Season 4 Podcast 134 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 6 Pt II Episode 16 “The Perils of Una

Season 4 Podcast 134 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 6 Pt II Episode 16 “The Perils of UnaIn last week’s episode, Una was saved from the evil Sansloy by the Woodgods which consisted of Fauns and Satyrs. They think she is a God. She orders them not to worship her and tries to teach them truth and light. They become her great friends. In this podcast we continue with Una’s trials.   In this the second half of Canto 6, we are introduced to a new hero, a very strange hero, a rather uncouth and fearless and famous knight known as Satyrane. He delights in being a knight in shining armor. He came to the woodland to find his father and mother who deserted him. When he sees Una’s plight, he immediately sets out to rescue her.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  It fortuned a noble warlike knightBy just occasion to that forrest came,To seeke his kindred, and the linage right, From whence he took his well deserved name:He had in arms abroad wonne muchell fame,And fild far lands with glory of his might,Plaine, faithfull, true, and enemy of shame,And ever loved to fight for Ladies right: But in vaine glorious frays he little did delight.As the name suggests, Satyrane is the son of a Satyr, but he rises above his heritage though he has come to the forest to seek out his kinfolk. He is unique, however. Satyrane rescues fair ladies. His father exploited them.  Spencer calls his father, Therion, “a loose unruly swane.”  His mother, “Fair Thyamus” also a woodland creature was a mild lady, born of Labryde, a rather lustful mother. A Satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld,By strange adventure as it did betide,And there begotten of a Lady myld,Faire Thyamis the daughter of Labryde, That was in sacred bands of wedlock tiedTo Therion, a loose unruly swayne;Who had more joy to range the forest wide,And chase the salvage beast with busie payne,Then serve his Ladies love, and wast in pleasures vayne.Thyamis, pregnant with her son, Satyrane, comes to the woods to find her wandering husband who seeks other lovers. She falls under the power of another satyr who imprisons her. The forlorne mayd did with loves longing burneAnd could not lacke her lovers company,But to the wood she goes, to serve her turne,And seeke her spouse that from her still does fly,And followes other game and venery: A Satyre chaunst her wandring for to finde,And made her person thrall unto his beastly kind.He holds her captive in a secret cabin. When the child is born, the Satre allows Thyamis to return home but keeps her son for ransom. Rather than his real father and mother, Satyrane is raised by the wild Satyr, teaching him the life and manners of wild beasts and woods, exiled from the laws of men. Satyrane has a mixture of uncouth knightly chivalry and woodland savagery.