The rescuing knight, having evened the odds by his action, then slips away. Though the Desdichado was instrumental in wringing victory, Prince John being displeased with his behaviour of the previous day, wishes to bestow his accolades on the Black Knight who had ridden to the rescue. Since the latter is nowhere to be found, he is forced to declare the Desdichado the champion. At this point, being forced to unmask himself to receive his coronet, the Desdichado is revealed to be Wilfred of Ivanhoe himself, returned from the Crusades. This causes much consternation to Prince John and his coterie who now fear the imminent return of King Richard.
Because he is severely wounded in the competition and Cedric refuses to have anything to do with him, he is taken into the care of Rebecca, the beautiful daughter of Isaac of York, a skilled healer. She convinces her father to take him with them to York, where he may be best treated. There follows a splendid account of a feat of archery by Locksley, or Robin Hood at the conclusion of the tournament.
In the meanwhile, Maurice de Bracy finds himself infatuated with the Lady Rowena and, with his companions-in-arms, plans to abduct her. In the forests between Ashby and York, the Lady Rowena, her guardian Cedric and the Saxon thane Aethelstane encounter Isaac of York, Rebecca and the wounded Ivanhoe, who were abandoned by their servants for fear of bandits. The Lady Rowena, in response to the supplication of Isaac and Rebecca, urges Cedric to take them under his protection till York. Cedric acquiesces to it, being unaware that the wounded man is Ivanhoe. En route, they are captured by Maurice de Bracy and his companions and taken to Torquilstone, the castle of Reginald Front-de-Boeuf. The swineherd and serf, Gurth, who had run away from Rotherwood to serve Ivanhoe as squire at the tournament, and who was recaptured by Cedric when Ivanhoe was identified, manages to escape.
Le Noir Faineant in the Hermit's Cell by J. Cooper, Sr. From an 1886 edition of Walter Scott's works
The Black Knight, having taken refuge for the night in the hut of a local friar, the Holy Clerk of Copmanhurst, volunteers his assistance on learning about the predicament of the captives from Robin of Locksley who comes to rouse the friar for an attempt to free them. They then besiege the Castle of Torquilstone with Robin Hood's own men, including the friar, and the Saxon yeomen they manage to raise, who are angered by the oppression of Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and his neighbour, Philip de Malvoisin.
At Torquilstone, Maurice de Bracy presses his suit with the Lady Rowena, while his love goes unrequited. In the meantime, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who had accompanied de Bracy on the raid, takes Rebecca for his captive, and tries to force his attentions on her, which are rebuffed. Front-de-Boeuf, in the meantime, tries to wring a hefty ransom, by torture, from Isaac of York. Isaac refuses to pay a farthing unless his daughter is freed from her Templar captor.
When the besiegers deliver a note to yield up the captives, their Norman captors retort with a message for a priest to administer the Final Sacrament to the captives. It is then that Wamba slips in, disguised as a priest, and takes the place of Cedric, who thus escapes, bringing important information on the strength of the garrison and its layout.
Then follows an account of the storming of the castle. Front-de-Boeuf is killed while de Bracy surrenders to the Black Knight, who identifies himself as Richard of England. Showing mercy, the Black Knight releases de Bracy. Brian de Bois-Guilbert escapes with Rebecca and Isaac is released from his underground dungeon by the Clerk of Copmanhurst. The Lady Rowena is saved by Cedric, while the crippled Ivanhoe is plucked from the flames of the castle by the Black Knight. In the fighting, Aethelstane is grievously wounded while attempting to rescue Rebecca, whom he mistakes for Rowena.
Subsequently, in the woodlands, Robin Hood plays host to the Black Knight. Word is also conveyed by De Bracy to Prince John of the King's return and the fall of Torquilstone.
In the meantime, Bois-Guilbert rushes with his captive to the nearest Templar Preceptory, which is under his friend Albert de Malvoisin, expecting to be able to flee the country. However, Lucas de Beaumanoir, the Grand-Master of the Templars is unexpectedly present there. He takes umbrage at de Bois-Guilbert's sinful passion, which is in violation of his Templar vows and decides to subject Rebecca to a trial for witchcraft, for having cast a spell on so devoted a Templar brother as Bois-Guilbert. She is found guilty through a flawed trial and pleads for a trial by combat. De Bois-Guilbert, who had hoped to fight as her champion incognito, is devastated by the Grand-Master's ordering him to fight against her champion. Rebecca then writes to her father to procure a champion for her.
Meanwhile Cedric organises Aethelstane's funeral at Kyningestun, in the midst of which the Black Knight, arrives with a companion. Cedric, who had not been present at Robin Hood's carousal, is ill-disposed towards the Black Knight on learning his true identity. But King Richard calms Cedric and reconciles him with his son, convincing him to agree to the marriage of Ivanhoe and Rowena. Shortly after, Aethelstane emerges - not dead, but having been laid in his coffin alive by avaricious monks, desirous of the funeral money. Over Cedric's renewed protests, Aethelstane pledges his homage to the Norman King Richard and urges Cedric to marry the Lady Rowena to Ivanhoe. Cedric yields, not unwillingly.
Soon after this reconciliation, Ivanhoe receives a message from Isaac of York beseeching him to fight on Rebecca's behalf. Upon arriving at the scene of the witch-burning Ivanhoe forces de Bois-Guilbert from his saddle, but does not kill him - the Templar dies "a victim to the violence of his own contending passions," which is pronounced by the Grand Master as the judgment of God and proof of Rebecca's innocence. King Richard, who had quit the funeral feast soon after Ivanhoe's departure, then arrives at the Templar Preceptory, banishes the Templars from the Preceptory and declares that the Malvoisins' lives are forfeit for having aided in the plots against him.
Fearing further persecution, Rebecca and her father leave England for Granada, prior to which she comes to bid Rowena a fond farewell. Ivanhoe and Rowena marry and live a long and happy life together, though the final paragraphs of the book note that Ivanhoe's long service was cut short when King Richard met a premature death in battle.
Characters
* Wilfred of Ivanhoe – a knight and son of Cedric the Saxon
* Rebecca – a Jewish healer, daughter of Isaac of York
* Rowena – a noble Saxon Lady
* Prince John – brother of King Richard
* The Black Knight[disambiguation needed] or Knight of the Fetterlock – King Richard the Lionhearted, incognito
* Locksley – i.e., Robin Hood, an English yeoman
* The Hermit or Clerk of Copmanhurst –– i.e., Friar Tuck
* Brian de Bois-Guilbert – a Templar Knight
* Isaac of York – the father of Rebecca; a Jewish merchant and money-lender
* Prior Aymer – Prior of Jorvaulx
* Reginald Front-de-Boeuf – a local baron who was given Ivanhoe's estate by Prince John
* Cedric the Saxon – Ivanhoe's father
* Lucas de Beaumanoir – fictional Grand Master of the Knights Templars
* Conrade de Montfichet – Templar
* Maurice De Bracy – Captain of the Free Companions
* Waldemar Fitzurse – Prince John's loyal minion
* Aethelstane – last of the Saxon royal line
* Albert de Malvoisin – Preceptor of Templestowe
* Philip de Malvoisin – local baron (brother of Albert)
* Gurth – Cedric's loyal Swineherd
* Wamba – Cedric's loyal Jester
Unofficial sequels
* In 1850, novelist William Makepeace Thackeray wrote a spoof sequel to Ivanhoe called Rebecca and Rowena.
* Edward Eager's book Knight's Castle (1956) magically transports four children into the story of Ivanhoe.
* Christopher Vogler wrote a sequel called Ravenskull (2006), published by Seven Seas Publishing.
* Pierre Efratas wrote a sequel called Le Destin d'Ivanhoe (2003), published by Editions Charles Corlet.
* Simon Hawke uses the story as the basis for The Ivanhoe Gambit the first novel in his time travel adventure series TimeWars.
* The 1839 Eglinton Tournament held by the 13th Earl of Eglinton at Eglinton Castle in Ayrshire was inspired and modelled on Ivanhoe.
Allusions to real history and geography
The location of the novel is centred upon South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire in England. Castles mentioned within the story include Ashby de la Zouch where the opening tournament is held (now a ruin in the care of English Heritage), York (though the mention of Clifford's Tower, likewise an English Heritage property, and still standing, is anachronistic, it not having been called that until later after various rebuilds) and 'Coningsburgh', which is based upon Conisbrough Castle near Doncaster (also English Heritage and a popular tourist attraction). Reference is made within the story, too, to York Minster, where the climactic wedding takes place, and to the Bishop of Sheffield, although the Diocese of Sheffield was not founded until 1914. These references within the story contribute to the notion that Robin Hood lived or travelled in and around this area.
The ancient town of Conisbrough has become so dedicated to the story of Ivanhoe that many of the streets, schools and public buildings are named after either characters from the book or the 12th-century castle.
Influence on Robin Hood legend
The modern vision of Robin Hood as a cheerful, patriotic rebel owes much to Ivanhoe. "Locksley" becomes Robin's title in this novel and hereafter, although it is first mentioned as Robin's birthplace in 1600 and used as an epithet in one ballad. Robin Hood from Locksley becomes Robin of Locksley, alias Robin Hood. The Saxon-Norman conflict first mooted as an influence on the legend by Joseph Ritson is made a major theme by Scott, and remains so in many subsequent retellings. Scott actually shuns the convention of depicting Robin as a dispossessed nobleman, but Ivanhoe has contributed to this strand of the legend, too, because subsequent Robin Hoods (e.g. in the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks film, and 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) take on Wilfrid of Ivanhoe's own characteristics - they are returning Crusaders, have quarrelled with their fathers, and so forth. Also, the modern practice of depicting Robin as a contemporary of Richard I first appears in this novel; before that, he was generally placed two centuries later.
Robin's familiar feat of splitting his competitor's arrow in an archery contest appears for the first time in Ivanhoe.
Historical accuracy
The general political events depicted in the novel are relatively accurate; it tells of the period just after King Richard's imprisonment in Austria following the Crusade, and of his return to England. Yet the story is also heavily fictionalized.
There has been criticism, "... as unsupported by the evidence of contemporary records, of the enmity of Saxon and Norman, represented as persisting in the days of Richard I, which forms the basis of the story."
One inaccuracy in Ivanhoe created a new name in the English language: Cedric. The original Saxon name is Cerdic but Sir Walter committed metathesis. Satirist H. H. Munro, with his typical caustic wit, commented: "It is not a name but a misspelling."
A major inaccuracy is that in 1194 England it would have been quite impossible for Rebecca to face the threat of being burned at the stake on charges of witchcraft. The Church did not undertake the finding and punishment of witches until the 1250s, and death did not become the usual penalty until the fifteenth century; even then, the form of execution used for witches in England (unlike Scotland and Continental Europe) was hanging, burning being reserved for those also convicted of high or petty treason.
However, it should be noted that the method of Rebecca's execution is presented as proposed by Lucas Beaumanoir, Grand Master of the Knights Templars - a Frenchman and a fanatic, determined to root out "corruption" from the Templars. It is quite plausible that Beaumanoir, like many nobles of the time, would have considered himself above the law and entitled to execute a witch in his power in any way that he chose.
Another inaccuracy comes with the terms used by certain characters throughout the novel. At one point, Cedric refers to the lingua franca, an Italian term for "Frankish language" that would not be introduced into British vocabulary until the mid-1600s. Other such anomalies occur at random through the novel.
The novel's references to the Moorish king Boabdil are also anachronistic, since he lived about 300 years after Richard.
It must be noted, however, that Scott himself acknowledged that he had taken liberties with history in his "Dedicatory Epistle" to Ivanhoe. Modern readers are cautioned to understand that Scott's aim was to create a compelling novel set in a historical period, not to provide a book of history.
Rebecca Gratz as inspiration for the character Rebecca
It has been conjectured that the character of Rebecca in the book was inspired by Rebecca Gratz, a preeminent American educator and philanthropist who was the first Jewish female college student in the United States. Scott's attention had been drawn to Gratz's character by Washington Irving, who was a close friend of the Gratz family. The claim has been disputed, but it has also been well sustained in an article entitled "The Original of Rebecca in Ivanhoe", which appeared in The Century Magazine, 1882, pp. 679–682.
Gratz was considered among the most beautiful and educated women in her community. She never married, and is alleged to have refused a marriage proposal from a Gentile on account of her faith - a well-known incident at the time, which may have inspired the relationship depicted in the book between Rebecca and Ivanhoe.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel has been the basis for several movies:
* Ivanhoe (1913): Directed by Herbert Brenon. With King Baggot, Leah Baird, and Brenon. Filmed on location in England and at Chepstow Castle in Wales
* Ivanhoe (1952): Directed by Richard Thorpe and starred Robert Taylor as Ivanhoe, Elizabeth Taylor as Rebecca, Joan Fontaine as Rowena, George Sanders as Bois-Guilbert, Finlay Currie as Cedric, and Sebastian Cabot. The film has a notable jousting scene as well as a well choreographed castle siege sequence. The visual spectacle is given more attention than the dialogue and underlying story, though the main points of the plot are covered. The film was nominated for three Oscars:
o Best Picture - Pandro S. Berman
o Best Cinematography, Color - Freddie Young
o Best Music Score - Miklós Rózsa
There is also a Russian movie The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe (Баллада о доблестном рыцаре Айвенго) (1983), directed by Sergey Tarasov, with songs of Vladimir Vysotsky, starring Peteris Gaudins as Ivanhoe.
There have also been many television adaptations of the novel, including:
* 1958: A television series based on the character of Ivanhoe starred Roger Moore as Ivanhoe.
* 1970: A TV miniseries starring Eric Flynn as Ivanhoe.
* 1982: Ivanhoe, a television movie starring Anthony Andrews as Ivanhoe, Michael Hordern as his father, Cedric, Sam Neill as Sir Brian, Olivia Hussey as Rebecca, James Mason as Isaac, Lysette Anthony as Rowena, Julian Glover as King Richard, and David Robb as Robin Hood. In this version, Sir Brian is a hero. Though he could easily have won the fight against the wounded and weakened Ivanhoe, Brian lowers his sword and allows himself to be slaughtered, thus saving the life of his beloved Rebecca.
* 1986: Ivanhoe, a 1986 animated telemovie produced by Burbank Films in Australia.
* 1995: Young Ivanhoe, a 1995 television series directed by Ralph L. Thomas and starring Kristen Holden-Ried as Ivanhoe, Stacy Keach, Margot Kidder, Nick Mancuso, Rachel Blanchard, and Matthew Daniels.
* 1997: Ivanhoe the King's Knight a televised cartoon series produced by CINAR and France Animation. General retelling of classic tale.
* 1997: This version of Ivanhoe was released as a 6-part, 5-hour series, a co-production of A&E and the BBC. It stars Steven Waddington as Ivanhoe, Ciarán Hinds as Bois-Guilbert, Susan Lynch as Rebecca, Ralph Brown as Prince John and Victoria Smurfit as Rowena.
* 2000: A Channel 5 adaptation entitled Darkest Knight attempted to adapt Ivanhoe for an ongoing series. Ben Pullen played Ivanhoe and Charlotte Comer played Rebecca.
An operatic adaptation by Sir Arthur Sullivan (see Ivanhoe) ran for over 150 consecutive performances in 1891. Other operas based on the novel have been composed by Gioachino Rossini (Ivanhoé), Thomas Sari (Ivanhoé), Bartolomeo Pisani (Rebecca), A. Castagnier (Rébecca), Otto Nicolai (Il Templario)and Heinrich Marschner (Der Templer und die Jüdin). Rossini's opera is a pasticcio (an opera in which the music for a new text is chosen from pre-existent music by one or more composers). Scott attended a performance of it and recorded in his journal, "It was an opera, and, of course, the story sadly mangled and the dialogue, in part nonsense."
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