The mysteries of Ivanhoe

 

 - Everyone in this wicked country is insane,
 I´m leaving for Andalus!

Like most Swedes, I watched "Ivanhoe" (on-off in my case) again this New Year´s Day. That is, the 1982 version featuring James Mason & Co. There are many strange plot twists and ditto holes in the movie. So I decided to ask Gemini AI about them. Double check them at your leisure. One such is that the Norman knight Reginald Front-de-Boeuf is implicitly described as a pagan?! Apparently, in Sir Walter Scott´s novel the villain is taunted by a heathen Saxon witch. Ahem, why was this left out of the film? It would have made an excellent addition to an already pretty colorful cast!

In Walter Scott´s novel "Ivanhoe", is the character Front-de-Boeuf described as a pagan?

In Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, the character Reginald Front-de-Boeuf is not described as a pagan. Instead, he is portrayed as a Norman nobleman and a nominal Christian, though one who is depicted as brutal, blasphemous, and profoundly irreligious.

The confusion regarding paganism in the novel typically stems from his interaction with another character, Ulrica (also known as Urfried), and his behavior during his deathbed scene.

Religious Identity and Beliefs

• Nominal Christianity: As a Norman knight and baron, Front-de-Boeuf belongs to the Christian faith.¹ In Chapter 22, while attempting to extort money from Isaac of York, he explicitly swears by his faith to prove his resolve:

  "I swear to thee... by the gospel which our church teaches, and by the keys which are given her to bind and to loose, that my purpose is deep and peremptory."²

• The "Blasphemer": While he identifies as Christian for social and political reasons, the narrator frequently labels him a blasphemer and a parricide (having murdered his own father).³ He shows no genuine piety and mocks the Church, even while fearing the "hell" it describes.

• The Deathbed Scene: As Front-de-Boeuf lies dying in the burning Castle of Torquilstone, he is terrified by the prospect of the afterlife.⁴ He does not turn to pagan gods; rather, he is haunted by his Christian sins and the "fiends" he believes are coming for him.

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The Real "Pagan" Connection: Ulrica

The term "pagan" is explicitly used to describe the beliefs of Ulrica, the elderly Saxon woman who set fire to the castle.⁵

• Pagan Hymn: As the castle burns, Ulrica sings what the narrator calls a "wild pagan hymn," invoking ancient Saxon deities such as Zernebock, Mista, and Skogula.⁶

• Curse on Front-de-Boeuf: On his deathbed, Ulrica taunts him by saying that these ancient Saxon gods (which the Christian priests call "fiends") will be his only comforters.⁷

Summary of Differences

Feature	Reginald Front-de-Boeuf	Ulrica (Sybilla)
Ethnic Background	Norman	Saxon
Official Religion	Christian	Christian (forced), then Pagan
Narrator's Label	Blasphemer, Tyrant	Pagan, Crone, Vengeful
Final Invocation	Cries for mercy/screams in terror	Sings a "pagan hymn" to Saxon gods