This book represents the first collective publication of alternate and complementary versions of the thirteenth- to fifteenth-century Arthurian romance, Ségurant ou le chevalier au dragon. The episodes themselves, included in their original Old and Middle French prose, are enhanced by meticulous archival indexing. The book is a companion to the first volume, likewise edited by Emanuele Arioli, that establishes the canonic version (referred to as version cardinale) of the romance, previously lost in obscurity. Together, the two volumes offer the reader a detailed portrait of this newly accessible textual tradition, composed over the course of three centuries, in all its extant iterations.
In volume 1, Arioli established the oldest and most complete text as canon, a manuscript in French prose likely dated between 1240 and 1279, from Northern Italy. This second volume then catalogues the other manuscripts in which episodes from the Ségurant narrative are found. The introduction begins by defining categories for these episodes: complementary or alternative. In total, Arioli defines four complementary and two alternative episodes, found across twenty-eight different manuscripts that the author calls “ce labyrinthe textuel” (“this textual labyrinth,” 18). Fortunately, Arioli's text provides ample string to follow.
The introduction to volume 2 situates each complementary and alternative episode in relation to the primary text and to the other episodes. Arioli offers two maps to guide the reader: one that follows the narrative of the story and one that aligns with the chronology of composition. The editor states clearly his intent: providing a thorough account of the Ségurant narrative that the reader can explore via multiple pathways. Though the cardinal version is the most ample, it remains an incomplete text, lacking both a denouement and even the appearance of the titular dragon; thus, Arioli's cataloging the complementary and alternative episodes is necessary work to fully appreciate the romance. As the author notes, most of these episodes have not been previously published, and certainly not in a collection such as this. Indeed, Arioli presents the episodes as part of a larger, rich tradition around the figure of Ségurant, insisting that the continuations and reimaginings of the story enhance rather than detract from the primary source text.
The first chapter provides detailed descriptions of the physical manuscripts, including catalogue location, date, materials, size, colors, et cetera, following the guidelines for cataloging manuscripts established by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The next chapter lists linguistic particularities (spelling variations or vocabulary) of each base manuscript, a slightly confusing organizational choice as the base manuscripts are defined in the following chapter. This third chapter explains the author's choice of definitive manuscript for each episode. As is noted, all but one of the episodes is found in multiple manuscripts. Arioli succinctly compares his choice of base manuscript for each episode with its control manuscripts, which are generally less complete. The fourth chapter provides a list of episodes and sub-episodes, specifying in which manuscript each can be found. The fifth and final introductory chapter offers a summary of the action of each episode for easy comparison with and reference to the rest of the tradition. Though the book forgoes any analysis or interpretation of the included episodes, the detailed archival research provides the analytical scholar the tools to expand effectively upon this summary into analysis.
The bulk of the book is dedicated to the texts themselves, presented following the narrative order proposed by the editor: first the complementary episodes followed by the alternatives. The narratives are presented in the manuscripts’ original prose, with spelling changes and variations carefully documented in the ample footnotes and an index of linguistic variants. This is followed by both onomastic and toponymic indexes before a glossary of medieval French terms concludes the volume.
Overall, Arioli's second volume of Ségurant ou le chevalier au dragon is staggering in detail, providing the specialized scholar direct access to the extensive archival research performed by the author. Arioli simplifies as much as possible the labyrinth of original manuscripts, scattered in collections across Europe, thereby opening the door for scholars to new material within Arthurian tradition.
