Hero born on legendary land of Lyonesse
She held her babe in her hands; his face was perfection, alert eyes seeking hers, a shock of back hair already grown.
‘Tristan,’ she whispered, ‘my son.’
It was windswept on the land of Lyonesse, the stunted trees bent their leaves to sweep the ground, the beaches were pounded by restless seas and a mournful wind lured. Isobel, Queen of Lyonesse, knew these were her first and last moments with her newborn son, hers was a life to be shorn. She held her baby close to the warmth of her body as her life stole away.
Tristan grew fast, he chirped and crawled, and walked early on agile limbs. His father Rivalen, King of Lyonesse, wished his son to follow him, but first he would have to learn the skills of a knight. One day the boy would ride the fastest horses along the beaches, leap over the lands of Lyonesse, and grow to rule its harbours. Rivalen was a fierce and fearless regal king, a little ruthless, a little reckless, and soon his life too was lost to a duel of swords and young Tristan became an orphan.
A messenger was sent to tell King Mark of Cornwall that his infant nephew was left alone in Lyonesse. Mark walked around his castle ramparts in black robes, still mourning the death of his sister Queen Isobel.
‘I will take the babe,’ he said gruffly. ‘I will fetch him myself.’
King Mark took his boat along the rough seas encircling the coast from Fowey to Lyonesse. On landing, he waded to shore and walked to the house where he had last seen his sister. He bent down with every inch of his tenderness to meet the eyes of the babe who toddled towards him.
‘Tristan my boy, I will train you to be the greatest knight. You will be by my side always. I loved your mother my dear sister, and loved your father like a brother, I will love you like a son. I will make sure you are brought up to be a fine lad and a brave knight of Cornwall.’
Mark took the boy by the hand and led him to the waters, hoisted him onto his shoulders as he waded out to the boat, and they were off on their very first voyage together away from Lyonesse to Cornwall and King Mark’s Castle Dore.
Tales of Tristan were told by French trouvères, then written down by Béroul and Thomas of Britain c1170. Béroul and Thomas of Britain’s versions of Tristan’s tale are very different. The stories spread throughout Europe, then were recorded in English by Thomas Malory.
Spellings vary between tellings. Tristan of Lyonesse aka Trystramys de Lyones aka Tristram de Lyones aka Tristan of Liones,(or Loenois or Loonois). Isolde is also Iseult.