Ivanhoe

Not to be confused withIvinghoe.

This article is about Walter Scott's novel. For other uses, seeIvanhoe (disambiguation).

Ivanhoe

Title page of 1st edition (1820, but released in December 1819)
Author	Walter Scott
Language	English
Series	Waverley Novels
Genre	Historical novel,chivalric romance
Publisher	Archibald Constable(Edinburgh); Hurst, Robinson, and Co. (London)
Publication date	20 December 1819
Publication place	Great Britain
Media type	Print
Pages	401 (Edinburgh Edition, 1998)
Preceded by	A Legend of Montrose
Followed by	The Monastery
Text	IvanhoeatWikisource

Ivanhoe on theScott Monument,Edinburgh (sculpted byJohn Rhind)

Ivanhoe: A Romance(/ˈaɪvənˌhoʊ/) byWalter Scottis ahistorical novelpublished in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of theWaverley novels.It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories inScotlandand in the more recent past. It became one of Scott's best-known and most influential novels.

Set inEngland in the Middle Ages,with colourful descriptions of atournament,outlaws, awitch trial,and divisions betweenJewsandChristians,NormansandSaxons,the novel was credited by many, includingThomas CarlyleandJohn Ruskin,with inspiring increased interest inchivalric romanceandmedievalism.AsJohn Henry Newmanput it, Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the Middle Ages".It was also credited with influencing contemporary popular perceptions of historical figures such asKing Richard the Lionheart,Prince John,andRobin Hood.

Composition and sources

In June 1819, Walter Scott still suffered from the severe stomach pains that had forced him to dictate the last part ofThe Bride of Lammermoor,and also most ofA Legend of the Wars of Montrose,which he finished at the end of May. By the beginning of July, at the latest, Scott had started dictating his new novelIvanhoe,again withJohn BallantyneandWilliam Laidlawasamanuenses.For the second half of the manuscript, Scott was able to take up the pen, and completedIvanhoe: A Romancein early November 1819.

For detailed information about the Middle Ages Scott drew on three works by the antiquarianJoseph Strutt:Horda Angel-cynnan or a Compleat View of the Manners, Customs, Arms, Habits etc. of the Inhabitants of England(1775–76),Dress and Habits of the People of England(1796–99), andSports and Pastimes of the People of England(1801). Two historians gave him a solid grounding in the period:Robert HenrywithThe History of Great Britain(1771–93), andSharon TurnerwithThe History of the Anglo-Saxons from the Earliest Period to the Norman Conquest(1799–1805). His clearest debt to an original medieval source involved the Templar Rule, reproduced inThe Theatre of Honour and Knight-Hood(1623) translated from the French of André Favine. Scott was happy to introduce details from the later Middle Ages, andChaucerwas particularly helpful, as (in a different way) was the fourteenth-century romanceRichard Coeur de Lion.The figure of Locksley in the story and many elements of the tale are undoubtedly influenced by Scott's association withJoseph Ritson,who had earlier compiledRobin Hood: a collection of all the ancient poems, songs and ballads now extant relative to that celebrated English outlaw (1795).

Editions

Ivanhoewas published byArchibald Constablein Edinburgh. All first editions carry the date of 1820, but it was released on 20 December 1819 and issued inLondonon the 29th by Hurst, Robinson and Co.. As with all of theWaverley novelsbefore 1827, publication was anonymous. The print run was 10,000 copies, and the cost was £1 10s(£1.50, equivalent in purchasing power to £149 in 2021).It is possible that Scott was involved in minor changes to the text during the early 1820s but his main revision was carried out in 1829 for the 'Magnum' edition where the novel appeared in Volumes 16 and 17 in September and October 1830.

The standard modern edition, by Graham Tulloch, appeared as Volume 8 of theEdinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novelsin 1998: this is based on the first edition with emendations principally from Scott's manuscript in the second half of the work; the new Magnum material is included in Volume 25b.

Plot introduction

Ivanhoeis the story of one of the remainingAnglo-Saxonnoble families at a time when the nobility in England was overwhelminglyNorman.It follows the Saxon protagonist, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, who is out of favour with his father for Sir Wilfred's allegiance to the Norman kingRichard the Lionheart.The story is set in 1194, after the failure of theThird Crusade,when many of the Crusaders were still returning to their homes in Europe. King Richard, who had been captured byLeopold of Austriaon his return journey to England, was believed to still be in captivity.

Plot summary

Opening

Le Noir Faineant in the Hermit's Cellby J. Cooper, Sr. From an 1886 edition of Walter Scott's works

Protagonist Wilfred of Ivanhoe is disinherited by his father Cedric of Rotherwood for supporting the Norman King Richard and for falling in love with the Lady Rowena, a ward of Cedric and descendant of the Saxon Kings of England. Cedric planned to have Rowena marry the powerful Lord Athelstane, apretenderto the Crown of England by his descent from the last Saxon King,Harold Godwinson.Ivanhoe accompanies King Richard on theThird Crusade,where he is said to have played a notable role in theSiege of Acre.

The book opens with a scene of Norman knights andprelatesseeking the hospitality of Cedric. They are guided there by apilgrim,known at that time as apalmer.That same night, Isaac ofYork,a Jewish moneylender, seeks refuge at Rotherwood on his way to the tournament at Ashby. Following the night's meal, the palmer observes one of the Normans, theTemplarBrian de Bois-Guilbert, issue orders to hisSaracensoldiers to capture Isaac.

The palmer then assists in Isaac's escape from Rotherwood, with the additional aid of theswineherdGurth.

Isaac of York offers to repay his debt to the palmer with a suit of armour and awar horseto participate in thetournamentatAshby-de-la-ZouchCastle, on his inference that the palmer was secretly a knight. The palmer is taken by surprise, but accepts the offer.

The tournament

The tournament is presided over byPrince John.Also in attendance are Cedric, Athelstane, Lady Rowena, Isaac of York, his daughter Rebecca,Robin of Locksleyand his men, Prince John's advisor Waldemar Fitzurse, and numerous Normanknights.

On the first day of the tournament, in a bout of individualjousting,a mysterious knight, identifying himself only as "Desdichado" (described in the book as Spanish, taken by the Saxons to mean "Disinherited" ), defeats Bois-Guilbert. The masked knight declines to reveal himself despite Prince John's request, but is nevertheless declared the champion of the day and is permitted to choose the Queen of the Tournament. He bestows this honour upon Lady Rowena.

On the second day, at amelee,Desdichado is the leader of one party, opposed by his former adversaries. Desdichado's side is soon hard-pressed and he himself beset by multiple foes until rescued by a knight nicknamedLe Noir Faineant('the Black Sluggard'), who thereafter departs in secret. When forced to unmask himself to receive hiscoronet(the sign of championship), Desdichado is identified as Wilfred of Ivanhoe, returned from the Crusades. This causes much consternation to Prince John and his court who now fear the imminent return of King Richard.

Ivanhoe is severely wounded in the competition yet his father does not move quickly to tend to him. Instead, Rebecca, a skilledphysician,tends to him while they are lodged near the tournament and then convinces her father to take Ivanhoe with them to their home in York when he is fit for that trip. The conclusion of the tournament includes feats of archery by Locksley, such as splitting a willow reed with his arrow. Prince John's dinner for the local Saxons ends in insults.

Capture and rescue

In the forests between Ashby and York, Isaac, Rebecca and the wounded Ivanhoe are abandoned by their guards, who fear bandits and take all of Isaac's horses. Cedric, Athelstane and the Lady Rowena meet them and agree to travel together. The party is captured by de Bracy and his companions and taken to Torquilstone, the castle of Front-de-Boeuf. The swineherd Gurth and Wamba the jester manage to escape, and then encounter Locksley, who plans a rescue.

Rebecca on the parapet of Torquilstone castle, drawing byGeorge Cruikshank(1837)

The Black Knight, having taken refuge for the night in the hut oflocal friar,the Holy Clerk of Copmanhurst, volunteers his assistance on learning about the captives from Robin of Locksley. They then besiege the Castle of Torquilstone with Robin's own men, including the friar and assorted Saxonyeomen.Inside Torquilstone, de Bracy expresses his love for the Lady Rowena but is refused. Brian de Bois-Guilbert tries to rape Rebecca and is thwarted. He then tries to seduce her and is rebuffed. Front-de-Boeuf tries to wring a hefty ransom from Isaac of York, but Isaac refuses to pay unless his daughter is freed.

When the besiegers deliver a note to yield up the captives, their Norman captors demand a priest to administer theFinal Sacramentto Cedric; whereupon Cedric'sjesterWamba slips in disguised as a priest, and takes the place of Cedric, who escapes and brings important information to the besiegers on the strength of the garrison and its layout. On his way out, Cedric meets the Saxon crone Ulrica, who vows revenge on Front-de-Boeuf and advises Cedric to tell the besiegers. The besiegers storm the castle. The castle is set aflame during the assault by Ulrica, the daughter of the original lord of the castle, Lord Torquilstone, as revenge for her father's death. Front-de-Boeuf is killed in the fire while de Bracy surrenders to the Black Knight, who identifies himself as King Richard and releases de Bracy. Bois-Guilbert escapes with Rebecca while Isaac is captured by the Clerk of Copmanhurst. The Lady Rowena is saved by Cedric, while the still-wounded Ivanhoe is rescued from the burning castle by King Richard. In the fighting, Athelstane is wounded and presumed dead while attempting to rescue Rebecca, whom he mistakes for Rowena.

Rebecca's trial and Ivanhoe's reconciliation

Following the battle, Locksley plays host to King Richard. Word is conveyed by de Bracy to Prince John of the King's return and the fall of Torquilstone. In the meantime, Bois-Guilbert rushes with his captive to the nearest Templar Preceptory, where Lucas de Beaumanoir, theGrand Master of the Templars,takes umbrage at Bois-Guilbert's infatuation and subjects Rebecca to a "trial" for witchcraft. At Bois-Guilbert's secret request, she claims the right totrial by combat;and Bois-Guilbert, who had hoped to fight as Rebecca's champion, is devastated when the Grand Master orders him to fight on behalf of the Templestowe. Rebecca then writes to her father to procure a champion for her. Cedric organizes Athelstane's funeral atConingsburgh,in the midst of which the Black Knight arrives with Ivanhoe. Cedric, who had not been present at Locksley's carousal, is ill-disposed towards the knight upon learning his true identity, but Richard calms Cedric and reconciles him with his son. During this conversation, Athelstane emerges – not dead, but laid in his coffin alive by monks desirous of the funeral money. Over Cedric's renewed protests, Athelstane pledges his homage to the Norman King Richard and urges Cedric to allow Rowena to marry Ivanhoe, to which Cedric finally agrees.

Soon after this reconciliation, Ivanhoe receives word from Isaac beseeching him to fight on Rebecca's behalf. Ivanhoe, riding day and night, arrives in time for the trial by combat; however, both horse and man are exhausted, with little chance of victory. The two knights make one charge at each other with lances, Bois-Guilbert appearing to have the advantage. Bois-Guilbert and Ivanhoe are unhorsed by each other's lances in the first joust. Ivanhoe rises quickly to finish the fight by sword; however, Bois-Guilbert, suffering from the severe inner conflict of his love for Rebecca and his honor as a knight, dies from emotional turmoil.

Ivanhoe and Rowena marry and live a long and happy life together. Fearing further persecution, Rebecca and her father plan to quit England forGranada.Before leaving, Rebecca comes to Rowena shortly after the wedding to bid her a solemn farewell. Ivanhoe's military service ends with the death of King Richard five years later.

Characters

(principal characters in bold)

• Cedricthe Saxon, of Rotherwood
• Wilfred of Ivanhoe,Cedric's son
• Rowena,Saxon princess, Cedric's ward
• Athelstane,Saxon nobleman, Cedric's kinsman
• Gurth,Cedric's swineherd
• Wamba,Cedric's jester
• Oswald, Cedric's cup-bearer
• Elgitha, Rowena's waiting-woman
• Albert Malvoisin, Preceptor of Templestowe
• Philip Malvoisin, his brother, Cedric's neighbor
• Hubert, Philip's forester
• The Prior of Aymer,Abbot of Jorvaulx
• Ambrose, a monk attending him
• Brian de Bois-Guilbert,aTemplar
• Baldwin, his squire
• Isaacof York, a Jewish money-lender
• Rebecca,of York, Isaac's daughter, an accomplished physician and philanthropist
• Nathan, a rabbi and physician
• King Richard('the Black Knight')
• Prince John,Richard's brother
• AliasLocksley,Robin Hood,an outlaw
• Reginald Front-de-Bœufof Torquilstone, Norman holder of an ancient Saxon fortress. Cedric's neighbor
• Maurice de Bracy,a Free Companion (mercenary)
• Waldemar Fitzurse, Prince John's advisor - a fictional son ofReginald FitzUrse,a murderer of Archbishop Becket.
• Hugh de Grantmesnil
• Ralph de Vipont, a Hospitaller
• Friar Tuck,of Copmanhurst
• Ulrica,of Torquilstone, alias Urfried
• Lucas de Beaumanoir,grand-master of the Templars
• Conrade Mountfitchet, his attendant knight
• Higg, a peasant
• Kirjath Jairam of Leicester, a rich Jew
• Alan-a-Dale,a minstrel

Chapter summary

Dedicatory Epistle: An imaginary letter to the Rev. Dr Dryasdust from Laurence Templeton who has found the materials for the following tale mostly in the Anglo-Norman Wardour Manuscript. He wishes to provide an English counterpart to the preceding Waverley novels, in spite of various difficulties arising from the chronologically remote setting made necessary by the earlier progress of civilisation south of the Border.

Volume One

Ch. 1: Historical sketch. Gurth the swineherd and Wamba the jester discuss life under Norman rule.

Ch. 2: Wamba and Gurth wilfully misdirect a group of horsemen headed by Prior Aymer and Brian de Bois-Guilbert seeking shelter at Cedric's Rotherwood. Aymer and Bois-Guilbert discuss the beauty of Cedric's ward Rowena and are redirected, this time correctly, by a palmer [Ivanhoe in disguise].

Ch. 3: Cedric anxiously awaits the return of Gurth and the pigs. Aymer and Bois-Guilbert arrive.

Ch. 4: Bois-Guilbert admires Rowena as she enters for the evening feast.

Ch. 5: During the feast: Isaac enters and is befriended by the palmer; Cedric laments the decay of the Saxon language; the palmer refutes Bois-Guilbert's assertion of Templar supremacy with an account of a tournament in Palestine, where Ivanhoe defeated him; the palmer and Rowena give a pledge for a return match; and Isaac is thunderstruck by Bois-Guilbert's denial of his assertion of poverty.

Ch. 6: Next day the palmer tells Rowena that Ivanhoe will soon be home. He offers to protect Isaac from Bois-Guilbert, whom he has overheard giving instructions for his capture. On the road to Sheffield Isaac mentions a source of horse and armour of which he guesses the palmer has need.

Ch. 7: As the audience for a tournament atAshby de la Zouchassembles, Prince John amuses himself by making fun of Athelstane and Isaac.

Ch. 8: After a series of Saxon defeats in the tournament the 'Disinherited Knight' [Ivanhoe] triumphs over Bois-Guilbert and the other Norman challengers.

Ch. 9: The Disinherited Knight nominates Rowena as Queen of the Tournament.

Ch. 10: The Disinherited Knight refuses to ransom Bois-Guilbert's armour, declaring that their business is not concluded. He instructs his attendant, Gurth in disguise, to convey money to Isaac to repay him for arranging the provision of his horse and armour. Gurth does so, but Rebecca secretly refunds the money.

Ch. 11: Gurth is assailed by a band of outlaws, but they spare him on hearing his story and after he has defeated one of their number, a miller, at quarter-staves.

Ch. 12: The Disinherited Knight's party triumph at the tournament, with the aid of a knight in black [Richard in disguise]; he is revealed as Ivanhoe and faints as a result of the wounds he has incurred.

Ch. 13: John encourages De Bracy to court Rowena and receives a warning from France that Richard has escaped. Locksley [Robin Hood] triumphs in an archery contest.

Ch. 14: At the tournament banquet Cedric continues to disown his son (who has been associating with the Normans) but drinks to the health of Richard, rather than John, as the noblest of that race.

Volume Two

Ch. 1 (15): De Bracy (disguised as a forester) tells Fitzurse of his plan to capture Rowena and then 'rescue' her in his own person.

Ch. 2 (16): The Black Knight is entertained by a hermit [Friar Tuck] at Copmanhurst.

Ch. 3 (17): The Black Knight and the hermit exchange songs.

Ch. 4 (18): (Retrospect: Before going to the banquet Cedric learned that Ivanhoe had been removed by unknown carers; Gurth was recognised and captured by Cedric's cupbearer Oswald.) Cedric finds Athelstane unresponsive to his attempts to interest him in Rowena, who is herself only attracted by Ivanhoe.

Ch. 5 (19): Rowena persuades Cedric to escort Isaac and Rebecca, who have been abandoned (along with a sick man [Ivanhoe] in their care) by their hired protectors. Wamba helps Gurth to escape again. De Bracy mounts his attack, during which Wamba escapes. He meets up with Gurth and they encounter Locksley who, after investigation, advises against a counter-attack, the captives not being in immediate danger.

Ch. 6 (20): Locksley sends two of his men to watch De Bracy. At Copmanhurst he meets the Black Knight who agrees to join in the rescue.

Ch. 7 (21): De Bracy tells Bois-Guilbert he has decided to abandon his 'rescue' plan, mistrusting his companion though the Templar says it is Rebecca he is interested in. On arrival at Torquilstone castle Cedric laments its decline.

Ch. 8 (22): Under threat of torture Isaac agrees to pay Front-de-Bœuf a thousand pounds, but only if Rebecca is released.

Ch. 9 (23): De Bracy uses Ivanhoe's danger from Front-de-Bœuf to put pressure on Rowena, but he is moved by her resulting distress. The narrator refers the reader to historical instances of baronial oppression in medieval England.

Ch. 10 (24): A hag Urfried [Ulrica] warns Rebecca of her forthcoming fate. Rebecca impresses Bois-Guilbert by her spirited resistance to his advances.

Ch. 11 (25): Front-de-Bœuf rejects a written challenge from Gurth and Wamba. Wamba offers to spy out the castle posing as a confessor.

Ch. 12 (26): Entering the castle, Wamba exchanges clothes with Cedric who encounters Rebecca and Urfried.

Ch. 13 (27): Urfried recognises Cedric as a Saxon and, revealing herself as Ulrica, tells her story which involves Front-de-Bœuf murdering his father, who had killed her father and seven brothers when taking the castle, and had become her detested lover. She says she will give a signal when the time is ripe for storming the castle. Front-de-Bœuf sends the presumed friar with a message to summon reinforcements. Athelstane defies him, claiming that Rowena is his fiancée. The monk Ambrose arrives seeking help for Aymer who has been captured by Locksley's men.

Ch. 14 (28): (Retrospective chapter detailing Rebecca's care for Ivanhoe from the tournament to the assault on Torquilstone.)

Ch. 15 (29): Rebecca describes the assault on Torquilstone to the wounded Ivanhoe, disagreeing with his exalted view of chivalry.

Ch. 16 (30): Front-de-Bœuf being mortally wounded, Bois-Guilbert and De Bracy discuss how best to repel the besiegers. Ulrica sets fire to the castle and exults over Front-de-Bœuf who perishes in the flames.

Volume Three

Ch. 1 (31): (The chapter opens with a retrospective account of the attackers' plans and the taking of the barbican.) The Black Knight defeats De Bracy, making himself known to him as Richard, and rescues Ivanhoe. Bois-Guilbert rescues Rebecca, striking down Athelstane who thinks she is Rowena. Ulrica perishes in the flames after singing a wild pagan hymn.

Ch. 2 (32): Locksley supervises the orderly division of the spoil. Friar Tuck brings Isaac whom he has made captive, and engages in good-natured buffeting with the Black Knight.

Ch. 3 (33): Locksley arranges ransom terms for Isaac and Aymer. Aymer agrees to write on Isaac's behalf to Bois-Guilbert, to urge Rebecca's release, in exchange for Isaac loaning him money to pay his ransom to the banditti.

Ch. 4 (34): De Bracy informs John that Richard is in England. Together with Fitzurse he threatens to desert John, but the prince responds cunningly.

Ch. 5 (35): At York, Isaac stays with a friend, Nathan, as he strives to rescue Rebecca from the Templestowe. At the priory the Grand-Master Beaumanoir tells Conrade Mountfitchet that he intends to take a hard line with Templar irregularities. Arriving, Isaac shows him a letter from Aymer to Bois-Guilbert referring to Rebecca, whom Beaumanoir determines must be a witch.

Ch. 6 (36): Beaumanoir tells Preceptor Albert Malvoisin of his outrage at Rebecca's presence in the preceptory. Albert informs Bois-Guilbert of her trial for sorcery, and warns Bois-Guilbert not to defend her. Mountfichet says he will seek evidence against her, including bribing a few fake witnesses with fabricated stories.

Ch. 7 (37): Rebecca is found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death. At Bois-Guilbert's secret prompting she demands that a champion defend her in trial by combat.

Ch. 8 (38): Rebecca's demand is accepted, Bois-Guilbert being appointed champion for the prosecution. Bearing a message to her father, the peasant Higg meets him and Nathan on their way to the preceptory, and Isaac goes in search of Ivanhoe.

Ch. 9 (39): Rebecca rejects Bois-Guilbert's offer to fail to appear for the combat in return for her love. Albert persuades him that it is in his interest to appear.

Ch. 10 (40): The Black Knight leaves Ivanhoe to travel to Coningsburgh castle for Athelstane's funeral, and Ivanhoe follows him the next day. The Black Knight is rescued by Locksley from an attack carried out by Fitzurse on John's orders, and reveals his identity as Richard to his companions, prompting Locksley to identify himself as Robin Hood.

Ch. 11 (41): Richard talks to Ivanhoe and dines with the outlaws before Robin arranges a false alarm to put an end to the delay. The party arrive at Coningsburgh.

Ch. 12 (42): Richard procures Ivanhoe's pardon from his father. Athelstane appears, not dead, giving his allegiance to Richard and surrendering Rowena to Ivanhoe.

Ch. 13 (43): Rebecca is tied to the stake, and no champion appears. Bois-Guilbert, racked by guilt, begs her to run away with him. Rebecca refuses. Ivanhoe, exhausted and not fully recovered from his injury, appears as Rebecca's champion, and as they charge Bois-Guilbert dies the victim of his contending passions.

Ch. 14 (44): Beaumanoir and his Templars leave Richard defiantly. Cedric agrees to the marriage of Ivanhoe and Rowena. Rebecca takes her leave of Rowena, leaving a message of her thanks to Ivanhoe for saving her, before her father and she quit England to make a new life under the tolerant King of Granada.

Style

Critics of the novel have treated it as a romance intended mainly to entertain boys.Ivanhoemaintains many of the elements of theRomance genre,including the quest, a chivalric setting, and the overthrowing of a corrupt social order to bring on a time of happiness.Other critics assert that the novel creates a realistic and vibrant story, idealising neither the past nor its main character.

Themes

Scott treats themes similar to those of some of his earlier novels, likeRob RoyandThe Heart of Midlothian,examining the conflict between heroic ideals and modern society. In the latter novels, industrial society becomes the centre of this conflict as the backward Scottish nationalists and the "advanced" English have to arise from chaos to create unity. Similarly, the Normans inIvanhoe,who represent a more sophisticated culture, and the Saxons, who are poor, disenfranchised, and resentful of Norman rule, band together and begin to mould themselves into one people. The conflict between the Saxons and Normans focuses on the losses both groups must experience before they can be reconciled and thus forge a united England. The particular loss is in the extremes of their own cultural values, which must be disavowed in order for the society to function. For the Saxons, this value is the final admission of the hopelessness of the Saxon cause. The Normans must learn to overcome the materialism and violence in their own codes ofchivalry.Ivanhoe and Richard represent the hope of reconciliation for a unified future.

Ivanhoe, though of a more noble lineage than some of the other characters, represents a middling individual in the medieval class system who is not exceptionally outstanding in his abilities, as is expected of other quasi-historical fictional characters, such as theGreek heroes.CriticGyörgy Lukácspoints to middling main characters like Ivanhoe in Walter Scott's other novels as one of the primary reasons Scott's historical novels depart from previous historical works, and better explore social and cultural history.

Allusions to real history and geography

The location of the novel is centred upon southernYorkshire,north-westLeicestershireand northernNottinghamshirein England. Castles mentioned within the story includeAshby de la Zouch Castle(now a ruin in the care ofEnglish Heritage), York (though the mention ofClifford's Tower,likewise an extant English Heritage property, isanachronistic,it not having been called that until later after various rebuilds) and 'Coningsburgh', which is based uponConisbrough Castle,in the ancient town ofConisbroughnearDoncaster(the castle also being a popular English Heritage site). In the novel, Aymer is the Prior of Jorvaulx, a historical spelling of the greatJervaulx AbbeyofYorkshire.Reference is made within the story toYork Minster,where the climactic wedding takes place, and to the Bishop of Sheffield, although theDiocese of Sheffielddid not exist at either the time of the novel or the time Scott wrote the novel and was not founded until 1914. Such references suggest that Robin Hood lived or travelled in the region.

Conisbrough is so dedicated to the story ofIvanhoethat many of its streets, schools, and public buildings are named after characters from the book.

Sir Walter Scott took the title of his novel, the name of its hero, from the Buckinghamshire village ofIvinghoe. "The name of Ivanhoe," he says in his 1830 Introduction to the Magnum edition, "was suggested by an old rhyme.

Tring, Wing, and Ivanhoe,

For striking of a blow,

Hampden did forego,

And glad he could escape so.

Ivanhoe is an alternate name for Ivinghoe first recorded in 1665.

Older rural people in the Ivinghoe area most probably pronounced the name the same as Ivanhoe, according to Prof. Paul Kerswill of the University of York, a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA).

It is most probable Scott had direct knowledge of Ivinghoe and did some research before using it as the title for his novel, as he did for the other places mentioned in the novel.

The presence of Sir Walter Scott was recorded in Berkhamsted that is just 8 miles away from Ivinghoe. In the novel he speaks also of "the rich fief of Ivanhoe". The Manor of Ivanhoe is listed in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday.

Lasting influence on the Robin Hood legend

The modern conception of Robin Hood as a cheerful, decent, patriotic rebel owes much toIvanhoe.

"Locksley" becomes Robin Hood's title in the Scott novel, and it has been used ever since to refer to the legendaryoutlaw.Scott appears to have taken the name from an anonymousmanuscript– written in 1600 – that employs "Locksley" as an epithet for Robin Hood. Owing to Scott's decision to make use of the manuscript, Robin Hood from Locksley has been transformed for all time into "Robin of Locksley", alias Robin Hood. (There is, incidentally, a village calledLoxleyin Yorkshire.)

Scott makes the 12th-century's Saxon-Norman conflict a major theme in his novel. The original medieval stories about Robin Hood did not mention any conflict between Saxons and Normans; it was Scott who introduced this theme into the legend.The characters inIvanhoerefer to Prince John and King Richard I as "Normans"; contemporary medieval documents from this period do not refer to either of these two rulers as Normans.Recent re-tellings of the story retain Scott's emphasis on the Norman-Saxon conflict.

Scott also shunned the late 16th-century depiction of Robin as a dispossessed nobleman (the Earl of Huntingdon).

This, however, has not prevented Scott from making an important contribution to the noble-hero strand of the legend, too, because some subsequent motion picture treatments of Robin Hood's adventures give Robin traits that are characteristic of Ivanhoe as well. The most notable Robin Hood films are the lavishDouglas Fairbanks1922 silent film,the 1938 triple Academy Award-winningAdventures of Robin HoodwithErrol Flynnas Robin (which contemporary reviewer Frank Nugent links specifically withIvanhoe), and the 1991 box-office successRobin Hood: Prince of ThieveswithKevin Costner.There is also theMel BrooksspoofRobin Hood: Men in Tights.

In most versions of Robin Hood, both Ivanhoe and Robin, for instance, are returning Crusaders. They have quarrelled with their respective fathers, they are proud to be Saxons, they display a highly evolved sense of justice, they support the rightful king even though he is of Norman-French ancestry, they are adept with weapons, and they each fall in love with a "fair maid" (Rowena and Marian, respectively).

This particular time-frame was popularised by Scott. He borrowed it from the writings of the 16th-century chroniclerJohn Mairor a 17th-centuryballadpresumably to make the plot of his novel more gripping. Medieval balladeers had generally placed Robin about two centuries later in the reign ofEdward I,IIorIII.

Robin's familiar feat of splitting his competitor's arrow in an archery contest appears for the first time inIvanhoe.

Historical accuracy

The general political events depicted in the novel are relatively accurate; the novel tells of the period just after King Richard's imprisonment in Austria following the Crusade and of his return to England after a ransom is paid. Yet the story is also heavily fictionalised. Scott himself acknowledged that he had taken liberties with history in his "Dedicatory Epistle" toIvanhoe.Modern readers are cautioned to understand that Scott's aim was to create a compelling novel set in a historical period, not to provide a book of history.

There has been criticism of Scott's portrayal of the bitter extent of the "enmity of Saxon and Norman, represented as persisting in the days of Richard" as "unsupported by the evidence of contemporary records that forms the basis of the story."HistorianE. A. Freemancriticised Scott's novel, stating its depiction of a Saxon–Norman conflict in late twelfth-century England was unhistorical. Freeman cited medieval writerWalter Map,who claimed that tension between the Saxons and Normans had declined by the reign ofHenry I.Freeman also cited the late twelfth-century bookDialogus de ScaccariobyRichard FitzNeal.This book claimed that the Saxons and Normans had so merged throughintermarriageandcultural assimilationthat (outside the aristocracy) it was impossible to tell "one from the other."Finally, Freeman ended his critique of Scott by saying that by the end of the twelfth century, the descendants of both Saxons and Normans in England referred to themselves as "English", not "Saxon" or "Norman".

However, Scott may have intended to suggest parallels between theNorman conquest of England,about 130 years previously, and the prevailing situation in Scott's native Scotland (Scotland's union with England in 1707– about the same length of time had elapsed before Scott's writing and the resurgence in his time of Scottish nationalism evidenced by the emergence ofRobert Burns,the famous poet who deliberately chose to work in Scots vernacular though he was an educated man and spoke modern English eloquently).Indeed, some experts suggest that Scott deliberately usedIvanhoeto illustrate his own combination of Scottish patriotism and pro-British Unionism.

The novel generated a new name in English –Cedric.The original Saxon name had beenCerdicbut Scott misspelled it – an example ofmetathesis."It is not a name but a misspelling" said satiristH. H. Munro.

In England in 1194, it would have been unlikely for Rebecca to face the threat of beingburned at the stakeon charges ofwitchcraft.It is thought that it was shortly afterwards, from the 1250s, that the Church began to undertakethe finding and punishment of witchesand death did not become the usual penalty until the 15th century. Even then, the form of execution used for witches in England was hanging, burning being reserved for those also convicted oftreason.On the other hand, the conductor of the trial, the Grand Master Of The Templars, is referred to as Lucas de Beaumanoir, whereas the historically real Master during that time wasGilbert Horal.There are other various minor errors, e.g. the description of the tournament at Ashby owes more to the 14th century, most of the coins mentioned by Scott are exotic,William Rufusis said to have been John Lackland's grandfather, but he was actually his great-great-uncle, and Wamba (disguised as a monk) says "I am a poor brother of the Order of St Francis", butSt. Francis of Assisionly began his preaching ten years after the death of Richard I. Also, in Chapter 45, Bois-Guilbert commences the fight being mounted on his horse named Zamor, which he claimed that he had won from the "Soldan (Sultan, or Emperor) Of Trebizond". This is anachronistic, as the Comnenids founded the rumpByzantineEmpire of Trebizondonly in 1204, just by the end of theFourth Crusade.Lastly, in the ultimate chapter of the novel, Rebecca, when asked by Rowena whether she would stay in England with her family or not, she says that she will accompany her father Isaac on his way to spend the rest of life under Mohammed Boabdil, King Of Grenada. In fact, the realMuhammad XII of Granada,popularly known to the Western world as Boabdil, wasn't even born before 1460, and theEmirate of Granada(most likely equivalent of the mentioned Kingdom) established before 1230.

"For a writer whose early novels were prized for their historical accuracy, Scott was remarkably loose with the facts when he wroteIvanhoe... But it is crucial to remember thatIvanhoe,unlike the Waverley books, is entirely a romance. It is meant to please, not to instruct, and is more an act of imagination than one of research. Despite this fancifulness, however,Ivanhoedoes make some prescient historical points. The novel is occasionally quite critical of King Richard, who seems to love adventure more than he loves the well-being of his subjects. This criticism did not match the typical idealised, romantic view of Richard the Lion-Hearted that was popular when Scott wrote the book, and yet it accurately echoes the way King Richard is often judged by historians today. "

Reception

Most of the original reviewers gaveIvanhoean enthusiastic or broadly favourable reception. As usual, Scott's descriptive powers and his ability to present the matters of the past were generally praised. More than one reviewer found the work notably poetic. Several of them found themselves transported imaginatively to the remote period of the novel, although some problems were recognised: the combining of features from the high and late Middle Ages; an awkwardly created language for the dialogue; and antiquarian overload. The author's excursion into England was generally judged a success, the forest outlaws and the creation of 'merry England' attracting particular praise. Rebecca was almost unanimously admired, especially in her farewell scene. The plot was either criticised for its weakness, or just regarded as of less importance than the scenes and characters. The scenes at Torquilstone were judged horrible by several critics, with special focus on Ulrica. Athelstane's resurrection found no favour, the kindest response being that of Francis Jeffrey inThe Edinburgh Reviewwho suggested (writing anonymously, like all the reviewers) that it was 'introduced out of the very wantonness of merriment'.

Letitia Elizabeth Landon,who was a devotee of Scott's, wrote a poetical illustration to a picture ofThe Tournament.byThomas Allomin Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1838.

TheEglinton Tournament of 1839held bythe 13th Earl of EglintonatEglinton Castlein Ayrshire was inspired by and modelled onIvanhoe.

On November 5, 2019, theBBC NewslistedIvanhoeon its list of the100 most influential novels.

Sequels

Classic Comicsissue #2

• In 1850, novelistWilliam Makepeace Thackeraywrote a spoof sequel to Ivanhoe calledRebecca and Rowena.
• Edward Eager's bookKnight's Castle(1956) magically transports four children into the story of Ivanhoe.
• Simon Hawkeuses the story as the basis forThe Ivanhoe Gambit(1984) the first novel in his time travel adventure seriesTimeWars.
• Pierre Efrataswrote a sequel calledLe Destin d'Ivanhoe(2003), published by Éditions Charles Corlet.
• Christopher Voglerwrote a sequel calledRavenskull(2006), published by Seven Seas Publishing.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Films

The novel has been the basis for several motion pictures:

• Ivanhoe,United States 1911, directed byJ. Stuart Blackton
• IvanhoeUnited States 1913, directed byHerbert Brenon;withKing Baggot,Leah Baird,and Brenon. Filmed on location in England
• Ivanhoe,Wales 1913, directed byLeedham Bantock,filmed atChepstow Castle
• Ye Olden DaysUnited States 1933, directed byBurt Gillett
• Ivanhoe,1952, directed byRichard Thorpe,starringRobert Taylor,Elizabeth Taylor,Joan FontaineandGeorge Sanders;nominated for threeOscars.
• The Revenge of Ivanhoe(1965) starredRik Van Nutter(an Italianpeplum)
• Ivanhoe, the Norman Swordsman(1971) akaLa spada normanna,directed by Roberto Mauri (an Italianpeplum)
• The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe(Баллада о доблестном рыцаре Айвенго), USSR 1983, directed by Sergey Tarasov, with songs ofVladimir Vysotsky,starring Peteris Gaudins as Ivanhoe.

Television

There have also been many television adaptations of the novel, including:

• 1958: Atelevision seriesbased on the character of Ivanhoe starringRoger Mooreas Ivanhoe
• 1970: ATV miniseriesstarringEric Flynnas Ivanhoe.
• 1975: Children's Animated Classics Ivanhoe
• 1982:Ivanhoe,a television movie starringAnthony Andrewsas Ivanhoe.
• 1986:Ivanhoe,a 1986 animatedtelemovieproduced byBurbank Filmsin Australia.
• 1995:Young Ivanhoe,a 1995 television movie directed by Ralph L. Thomas and starringKristen Holden-Riedas Ivanhoe,Rachel Blanchardas Rowena,Stacy Keachas Pembrooke,Margot Kidderas Lady Margarite,Nick Mancusoas Bourget, and Matthew Daniels as Tuck.
• 1995: "Sniffing the Gauntlet", an episode of the PBS showWishbonethat featured a retelling of Ivanhoe. A book tie-in was later published asWishbone Classics #12: Ivanhoe, The Adventures of Wishbone #20: Ivanhound.
• 1997:Ivanhoe the King's Knighta televised cartoon series produced by CINAR and France Animation. General retelling of classic tale.
• 1997:Ivanhoe,a 6-part, 5-hour TV miniseries, a co-production ofA&Eand theBBC.It starsSteven Waddingtonas Ivanhoe,Ciarán Hindsas Bois-Guilbert,Susan Lynchas Rebecca,Ralph Brownas Prince John andVictoria Smurfitas Rowena.
• 1999:The Legend of Ivanhoe,a Columbia TriStar International Television production dubbed into English starring John Haverson as Ivanhoe and Rita Shaver as Rowena.
• 2000–2002:Dark Knight,a New Zealand/British series, starring Ben Pullen as Ivanhoe and Charlotte Comer as Rebecca.
• 2017:The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe,a Danish/British animatedparody.

Operas

Victor Sieg's dramaticcantataIvanhoéwon thePrix de Romein 1864 and premiered in Paris the same year.Ivanhoewas thegrand operabyArthur SullivanandJulian Sturgis(Sturgis was recommended by Sullivan's oft-time partnerW.S. Gilbert). It debuted in 1891, and ran for 155 consecutive performances.Other operas based on the novel have been composed byGioachino Rossini(Ivanhoé),Thomas Sari(Ivanhoé),Bartolomeo Pisani(Rebecca),A. Castagnier(Rébecca),Otto Nicolai(Il Templario), andHeinrich Marschner(Der Templer und die Jüdin). Rossini's opera is apasticcio(an opera in which the music for a new text is chosen from pre-existent music by one or more composers). Scott attended a performance of it and recorded inhis journal,"It was an opera, and, of course, the story sadly mangled and the dialogue, in part nonsense."

Legacy

The railway running throughAshby-de-la-Zouchwas known as theIvanhoe linebetween 1993 and 2005, in reference to the book's setting in the locality.

A portion of theSilver Lakeneighborhood in Los Angeles was originally known as Ivanhoe, named by Hugo Reid, a Scottish immigrant for whom the rolling hills of the area reminded him of his home in Scotland. The upper reservoir and an elementary school are still namedIvanhoewhile many of the streets in the area reference Scott's other works and characters such as Herkimer, Rowena, Kenilworth, Ben Lomond, Hawick, and St. George.

See also

• Norman yoke
• Trysting Tree– several references are made to these trees as agreed gathering places.

External links

• Online text on Wikisource
• IvanhoeatStandard Ebooks
• IvanhoeatProject Gutenberg
• Ivanhoepublic domain audiobook atLibriVox
• Page onIvanhoeat the Walter Scott Digital Archive

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Wood, James,ed. (1907). "Ivanhoe".The Nuttall Encyclopædia.London and New York: Frederick Warne.