Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Sir Tristram as a Sportsman explained
This chapter highlights Tristram's reputation among the Romancers as the supreme authority and model in all matters of hunting and falconry.
What happens
This chapter highlights Tristram's reputation among the Romancers as the supreme authority and model in all matters of hunting and falconry. Through a passage from the Faery Queene, Tristram tells Sir Calidore of his noble upbringing and his lifelong dedication to the chase, boasting an unmatched knowledge of forest game and the flight of hawks.
Themes in this chapter
Heroism and the Quest
Tristram's mastery of the hunt is presented as a noble and heroic pursuit, integral to his identity as a knight.
Cultural Transmission and Education
Tristram's training and knowledge of the chase are passed down as a model for others, reflecting the transmission of chivalric skills.
Characters to notice
- Tristram
Presented as the great authority and model in hunting and falconry, describing his training and expertise in the chase.
Key passages
“All which my days I have not lewdly spent, Nor spilt the blossom of my tender years In idlesse; but, as was convenient, Have trained been with many noble feres In gentle thewes, and suchlike seemly leers; ’Mongst which my most delight hath always been To hunt the salvage chase, amongst my peers, Of all that rangeth in the forest green, Of which none is to me unknown that yet was seen.”
I have not wasted my youth in idleness; instead, I was properly trained among noble companions in courteous manners and skills. My greatest joy has always been to hunt wild game in the green forest, and I know every creature that roams there.
Tristram defends his upbringing and declares his unmatched expertise in hunting.
“Ne is there hawk which mantleth on her perch, Whether high towering or accosting low, But I the measure of her flight do search, And all her prey, and all her diet know.”
There is no hawk that perches or flies high or low whose flight I cannot gauge, and I know all about its prey and feeding habits.
Tristram boasts of his comprehensive knowledge of falconry.