Brother Ogrins

Ogrine

In the earliest known version of Tristram, that of Broul, Brother Ogrins is a hermit who counsels the wandering Tristram and Yseut (La Beale Isoud) to repent of their sin. When the protest that they cannot because of having drunk the love potion, he relaxes his holy rule in order to give them shelter for the night.

In this version, the effects of the potion wear off after three years, and the lovers return in penitence to the hermit, who arranges a reconciliation for Isoud with Mark. Apparently a shrewd dealer for a "nonwordly" man, Ogrins buys and barters so well that Isoud can appear before Mark richly apparelled and mounted.

"I [Phyllis Ann Karr] have only a partial translation on hand, and do not know what happens afterwards, but there seems to be indications that Tristram and Isoud still love each other, love potion wearing off or not."