Red Book of Hergest (The), a collection of children’s tales in Welsh; so called from the name of the place where it was discovered. Each tale is called in Welsh a Mabinogi, and the entire collection is the Mabinogion (from nab, “a child”). The tales relate chiefly to Arthur and the early British kings. A translation in three vols., with notes, was published by Lady Charlotte Guest (1838-49).
Red-Cap (Mother), an old nurse at the Hungerford Stairs.—Sir W. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel (time, James I.).
Red-Cap (Mother). Madame Bufflon was so called, because her bonnet was deeply colored with her own blood in a street fight at the outbreak of the French Revolution.—W. Melville.
Red Cross Knight (The) represents St. George, the patron saint of England. His adventures, which occupy bk. i. of Spenser’s Faëry Queen, symbolize the struggles and ultimate victory of holiness over sin (or protestantism over popery). Una comes on a white ass to the court of Gloriana, and craves that one of the knights would undertake to slay the dragon which kept her father and mother prisoners. The Red Cross Knight, arrayed in all the armor of God (Eph. vi. 11-17), undertakes the adventure, and goes, accompanied for a time, with Una; but, deluded by Archimago, he quits the lady, and the two meet with numerous adventures. At last, the knight, having slain the dragon, marries Una; and thus holiness is allied to the Oneness of Truth (1590).
Red Hand of Ulster.
Calverley, of Calverley, Yorkshire. Walter Calverley, Esq., in 1605, murdered two of his children, and attempted to murder his wife and a child “at nurse.” This became the subject of The Yorkshire Tragedy. In consequence of these murders, the family is required to wear “the bloody hand.”
The Holt family, of Lancashire, has a similar tradition connected with their coat armor.
Red Knight (The), Sir Perimo´nês, one of the four brothers who kept the passages leading to Castle Perilous. In the allegory of Gareth, this knight represents noon, and was the third brother. Night, the eldest born, was slain by Sir Gareth; the Green Knight, which represents the young day-spring, was overcome, but not slain; and the Red Knight, being overcome, was spared also. The reason is this: darkness is slain, but dawn is only overcome by the stronger light of noon, and noon decays into the evening twilight. Tennyson in his Gareth and Lynette, calls Sir Perimonês “Meridies,” or “Noonday Sun.” The Latin name is not consistent with a British tale.—Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 129 (1470); Tennyson, Idylls.
Red Knight of the Red Lands (The), Sir Ironside. “He had the strength of seven men, and every day his strength went on increasing till noon.” This knight kept the Lady Lionês captive in Castle Perilous. In the allegory of Sir Gareth, Sir Ironside represents death, and the captive lady “the Bride,” or Church triumphant. Sir Gareth combats with Night, Morn, Noon, and Evening, or fights the fight of faith, and then overcomes the last enemy, which is death, when he marries the lady, or is received into the Church, which is “the Lamb’s Bride.” Tennyson, in his Gareth and Lynette, makes the combat with the Red Knight (“Mors,” or “Death”) to be a single stroke; but the History says it is endured from morn to noon, and from noon to night—in fact, that man’s whole life is a contest with moral and physical death.—Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, i. 134-137 (1470); Tennyson, Idylls (“Gareth and Lynette”).
Red Pipe. The Great Spirit long ago called the Indians together, and, standing on the red pipe-stone rock, broke off a piece, which he made into a pipe, and smoked, letting the smoke exhale to the four quarters. He then told the Indians that the red pipe-stone was their flesh, and they must use the red pipe when they made peace; and that when they smoked it, the war-club and scalping-knife must not be touched. Having so spoken, the Great Spirit was received up into the clouds.—Indian Mythology.