The Legend of
Guy Le Strange
incorporating the
'Romance of
Fouke le fitz Warine'
From the
progenitor of the House of le Strange, Roland Extraneus, we turn to a a
remote part of central England a century before, and Guy le Strange who is
the earliest, and otherwise, untraced descendant of the family. The le
Strange legend that has been repeated through successive generations can
be found in part of an epic tale, the Romance of Fouke
le fitz Warine. This French prose which was written by an
unknown author in traditional trouverian style of the 13th century, was translated and reproduced
in early medieval times for its
popularity gained by the declared outlaw Fulk who is otherwise known as Fulk the son of Warine
[II]. It is a story set in the 11th century
A.D. wherein it begins with a certain lady, Mellette, who features as the
outlaw's grandmother in her youth, she was united with her husband Guy
of Metz, whom otherwise was known in France from whence he came, as Guarine or Warine de Metz.
The chapter conveys how the le Strange family
was founded, prior to the Warines, when Mellette, a beautiful damsel has a
jousting tournament arranged for by her wealthy uncle,
William Peverel. This was held in the time of William the Conqueror, in
1083 at his Castle Peveril in the Peak of Derbyshire [England] (shown
above), and this is where she was expected to find a suitable husband, to which
she replied; "Sire"
no knight is there in all the world that I would take for the sake of
riches and the honour of this land but if ever I take such a one he shall
be handsome and courteous and accomplished and the most valiant of his
order in all Christendom. Of riches I make no account, for truly can I say
that he is rich who has that which his heart desires" [Mellette, 'The Romance of Fouk le fitz Warine'].
Noble-men eager to win her as their bride
together with dowry including the attractive white tower of white
town, known as Whittington Castle [Shropshire], came from every corner;
Scotland, Wales and France. The two most salubrious guests, Owen Prince of
Wales, and Eneas, Prince of Scotland, brought 200 knights along, -
the Duke of Burgundy outnumbered them with a hundred more. Ydromor, Prince
of Galloway came with a modest 150 men, but Guy (Guarine de Metz [France]
), son of John, Duke of Brittany, (Johan duc de la Petite-Bretagene), came
with only a hundred, plus his 9 brothers.
Ultimately, Guy, with his life spared,
victoriously claimed his wife, Mellette, whom already expressed her
interest in him by sending
over her glove. It continues... "..... Guy remained in England:
And conquered, by the force of his sword, many beautiful lands, and so was
named Guy le Strange ...."
"Donqe
repeyrerent le dys freres ou lur C chevalers á Bretaigne le Menure; mes
Gwy, le Pysné frer, remist en Engleterre ; e conquist par coup d'espée
meyntes beles terres, e si fust apeleé Gwy le Estraunge, et de ly
vindrent tous les grantz seignurs de Engleterre qu ount le sournome de
Estraunge".
[The
Romance of Fouke le fitz Warine]
written in French Medieval prose.
From this point on no longer was he a complete stranger to
these parts, but Guy de
Metz assumed The Strange name and produced his heir, Fulk fitz (son of)
Warine [I]. My mention of this name variant earlier suggests that the Warine's
and le Stranges were one of the same family determined by its prefix,
though the issue is both a complex and controversial one. However, in essence, the tale of
Fulk [II] as distinct from the family legend, celebrates a trouverian type romance
similar to that of Robin Hood and King Arthur, which are classified as
medieval tales everyone can enjoy. What they have in common is a hero in
which his romance is defined by courage & adventure, and at the same
time presents a platform on which a new family may flourish.
Invariably the le
Stranges' descent has since
united them with fitz Warines through recorded marriages much later, and scholars who
used the manuscript as an accurate historical guide, have, in their attempt to
touch upon the truth, added to the frustration as to the foundations of le
Strange. Until Victorian times, the le Strange family kept a written
history at Hunstanton after Sir William Dugdale’s publication 'The
Baronage Of England' (1675-6) appeared (see below).
But it was later to prove insatiable when Rev. R.W.
Eyton highlighted the conflicting evidence surrounding the date of
the event when he published the Antiquities of
Shropshire (1854-60) though he at least affords some characters' existence.
The English 16th century version of
the Romance had already been incorporated into Leland's Collectanea
(1612) by John Leland who associated together with Sir Thomas le
Strange at the court of Henry VIII. Inevitably,
if Dugdale’s efforts were conspicuous, his compilation incorporating the
legend of Guy as their originator has enjoyed some credibility over the past few
centuries, though not surprisingly, it has passed
into history with a traditional mixture of fact & fiction, leaving it
open to doubt.
What inspired the original author, one cannot say, though an unknown
troubadour to us in writing an historic tale of his own, perhaps
generates more of a mystery than the present Founder of the House of le
Strange. But how ever little or much truth there is in the legend, its
best strength perhaps survives in the castle foundations on the Derbyshire peak
where much more than this legend took place.
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