Medievals: Usefuls and Moderns

ongoing

"""We are like dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants."" This phrase, popularized by Newton, acknowledges the debt we owe to the culture of our ancestors. It was first written by Bernard of Chartres, a 12th-century theologian. 21st-century novels also have their roots, and one of the deepest lies in the Middle Ages. Chrétien de Troyes was the first novelist to write in a vernacular language, spoken by ordinary people. He wrote in Old French, yet his stories still move us today. Medieval literature—and, in the case of this project, Arthurian literature in particular—continues to captivate us because it speaks to the very essence of life: love, the desire of adventure and death. Through this project, Cal Carré aims to bring into the 21st century the work that Chrétien de Troyes began in the 12th, making the Arthurian tradition accessible to contemporary readers. However, to achieve this, we need carefully crafted translations into the language spoken by today's readers. Although the greatest European cultures have them, Catalan readers still need them. Our goal is to translate into Catalan several fundamental works of medieval European narrative, stories that have played a crucial role in shaping the European literary tradition. The translations will be entrusted to renowned medievalists who are experts not only in the language of the originals but also in the cultural context that produced them. Each translation will include a brief postface providing readers with the key interpretive tools needed to fully understand the text. The works to be translated are: Le Conte du Graal by Chrétien de Troyes. Tristan and Isolde, from the versions by Thomas and Béroul, as well as the adaptation by Joseph Bédier. Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes. Le Bel Inconnu by Renaut de Beaujeu. Le Chevalier à la Charrette by Chrétien de Troyes. "