Minstrel of Reims's tale , ''Richard the Lionheart Answers Blondel de Nesle's Singing'', 1822 (
Stockholm,
Nationalmuseum) By 1260, Blondel's name had become attached to a legend in the highly fictionalised ; this claimed that, after King Richard of England was arrested and held for ransom in 1192, he was found by the
minstrel Blondel, whom he saw from his window, and to whom he sang a verse of a song they both knew. Later versions of the story related that Blondel went from castle to castle, singing a particular song that only he and Richard knew, and that the imprisoned Richard replied with the second verse – thus identifying where he was imprisoned. Then, Blondel either aided the king's escape or reported his position back to his friends. Blondel finally found Richard at
Dürnstein; in fact, there was no mystery about Richard's location which was widely publicized by his ransomers. 'Blondel' is a common
surname in Normandy, including on the
Channel Islands. It is recorded that King Richard granted a
fief on the island
Guernsey to a
vassal named Blondel, but it remains uncertain as to whether this has any connection with the legend, or whether the legend has any connection with the known trouvère.
Modern versions The legend of Blondel did not achieve great popularity in the
Middle Ages, but was taken up in the late eighteenth century. It was the basis of
André Ernest Modeste Grétry's
opera (1784). In 1822,
Eleanor Anne Porden used the legend in her epic poem : in her version, Blondel is really Richard's wife,
Berengaria of Navarre, in disguise. A poem by
Johann Gabriel Seidl titled "" was
set to music by
Robert Schumann (1840). Throughout the nineteenth century, the legend became a key component in the mythology surrounding Richard. Some later twentieth century novelists, placed a
homosexual interpretation on his supposed relationship with the king.
Norah Lofts in
The Lute Player (1951) has Richard make a (rather gentlemanly) approach to Blondel, which is refused, Blondel's heart and devotion being entirely given to Richard's neglected wife Berengaria. In the 1962–63
ITV British television series
Richard the Lionheart, Blondel was a semi-regular character, played by
Iain Gregory. The legend inspired
Blondel, a 1983
musical by
Stephen Oliver and
Tim Rice. The play, a comedic
rock opera, is set during the period of the
Third Crusade. Blondel is portrayed as a frustrated artist, seeking fame as a composer and performer, even as he searches for his imprisoned monarch. Rice collaborated with director
Patrick Wilde to revive the show at the Pleasance Theatre in London in 2006. ==References in popular culture==