Tristram

• Sir Amory Tristram, 1st Earl of Howth, later called Saint Lawrence

• The legendary Tristan (Latin/Brythonic: Drustanus; Welsh: Trystan; also known as Tristran, Tristram etc), was a Cornish hero from folklore, and one of the Knights of the Round Table whose story is told in the Matter of Britain. He was the nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, sent to fetch Isolde back from Ireland to wed the king. However, they fall in love en route (perhaps under the influence of a love potion meant for Isolde and Mark), and Tristan fights off a series of attempts to take Isolde back. (further information). In some versions of the legend, King Mark finds them together and stabs Tristian (perhaps a reverse version of the son defeating the father motif). Another version has Tristram marring Isolde; he later becomes wounded and sends for her; when the messenger finds her, she betrays him by telling him that he cannot be cured; he dies. In literature and art this charachter has been adopted by many writers, e.g.
  • Thomas d'Angleterre 1165
  • Eilhard von Oberge 1180
  • Gottfried von Straßburg 1210
  • Sir Thomas Malory (Le Morte d'Arthur) 1485
  • Hans Sachs 1553
  • Richard Wagner (Tristan und Isolde) 1859
  • Algernon Swinburne (Tristram of Lyonesse) 1882

• In FW, Tristan generally represents the combined Shem-Shaun character (⋀⊏)

• The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, an English novel from the 18th century by Laurence Sterne

• Third Census of Finnegans Wake