The Middle English Sir Degrevant and the Scottish Border

Abstract

This article recovers the Scottish context of the Middle English Sir Degrevant, reading the main conflict of the poem against the backdrop of the Scottish Wars of Independence, which dominated life in the northern counties throughout the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, when the poem was written. It explores the Scottish cultural identities of all three of the main characters of the poem, Degrevant, the earl, and Melidor through the material culture and custom of the poem, and reads the central conflict of the poem in light of the border raids. It argues that Degrevant is a latter-day incarnation of the Arthurian knight Agravain, a Scottish knight fighting for the English crown, while the earl is a Scottish border lord. Melidor’s own Scottish identity finds expression in her name as well as in her adherence to Scottish social custom.