Order, Anarchy, and Emotion in the Old French Philomena

Abstract

In the twelfth-century account of the myth of Tereus, Procne, and Philomena1 attributed to Chretien de Troyes,2 the poet recasts the Ovidian tale3 of violence and vengeance as vernacular romance.4 In his adaptation of the classical myth, Chretien portrays courtly ideals as an artificial cultural construct that both regulates and restrains individual desire, thereby highlighting the differences between the controlled emotional responses of individuals in civilized societies and the anarchical impulses of individuals in barbaric ones. This is particularly apparent in his representation of romantic love: in contrast to later works such as Le Chevalier de la Charette and Cliges, where adulterous relationships are celebrated affairs,5 love in Philomena is depicted as “adulterous, incestuous, and cruel.”6 This is due primarily to the antihero’s false love, which serves as a marker for uncivilized behavior and barbaric deeds. However, when compared to the body of Chretien’s work, the destructive effect of Tereus’s false love in Philomena also serves as a foil for the civilizing effect of true love that is exalted in Erec et Enide.