Sir Orfeo

Lines 1-56

These lines serve as the exposition. Lines 1-24 establish the tradition of the Breton lai (lay) or song and hint that this lay will be about romance and adventure; it will be sung by a harper. Lines 25-56 set the scene in England and introduce the two main characters: Sir Orfeo, an English king, and his queen, Heurodis. Orfeo’s skill with the harp immediately associates him with Orpheus in Greek myth, the legendary singer whose music, which he played on the lyre, had the power to tame wild beasts (although unlike Sir Orfeo, Orpheus was not a king). It also aligns Sir Orfeo with the biblical king David, who was also a musician and harpist.

Sir Orfeo is quickly sketched as a great and worthy king. The word “courteous” (Line 28) had a stronger meaning in medieval times than today, meaning not only polite but also generous, refined, and cultured. His line of descent is from Pluto, the god of the underworld in Greek mythology (also known as Hades), and Juno, the Roman queen of the gods and wife of Jupiter. (The author of the poem mistakenly refers to Juno as a king, although that might be a transcription error in the manuscript.