Jaufre is a lively, engaging and at times comedic tale of a knight from King Arthur’s court. The young hero encounters all manner of unpleasant adversaries including giants and a demon knight, finds true love in the form of an independent, wealthy and hot-tempered heiress, and is tricked into going to the rescue of an underwater fairy.  This story, dedicated to a king of Aragon and told in Occitan, was first set down in writing in the thirteenth century but does not appear to have reached English-speaking readers until the late nineteenth century. It was, however, originally intended for oral performance rather than for solitary readers. This new adaptation is an attempt to capture the spirit of the original Occitan, keeping close to the way it was told, and to bring the story to life in the hope that other storytellers will once again tell the tale of Jaufre and new listeners will enjoy his exploits.

ANNE LISTER (Dr. Margaret Anne Purbrick) has been telling and writing stories and songs for most of her adult life. Her first degree and MA (at Warwick University) both focussed on medieval French and Occitan literature, which is how she first met Jaufre. After a full and extremely varied career in teaching, she took advantage of retirement to complete her PhD in the School of Welsh in Cardiff University, working with Sioned Davies, exploring Jaufre from a storyteller’s perspective. Anne is still writing and performing her songs, and writing and telling stories, and finding new audiences for Jaufre. She lives in the hills of south east Wales with her husband and two cats.

A highly readable and insightful discussion focussing on The Tale of Jaufre, the only surviving Arthurian romance written in Occitan. Its originality stems from an approach which seeks to explore and understand the text as a living entity to be performed. Anne Purbrick draws on her long experience as a professional singer, storyteller and songwriter to breathe life into this engaging medieval tale, succeeding admirably in bridging the 13th and 21st centuries. Her creative and practical perspective on the story makes this a volume which will prove invaluable not only to scholars of Arthurian literature but also to contemporary storytellers wishing to broaden their repertoire by re-telling the tale to a modern-day audience.

Sioned Davies, Professor Emerita, School of Welsh, Cardiff University