User:Sdesai22/sandbox

The couple does not wed directly after the princess reaches the Sultan’s palace, however, since she has not yet converted to his pagan faith (and he refuses to convert to Christianity). On her very first night away from her family, the princess, lying alone in her bed, dreams of a hundred black hounds, each barking at her simultaneously. Afraid to push any of them away for fear of being bitten, the princess attempts to flee, only to approach three devils, each “brent as a drake” (burnt as a dragon). Just as it seems all hope is lost, one of the black hounds transforms before her eyes into Jesus Christ, dressed in a white surcoat, and promises her that she need not dread anything of Ternagaunt (Saracen trinity’s version of the Father) or Mahoun (Prophet Mohammad). Christ claims that “Thi Lord that suffred passioun / Schal help thee at thi nede.” The princess arises from the dream, unclothed and vulnerable in her bed, but comforted by Christ’s message. After being taken to the Sultan's temple-- a room strewn with idols ranging from that of the Prophet Mohammad to Jove, Jupiter, and Apollo (from Greco-Roman mythology)--


 * NOTE #1: Citation for both the text and its footnotes, written by John H. Chandler, is already at the end of this section, so the conscious choice was made to leave this citation where it is and add more only when specific lines are being quoted.
 * NOTE #2: The last line cuts off because it merges with another editor's work.

Under Motifs: Race and Religion: It is also important to note that the poet of The King of Tars, likely of Christian faith, is ambiguous about the Sultan's exact religion. The term "Saracen" is used as a catch-all for all non-Christian religions, as the Sultan is shown praising both Greek and Roman gods (Jove, Apollo, and Jupiter), and Islamic figures (the Prophet Mohammad, who is mistaken for a god throughout the text).