advice, departs for the forest to rejoin his outlaw
band.
Part 6 opens with Gamelyn’s return to the forest,
where he resumes his robbery of “abbots, priors,
monks, and canons.” While he is gone, his evil brother
John bribes the jury to render a death sentence for
him, and when he is late for his court appearance, Sir
Ote is arrested and condemned to death. Upon hearing
this, Gamelyn, Adam, and the outlaws rescue Ote.
Gamelyn then overthrows John and takes his place.
Acting as judge, Gamelyn holds an inquest and sen-
tences the justice, the jury, and John to death by hang-
ing. After the executions, Gamelyn goes to the king
and receives his pardon. Sir Ote is appointed the new
justice, and Gamelyn is made the “chief justice of his
free forest.” Thus, Gamelyn wins back his land and
tenants and avenges himself on his enemies. Afterward,
he marries a “fair and good” wife.
The poem contains some strikingly original imag-
ery. When the local clerics refuse Gamelyn’s pleas for
help, Gamelyn and Adam beat them with staves, paro-
dying the asperges, or sprinkling of the congregation
with holy water—“speyeth holy watere with an oken
spire” (l. 499). After the sheriff raises the hue and cry,
Adam swears that some of the sheriff’s men “shal make
her beddes in the fenne” (l. 584), or “make their graves
in the mud.” Later, when the sheriff arrives, he fi nds a
nest but no eggs: “Tho fonde the scherreve nyst but
non aye” (l. 606).
The Tale of Gamelyn marks an important transitional
stage in the evolution of the medieval outlaw tale due
to the change in the social status of the hero. Unlike
earlier aristocratic protagonists, such as Hereward the
Wake, Eustace the Monk, and Fouke fi tz Waryn,
Gamelyn is the youngest son of a knight, and he acts
more like a farmer, engaging in wrestling and rough
horseplay with staves, a pestle, and a cart axle. The
depiction of the band of outlaws in the forest with its
mention of archery and the unnamed master outlaw
anticipates the early ROBIN HOOD BALLADS, and the tales
are often connected in scholarship.
FURTHER READING
Knight, Stephen, and Thomas Ohlgren, eds. Robin Hood and
Other Outlaw Tales. Kalamazoo, Mich.: Medieval Institute
Publications, 1997.
Ohlgren, Thomas H., ed. Medieval Outlaws: Twelve Tales in
Modern English Translation. Rev. ed. West Lafayette, Ind.:
Parlor Press, 2005.
Thomas H. OhlgrenTALIESIN (534–599) Taliesin is one of the ear-
liest poets whose writings in Old Welsh have survived;
all are contained in the Peniarth MS 2 at the National
Library of Wales, known as the Book of Taliesin. Though
this manuscript dates to the 14th century, it is gener-
ally assumed that the poems were orally transmitted
from the sixth century through generations of bards to
a monk of Glamorgan.
Taliesin is mentioned by the Welsh historian Nen-
nius in the “Northern History” section of his Historia
Brittonum (ninth century) as one of the fi ve poets of
renown, but what little is known about Taliesin’s life is
found in his poems. He was chief bard in the courts of
at least three kings in northern Wales: King Brochfael
of Powys in the mid-sixth century, then his successor
Cynan Garwyn, and fi nally King Urien of Rheged and
his son Owain mab Urien.
Based on a variety of linguistic and historical evi-
dence, the 12 poems contained in the Book of Taliesin
can be placed in the late sixth century. Taliesin’s
patrons are mentioned in the Historia Brittonium, Gwal-
lawg and Urien specifi cally as having participated in
the siege of Lindisfarne in the late sixth century.
Taliesin lists the Bernicians as the enemies of his
patrons, who were known to be a major threat to
northern British kingdoms in the late sixth century.
The English ruler named Ffl amddwyn (Flamebearer)
in “The BATTLE OF ARGOED LLWYFAIN” has been identi-
fi ed as Urien’s contemporary and adversary, Theodric
of Anglia (r. 572–579).
The Book of Taliesin records some of Taliesin’s
rewards for his service. For instance, Cynan Garwyn
gave him over a hundred horses with silver trappings
and mantles, a hundred bracelets, and a beautiful
sword and scabbard for his service. Urien of Rheged
also provided Taliesin with many presents, including
gold, mead, and many other treasures. Taliesin’s repu-
tation in British folklore would eventually see him
included in later stories related to King ARTHUR and his432 TALIESIN