Clearly ambiguous? The »mêr« in the ›Prose Lancelot‹: Between Tales of the Grail and the Farewell to Arthuria

Abstract

This article deals with the staging of narrative ambiguity of the thalassic setting in the MHG ›Prose Lancelot‹ and also addresses the evaluation of potential unambiguity. The representations of the sea thereby range from a transitional area and border space between the Arthurian and the Grail realm to its functionalization as a space of emotional coping for central characters. The sea is staged as a space of divine wonders and devilish temptations that evokes contingency. Ambiguity arises from these apparent contrasts on the one hand, and on the other from the fluctuating text structure, the change of perspective in the narrator’s speech, and the disparity of knowledge between narrator – characters – recipients.