Oberon (mythology)

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Oberon, also Auberon, King of the Fairies, is most famous as a character in William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, written in the mid-1590s. Oberon gives his wife, Titania, a potion that causes her to fall in love with Bottom in order to get the changeling, who was given to Titania by her dying maid.

The medieval concept of the character Oberon arose from a multitude of earlier sources.

1 Merovingian legend
2 French heroic song
3 Other historical references
4 Modern references
5 External link

[edit] Merovingian legend

Oberon's status as king of the elves comes from the character of Alberich (elbe "elves" reix, rex "king"), a sorcerer in the legendary history of the Merovingian dynasty. In the legend, he is the otherworldly "brother" of Merowech, whose name is the eponym of the Merovingians. Alberich wins for his eldest son Walbert the hand of a princess of Constantinople. In the Nibelungenlied, a burgundian poem written around the turn of the 13th century, Alberich guards the treasure of the Nibelungen, but is overcome by Sigfrid.

[edit] French heroic song

The name Oberon got its literary start in the first half of the 13th century from the fairy dwarf Oberon (from Midsummer Night's dream) that helps the hero in the chanson de geste, titled Les Prouesses et faitz du noble Huon de Bordeaux. In the song, the noble Huon, son of Seguin count of Bordeaux, kills a man who lay in ambush for him, who turns out to be Charlot, the Emperor's son. Huon is condemned but wins a reprieve on the condition that he visits the court of the amir of Babylon, kisses the amir's daughter Esclarmonde three times, slays the greatest of the amir's knights, and brings back a hank of the amir's hair and four of his back teeth. By the help of Auberon, Huon succeeds, though he meets with many adventurous episodes along the way.

The real Seguin was count of Bordeaux under Louis the Pious in 839, and died fighting against the Normans in 845. Charles l'Enfant, a son of Charles the Bald, died in 866 of wounds inflicted by a certain Aubouin in the circumstances of an ambush similar to the Charlot of the story.

Thus Oberon appears in a 13th century French courtly fantasy that is based on a shred of 9th century fact. He is given some Celtic trappings, such as a magical cup (similar to the Holy Grail) that is ever-full for the virtuous: "The magic cup supplied their evening meal; for such was its virtue that it afforded not only wine, but more solid fare when desired" according to Thomas Bulfinch. In this story he is said to be the child of Morgan le Fay and Julius Caesar.

A manuscript of the romance in the city of Turin contains a prologue to the story of Huon de Bordeaux in the shape of a separate romance of Auberon, and four sequels, and there are later French versions as well.

Shakespeare saw or heard of the French heroic song, through the ca 1540 translation of John Bourchier, Lord Berners, called Huon of Burdeuxe. In Philip Henslowe's diary there is a note of a performance of a play, Hewen of Burdocize, on December 28, 1593.

[edit] Other historical references

In 1610, Ben Jonson wrote a masque of Oberon, the Fairy Prince. It was performed by Henry Frederick Stuart, the Prince of Wales, at the English court on New Year's Day, 1611.

In 1826, Carl Maria von Weber's opera, Oberon, or the Elf-King's Oath (written after a poem by Christoph Martin Wieland) debuted at Covent Garden in London.

In the four operas of 1854 to 1874 by Richard Wagner, The Ring of the Nibelung, his role evolves in the opposite direction and he winds up stealing the Rhinemaidens' gold.

Notably, the name Oberon was also chosen for Uranus outernmost natural satellite in 1847, as an homage to William Shakespeare and his literary character.

[edit] Modern references

Oberon, with Titania, provides the characters of A Midsummer Tempest, by Poul Anderson, with magical assistance.
In 2000, the series Lexx portrayed Oberon in the episode 4.11: A Midsummer's Nightmare.
Oberon was also a guest character in an episode of Pokey the Penguin.
In The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny, Oberon is the King of Amber and the father of all of the princes in the series
In the Warlock series of Christopher Stasheff, Oberon (alias Brom O'Berin) is the half-human King of Elves on the planet Gramarye, but poses as the Royal Fool to influence the human kingdom. He is also the father-in-law of the titular Warlock.
In the middle-grade novel The Revenge of the Shadow King, by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis, Oberon appears in the title role of the all-powerful and malevolent king of the Land of Faerie.
References to Oberon & Titania appear as two of the mortal names given to the King and Queen of Faerie in Raymond E. Feist's 1988 fantasy novel, Faerie Tale.
Oberon was a character appearing in Disney's Gargoyles as the ruler of the mystical Avalon and "king" of the Third Race. Also seen in Gargoyles is the Shakespearean trickster Puck.
Oberon has appeared in the comic books Sandman, Hellboy, and The Books of Magic.
Oberon, along with his wife Titania, appears in the Nickelodeon show Fairly OddParents
Oberon appears in Nickelodeon Fairly OddParents video games
The sword Firebrand in the video game Castlevania:Symphony of the Night's information is 'Fire sword of Oberon'
Oberon has also appeared in the novel Magic Street by Orson Scott Card.
In David A McIntee's 1999 Doctor Who novel Autumn Mist, Oberon, the King of the fairie-like Sidhe, takes his name from the Shakespearean character
In the Playstation 2 title Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne by Atlus, one of the attainable demons is Oberon. The game states that his wife is Titania, and a curse set upon him at childhood has stunted his growth.
Kalamazoo Brewing Company (Bell's Brewery, Inc.)'s most popular brew,an American wheat ale, is named Oberon.
King Auberon Quin is the elven monarch of London in G. K. Chesterton's novel, "The Napoleon of Notting Hill" (1904)
WW's Titania entry (2006)
In John Crowely's 1981 fantasy novel Little, Big, Auberon is the name of one of the principle characters, the son of Smokey Barnable and Daily Alice Drinkwater.
Oberon is mentioned by name in the song "Hollow Hills" by Bauhaus. The song references burial mounds similar to the Barrow-downs in The Lord of the Rings.
In several novels by fantasy author Mercedes Lackey Oberon is the King of the Light Court of the Sidhe (elves), and the most powerful of the elven mages.