Walter Scott
Ivanhoe

The father of the historical novel is undoubtedly Sir Walter Scott. It is no coincidence that Scott was Scottish, raised in the so-called Border, the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands, a place where history speaks to us from every corner: of clans and castles, of ancient feudal nobility and wars, culminating with the more recent Battle of Culloden in 1746, which profoundly marked Walter Scott in his imagination and style of writing. Affected by polio as a child, Scott nevertheless managed to embark on a series of journeys starting in 1792, the year he graduated and became a lawyer. He wrote poems and began his first series of novels set in Scotland, culminating in Waverley.

Ivanhoe inaugurates a new series of historical novels where Saxons and Normans clash in medieval England. It was published between 1819 and 1820, right when Walter Scott became a baronet. Considering himself a writer of transition, Scott always sought to reconcile the romanticism of the era with a very rational vision in his descriptive style, typical of a man of the late eighteenth century. Ivanhoe was a great success at the time of its publication.

At the center of the story is Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a noble knight protected by Richard the Lionheart, disinherited by his father Cedric of Rotherwood, known as the Saxon, who wants to wed his son’s beloved Lady Rowena to the lazy Saxon prince Athelstane of Conninsburg. Against them stand the Normans: the wicked Templar Brian De Bois Guilbert, the treacherous baron Reginald Front De Boeuf, the foolish and arrogant Captain Maurice De Bracy, all the way up to Prince John and his faithful advisor Waldemar Fitzurse. In the battle between the two sides, we have the masterful scenes of the Ashby-De-La-Zouch tournament, where the mysterious Black Knight and his ally the Disinherited Knight challenge the Normans, and a highly impressive episode at the castle of Reginald Front de Boeuf, where the good guys are aided by two illustrious characters: the archer Locksley with his outlaws and the Hermit Friar of Copmanhurst (ring any bells?). Gurth and Wamba, Cedric's two slaves, the Jew Isaac of York and his daughter Rebecca, who the Templar falls madly in love with, also play significant roles, leading to the heroic finale in which the latter must duel Ivanhoe.

A predominant role is held by the theme of the dispute between Saxons and Normans, the former seen as proud of the British Isle, and the treacherous Normans, vulgar and tyrannical invaders. In this, one can perceive a parallel with the English domination of Scotland and a certain nationalist sentiment from Scott. Another crucial theme is anti-Semitism: Isaac of York is mistreated by everyone, not only because he's a moneylender but also for the mere fact of being a "Jew," a well-known attitude of intolerance widespread under King Richard I of England's reign. In general, all characters are not described in detailed terms from a viewpoint, leaving much space for the reader's imagination, preferring a more precise psychological portrait.

Despite the great accuracy of this novel, especially from a historical perspective, Scott enjoys altering (or perhaps makes some small errors, we cannot know) the England of 1194: Rebecca condemned to the stake would have been more plausible in the fifteenth century, when the practice became common, and the citation regarding Boabdil of Granada, who lived about three hundred years after the time of Richard the Lionheart, is a slight anachronism.

These are nevertheless details, considering that Walter Scott invented a literary genre, when we think about the power of the plot of Ivanhoe and the delightful way the author narrates the events. Ivanhoe is often labeled as juvenile literature, perhaps due to the constant action and accessibility, but it is really best enjoyed by those who are adults and have a greater historical understanding of the past. Simply magnificent!