Sir Bevis

Sir Bevis, like many of the medieval romances, defies modern expectations. We expect a princess to be rescued by her lover, not his uncle, and we don't expect her to show quite so much initiative along the way. We don't expect a knight to have to deal with two newborn infants or to be faced with a second princess who wants to marry him.

The verse tale of Sir Bevis follows his life from the time he is sold into slavery as a small child until his death and burial together with his wife and his horse. The account is rich in dragons, lions, and evil kings and earls. This performance is a direct translation of lines 3511-3962 from the Auchinleck Manuscript, which is the earliest of the six medieval manuscripts of the tale. The tale remained popular through the Renaissance, and it was even published in the eighteenth century, but since then it has been largely unknown.