Nalans (Jun 2022)
(Re)considering Robert Henryson’s Orpheus and Eurydice as a Dream Vision
Abstract
This study aims to reconsider the Scottish poet Robert Henryson’s retelling of the myth of Orpheus in his Orpheus and Eurydice (c. 1470) as a late example of medieval dream vision genre. There are two prominent versions of the myth in the medieval world: The anonymous Breton lay Sir Orfeo (c. 1330-1340) and Robert Henryson’s Orpheus and Eurydice. While Sir Orfeo abounds in romance elements, Henryson’s poem seems to be a dream poem with its extensive use of medieval allegory and several characteristics of the dream vision poetry. While the king in Sir Orfeo enjoys a happy ending, Henryson’s Orpheus cannot achieve bliss as he breaks his promise when he looks back to Eurydice, hence surrendering to worldly appetite. As a result, the poem ends with the disillusionment of Orpheus, who, however, learns from his mistake and is more mature and enlightened at the end of the poem. Like the dreamers in a typical medieval dream narrative, Orpheus goes through a journey in a vision and as a result of this experience, he is educated and spiritually transformed. In this light, the aim of this paper is to introduce Orpheus and Eurydice not as a romance but as a medieval dream poem.
