Season 4 Podcast 107 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Canto 3 Episode 7 “The Adventures of Una.” Pt I

Season 4 Podcast 107 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Canto 3 Episode 7 “The Adventures of Una.” Pt IIn the previous Podcast, # 104, The Redcross Knight listens to the tale of The Weeping Tree. It is a warning to the Redcross Knight to flee from Duessa; however, the Knight does not heed the warning because Duessa presented herself as Fidessa, the daughter of an Emperor who had been kidnapped by Sansfoy who in fact was her lover. Having lost Sansfoy, Duessa seeks to destroy the Redcross Knight by causing him to lose his virtue, the source of his strength. In Canto 3 Una sets out on a journey to find the Redcross Knight who has abandoned her because of the false dream caused by the magician Archimago.CANTO IIIForsaken Truth long seeks her love,and makes the Lyon mild,Mars blind Devotions mart, and fallsin hand of leacher vile.Canto 3 is the story of the adventures of Una as she seeks the Redcross Knight.  As mentioned The Redcross Knight represents holiness. Achieving Holiness is a very rocky road as will be illustrated by his further adventures. Una, on the other hand, represents truth. Una does not suffer the same temptations as her champion; however, her own journey is fraught with dangers. For example, in Canto 3 she is met by a lion, by a robber/rapist, by the wicked magician Archimago who is disgused as the Redcross Knight, and by Sansloy, whose name means without law. All seek Una’s destruction, and she has no champion. If they can destroy Una, who symbolizes truth, then it will follow that they can destroy The Redcross Knight, who symbolizes holiness. To appreciate the journeys of Una and the Redcross Knight, we must examine how they overcome the obstacles in their path, one in seeking truth and the other in seeking holiness. In that sense it becomes a cautionary tale for Spenser is assuming that we are also on the path of truth and holiness and will be confronted by strong opposition. Remember that Una is on a mission to find the Redcross Knight so that he can deliver her royal parents who are held captive by a powerful dragon. Una is true but she is inexperienced to the subtlety of Satan and the evils of the world.The first obstacle that Una meets is a fierce lion.One day nigh wearie of the irksome way,From her unhastie beast she did alight, And on the grass her dainty limbs did layIn secret shadow, far from all men’s sight:From her faire head her fillet she undight,And laid her stole aside. Her angels faceAs the great eye of heaven shined bright, And made a sunshine in the shady place;Did never mortal eye behold such heavenly grace. It fortuned out of the thickest woodA ramping Lyon rushed suddenly,Hunting full greedy after salvage blood;A strange thing happens. The beast is so taken by Una that he forgot his ravage hunger.Soon as the royal virgin he did spy,With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,To have at once devoured her tender corse:But to the prey when as he drew more ny,His bloody rage asswaged with remorse, And with the sight amazed, forgat his furious force.Instead of seeking blood he becomes as tame as a kitten. Of course, it perpetuates the idea that beauty can tame the most savage beast. But the lion senses more in Una than mere physical beauty. He is responding to the purity of her soul and the simplicity of truth.