Tristan and Iseult崔斯坦和伊索德是從中世紀以來流傳久遠的賽爾特傳說,這傳說出現於12世紀,在漫長的世紀中一代傳過一代有許多不同的版本,最終被吸納入更為知名的亞瑟王傳奇裡,甚至輾轉加入了圓桌武士,成為亞瑟王的座上賓。雖然詳細的故事不同,但整體情節結構仍然很相(除了馬克王得應帥哥形象的合理化而ooxx外)。音樂家華格納曾據此故事傳說改編成為膾炙人口的歌劇,甚至今年好萊塢也把這個故事搬上了大螢幕。劇情中的婚外情可能影響了亞瑟王傳奇裡頭眾多騎士、公主們的浪漫故事像Lancelot和Guinevere,或莎士比亞的《羅密歐與茱莉葉》。
Isolde: (Iseult, Isola, Yseult) An Irish princess, Isolde fell in love with Tristan on her way to marry King Mark of Cornwall. To meet Tristan in secret, Isolde\'s faithful maid replaced her in the royal bed. However the King later discovered them sleeping together but mercifully all he did was exchange his sword for Tristan\'s. Tristan left for Brittany where he married unhappily. Later, in reponse to his plea to help heal his battle wounds, she sailed to Brittany but his jealous wife convinced him that Isolde did not come so he killed himself. Isolde died of a broken heart.
Tristan這個字在拉丁文裡面就是「悲傷」的意思,Tristan 是Loonois 國王 Rivalen 與Blanchefleur (Cornwall 國王 Mark 的姊妹)的兒子\"Tristan\" 是哀傷 (=\"sad\")的意思,因為他出生時母親難產而死(He is thus destined to sorrow 『tristesse』),然後家人被愛爾蘭人殺害,他由叔叔馬克王扶養長大。
Tristan, separated from his beloved Yseut, travelled to Brittany, and there he met Yseut of the White Hands. He agreed to marry her, according to the poet Thomas \"because she was beautiful and because her name was Yseut\". But on their wedding night, remembering his golden-haired Yseut, he was unable to consummate the marriage. http://www.outremer.co.uk/eliduc.html
Mackenzie, T[homas]. \"Tristram Carried His Love Away\" from: Arthur and His Knights by Christine Chaundler. London: Nisbet and Co. Ltd., n.d. [1920?].