P is for Post-fight Patch-up (Romance Tropes in Folklore)

This year, my A to Z Blogging Challenge theme is Romance Tropes in Folklore! For each letter, I will pick a popular trope from romcom movies and romance novels, and see if I can find the same trope in folktales and legends. Because it's fun. Here we go.

THE TROPE

This trope refers to scenes where someone is injured, and their (prospective) romantic interest gently tends to their wounds. It shows care and intimacy. Big strong men who take bullets witout slowing down usually hiss and fuss, because it shows vulnerability. You know this trope.

THE FOLKLORE

I had some obvious choices for this one, but it was still fun to do more digging.

THE STORIES

Diarmuid and Gráinne (Irish legend)

I promised we would get to these two, right? Can't miss one of the great love stories of tradition. Gotta admit, my favorite part of this entire runaway-bride epic is the part where they finally get together. Long story short: Irish princess Gráinne escapes her own wedding to legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhail by putting a much younger and more handsome hero, Diarmuid, under a magic obligation to elope with her. Fionn and his men hunt them high and low, and for a long time, Diarmuid holds out, not touching the woman that made him break his loyalty to Fionn. He always leaves unbroken bread behind to signal he has not slept with her. One stormy night, they seek shelter in a cave and get into a quarrel, at the end of which Gráinne stabs Diarmuid in the leg. He runs out into the rain, and she looks for him all night. They finally meet, make up, confess their love, and she takes the knife out of his leg. 

After that, there is no unbroken break left behind anymore.

Ilbrec of Ess Ruadh (Irish legend)

This one concerns another hero of the Fianna, Caoilte the Swift. He gets injured in battle, hit in the thigh with a poisoned spear. He goes in search of healing to the Sidhe hill where his foster-brother lives. He is seeking Bebind, a famous healing woman. He has to complete various battle quests to pay for the healing. Bebind works on his wound over the course of several days until he is healthy again. There are versions of this legend where they also become lovers by the end. (One is expertly told by Daniel Allison in this book.)

Guigemar (Medieval romance)

This 12th century romantic tale, based in folklore and written by Marie de France, starts a hero who knows nothing about love. Which is a problem, because he gets hurt in a hunting accident, and a deer tells him his wound can only be cured by his true love. He sets out to find love, and ends up in the castle of an old man who jealously keeps his beautiful wife locked up. With the help of servants, Guigemar meets the lady, and - predictably - they fall in love as she tends his wound. When the husband finds out they are torn apart, but fate brings them together again in the end. 

(Note that Tristan and Iseult also meet when he is seeking help to cure his poisoned wound.)

Dietwart and Minne (German legend)

Roman emperor Dietwart is looking for a wife, and he ends up in Westernmer to court King Ladmer's daugher Minne. She refuses to say yes to him until she gets to know him better; and despite his protests that women shouldn't hunt, she joins the hunt organized in his honor. She turns out to be quite the accomplished "mighty huntress". However, when she scares up a dragon, she almost dies - util Dietwart arrives to save her and kill the beast. He is seriously wounded in the fight. He is between life and death, but Minne slowly nurses him back to health with a magic ointment. When he regains his wits, he finds out she got the ointment from her mother - only to be used on someone she loves. That's one hell of a confession. 

Do you have favorite romance stories that feature this trope?

Do you like the folktale versions?

Don't forget to leave a link in the comments so I can visit you back!