Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   Today’s post is a review of the book Melusine; or, The Noble History of Lusignan by Jean d’Arras.   Of course, I had read this book years ago, but I have recently re-read this tome as research in preparation for the Melusine Online Class I have been developing!   This review is specifically also a review of the translation by Donald Maddox and Sara Sturm-Maddox.

This edition and translation of the text was released through The Pennsylvania University Press, and the translators are both Professors of French Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.   Firstly, I want to state that this translation has a very good introduction written by the translators.   The introduction provides some context for those who may be less familiar with the tale of Melusine and those not accustomed to reading medieval literature!

The translation itself is beautifully related, with wording that reads like a fairytale or even poetry (even though this is prose not verse) in its slightly purple prose.   For me, this is a huge bonus, as I adore flowery language and purple prose, but I know that this is not something that will jive with many people’s reading styles, which is why I wanted to mention it.

As for the story presented, the tale of Melusine, as written by Jean d’Arras, is a great example of medieval literature and the common occurrence of blurring the lines between history and mythology.   We see this time and again in Celtic folklore, Arthurian literature, and other medieval works.   Melusine certainly fits into the categories of Celtic and Arthurian in many ways, as she was raised in Avalon (Celtic Faery Island and resting place of King Arthur after his death, ruled by Morgan le Fay)!   This prose romance was written by Jean d’Arras and for Jean de Barry, brother of King Charles V of France.    It tells the story of how the castle of Lusignan in Poitou was founded by a Faery, who is the Ancestress of many a Royal Bloodline!

This story is a very long text, being over 200 pages to tell the story of Melusine, largely because the story is well-fleshed out and goes into much detail about the quests of Melusine’s sons.   Being written in the medieval period, much like most of the Celtic lore and Arthurian romances we have from this same time period, the tale is heavily Christianized.   I am accustomed to reading between the lines when it comes to these types of texts, as anything of the Celtic Divine Feminine has its first written examples as stories of Faery Women, often disempowered or having their true ability veiled.   That being said, it may be slightly jarring for a reader who is new to studying Faerylore to read a heavily Christianized text about a Faery Queen Goddess, with occasional statements of her wanting to live and die as a human because her Faery nature is a curse.

At the end of the day, this is such an important foundational text to understanding the way Melusine has been viewed in the medieval period, and the foundation of how she appears to us as Faery Queen Devotees in the modern-day.   That is why I am so glad to have re-read the book while writing the early lessons in my Melusine Online Course.   Just like The Mabinogion, The Arthurian Romances of Chretien de Troyes, and countless other medieval texts featuring Faery Queens, it is an important (and beautifully translated) tome to read!   

I hope you have enjoyed this long and slightly rambling review of Melusine by Jean d’Arras.   Have you read this book?   Do you want to read it now?   Are you interested in taking my Melusine Class when it launches?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the book cover of the edition I read.   I found the picture on https://www.amazon.com/Melusine-Noble-History-Lusignan-dArras/dp/0271054158. 

Announcement: I am delighted to announce that I am teaching another live in-person Herbal Tea Blending Class at the shop Phoenix Lane this Sunday, January 12, 2025!   This class has a Valentine’s Day theme and is the perfect way to get yourself ready to celebrate, whether you want to draw in passion, celebrate the love you share with your beloved, or deepen into self-love.   If you are interested in joining, here is the event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/15DpbmYMct/         

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries

Further Reading

• Melusine; or, The Noble History of Lusignan by Jean d’Arras, translated by Donald Maddox and Sara Sturm-Maddox