#queen isolde

The Beginner's Guide to Medieval Arthuriana is now live at the Arthurian Preservation Project website!

Just starting out and don't know where to begin?

Anyone new to Arthurian Legends will here find guidance on introductory Medieval texts (and some more recently written). The stories are grouped into sections to help you decide where to begin.

Just starting out at a loss for where to begin?

Here’s a guide for introductory Medieval texts and informational resources ordered from most newbie friendly to complex. Guidebooks and encyclopedias are listed last.

All PDFs link to Google drive and can be found at @arthurianpreservationproject. This post will be updated as needed.

Pre-Existing Resources

Medieval Literature by Language

Retellings by Date

Films by Date

TV Shows by Date

Documentaries by Date

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Updated: 19/July/2026

This version of the love potion (of what is considered the earliest Tristan text) is horrifying as hell. This potion is scary. FOUR YEARS! It is four years where you can't practically do anything, because one wrong move means death. This is essentially a horror story rather than a romantic one.

References

I suppose Kahedin should have been part of this…but I think about him so little. Maybe next time.

just drew isolde! thanks to everyone who voted on the poll, i love isolde so much and she deserves soooo much love <3 she's everything to me.

my own loose design, based off of howard pyle's illustration of her + her portrayal in the icelandic film shadow of the raven (aka my favorite tristan and isolde film, which i highly recommend) i know she's typically described as blonde, but i really like to envision her with darker hair.

Hello there, Arthuriana fandom! I'm mostly on Instagram and post a lot of art, but I decided I will be posting only my Arthurian art here, so let's start off with the Cornwall Gang: Tristan, Isolde, Palamedes, Brangaine and Dinadan. I know their interactions and attitudes are different in the texts but screw it so here are my characterizations for each of them:

Tristan: He's very kind, helpful, and chivalrous. He's known to be a romantic and protective soul who loves to sing and play the harp for Isolde, and he even leaves her his harp whenever he has to go somewhere or on quests or visit his mother in south Cornwall (ik his mother is dead in the myths but screw it, i want to see Tristan being a mama's boy so bad). And like Dinadan, he has a trickster side and loves pulling mischief and pranks, but don't worry they are harmless. Despite his friendly nature, he's known to be brash, hotheaded and can easily lose his temper, especially whe his friends are hurt or when he is provoked.

Isolde (ik the fandom typically refers to her as Queen Isolde, but I prefer calling her by her true title, Princess Isolde): like Tristan, she's a good woman always willing to help, but she's not your typical princess. She's sassy and isn't afraid to stand up for herself and fight back. She's usually not interested in Tristan and Dinadan's pranks, but there are moments where she joins them. When they are in Camelot, in secret they especially love causing mischief on Guinevere (Arthur doesn't know about this lol). She ofc balances love and duty, but she loves going out with Tristan on romantic nights and moments together, and their love is genuine and real, so no love potions are involved.

Palamedes: Moved to Camelot to start a new life. Due to his history of trusting phonies and being betrayed, he starts out pessimistic and fearful at first, avoiding contact especially when he first meets Tristan. But after spending moments with him, Palamedes begins to slowly soften and starts giving others in Camelot a chance. Unlike the rest of the gang, he and Brangaine are no-nonsense people, often questioning their friends' schemes and antics, but nevertheless enjoy their company and interactions.

Brangaine: She's very loyal to her mistress and will do anything to protect her at all costs, so be careful how you behave or she will smack you with a broom. She likes spending time with Dinadan, chatting and telling some jokes to eachother. Despite her protective nature, she's very easy going and gives excellent advice to her friends and others.

Dinadan: Much like his myth version, he is cynical, a prankster and loves teasing other in a harmless way. Unlike Tristan's more calmer pranks, his ideas are much more bizarre yet still entertaining, even Palamedes sometimes finds them amusing. He loves to sing about mocking courtly love songs, especially about Tristan's love for Isolde, and Tristan really hates these.

What do you think of my versions? Enjoy and have a lovely day ❤️