Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris

In which Dinadan wants to be a minstrel but is bound to be a knight. One night his father sends him out. He meets a young Welsh knight named Culloch. Together they go to King Arthur's court. When they leave they meet another king and have many adventures. Dinadan leaves Culloch and goes all over England playing his magical music. He meets lots of people including a strange silent knight. After saving a lady and giving a man his throne back Dinadan becomes the most musical knight in all England.

Some of Dinadan's songs are funny and the remarks people make are even more funny. Dinadan's older brother Tristram has made a vow of silence. Never will he speak of his love (and he goes on to tell Dinadan "to speak of the gold of her flaxen hair, to tell of the blue of her eyes, to express my love for her would only harm me.") When Dinadan offers to ride in silence Tristram says "It would be to tear open my wound yet again, for every word I speak of her is as a red coal pressed to my breast, searing me to the very heart. Nay, I can not even speak my own, for to tell my own name is to speak of her, for what is Tristram but the slave of Iseult?" That Tristram talks constantly of his vow of silence is very funny!!

This is in the Squire's Tales series.

Recommended for people who like: Ballads, Tristram and Iseult's story, and laughing out loud!

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