Hercule Poirot & Arthurian Legends

A display of swords in Torre Abbey museum
in Agatha Christie's hometown Torquay

When I visited the World Fantasy Convention held in Brighton in 2013, my wife and I met an  artist from France. Among his interests was a focus on King Arthur. I enjoyed his paintings of Arthur and his knights, as they searched for the holy Grail, and lived out many of the other stories that surround this historical (mythological) king, his sorcerer and advisor Merlin, his right-hand man Sir Lancelot, his loving but ultimately adulterous Queen Guinevere, and the rest of those who sat around the round table. Only later did it strike me as odd that a French artist should be so interested in an English king.

Unlike English children, who would have grown up surrounded by Arthurian myth, what really drew my attention to Arthurian legends was the film "Excalibur." Named after his famous sword, the movie, directed by Englishman John Boorman swept me away with its rich characterization, gripping drama, and lush photography. I saw it several times in the cinema, and later purchased it on VHS tape, DVD, and Blu-ray. Because I loved the film so much, I later read Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, novels in the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead, and many other books and stories associated with Arthurian legend.

While King Arthur may be a curiosity in the United States, the Arthur history and myths are part of English culture. It surprised me to learn that they are also important in France. In fact, while Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur aims at being a comprehensive record of Arthurian lore, much of what he includes in his book was first recorded by French poet Chretien de Troyes. While I've not read any of these Medieval English or French stories that Malory drew on in his depiction of Arthur, I get the sense that the English and the French depict Arthur in different terms. To the English, he is heroic and wise, the first man to ever unite the disparate peoples, towns, and areas into one island nation. The French see him as a very human man, cuckolded, vulnerable, and many times ineffectual. Nevertheless, because he tries so hard, and aims so high, they still view him with affection and respect for his ambitions and achievements. 

In The Murder on the Links, a plea for assistance from Paul Renauld summons Hercule Poirot and his friend Captain Hastings to France. The name of the town where Renauld lives is named Merlinville-sur-Mer. The house in which the Renauld family lives is named Villa Genevieve. Sadly, by the time Poirot and Hastings arrive, Paul Renauld has been murdered. One of the suspects is a woman who lives next door. Once she was a beautiful young woman, the queen of her husband's financial empire, who ultimately committed adultery against her husband. The man who she committed adultery with was Paul Renauld, then known as Georges Conneau, who was her husband's right-hand man. The murder weapon is a long, sharp letter opener, or paper knife. The Renauld family also refers to it as dagger, which is a term for a short sword. And this is not just any dagger, but like Excalibur, one that was specially commissioned. 

As we all know, Merlin was the wizard who served the legendary King Arthur. Like Hercule Poirot, he was impossibly wise, and performed feats that others could only attribute to magic. In The Murder on the Links, we see events unfold through Captain Hastings' eyes. We see his initial distrust of Poirot's methods inevitably overturned, as his friend's magical methods of detection, and his wisdom, are proven true. Like King Arthur, Captain Hastings longs to be the hero of the story. In many ways, particularly with regard to the young, beautiful, and seemingly helpless Ms. Duveen, Captain Hastings risks his life and future career to preserve her life and character. While his acts ultimately prove ineffectual, we still view him with affection and respect for his ambitions and achievements.

I don't know to what extent Agatha Christie loved the King Arthur legends, but I can't help but notice the similarities between them and the characters and events in The Murder on the Links. I also find it striking how she makes the narrator, Hastings, someone we love and admire, even if his wise friend often solves mysteries through seemingly magical means. While he no longer serves in the military, he did achieve the rank of Captain, which suggests that he is a leader of men. In addition to assisting his friend Hercule Poirot, he currently serves an MP in the English Parliament, a high post for any person to achieve. Finally, of all the names she could have chosen, what name did Agatha give the narrator of her first two Hercule Poirot novels?

It was Arthur, wasn't it?

Dragon Dave

The Romance of the Seafront: Part 1

Is there even one person on this planet who does not find the seafront a romantic locale? After the cataclysmic events of the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode "Murder on the Links," Arthur Hastings finds he cannot yet bear to return to England. So he remains in Deauville, and the place he immediately heads to is the seafront.

One thing he had not reckoned upon was Hercule Poirot's understanding of the human heart. So as Hastings wanders along the seafront, who should pull up, but his friend in a beautiful old car? 

The person who leaves the taxi is not Hercule Poirot, however, but Bella Duveen, the girl Arthur Hastings has fallen in love with. The seafront provides a perfect place for their reunion.

According to one blogger, Joan D., this scene was actually filmed along the old waterfront road in the nearby French town of Trouville. But whether you're looking to fall in love with a beautiful hotel lounge singer, as Captain Arthur Hastings did in "Murder on the Links," or to share a special trip with the person you already love, the two lovely French towns of Deauville and Trouville, with their sweeping views across the English Channel of the white cliffs of Dover (at least, on a cloudless day), seem like the perfect place to spice up your love life.

They seem like wonderful places to take my wife one day. Or, at least, after we've visited all the places we wish to see in England.

Dragon Dave

Internet Links
Joan D's location comments on "Murder on the Links"

Agatha Christie's Favorite Bathing Spots

In the Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation of "Murder on the Links," Captain Arthur Hastings goes out one morning to swim, or bathe, in the ocean. There he bumps into Bella Duveen, the glamorous singer who so entranced him in the lobby of the Hotel Du Golf. When she tells him that the water is freezing, he abandons his swimming plans and instead treats her to breakfast in a warm restaurant. 

Later, after Poirot leaves for London, Hastings meets up with her again. As they walk along the seafront, she convinces him to allow her to tag along to the Police evidence room, where she can see all the items catalogued by Inspector Giraud as he investigates the murder of Paul Renault. He thinks it will all be terribly boring for her. She convinces him that, while she's fascinated by murder, she also enjoys his company.

Deauville, a jewel of the northern coast of France, owes much of its heritage to tourism. The city is renowned for its swimming and bathing opportunities. Over 150 years ago, a series of hydrotherapeutic baths were constructed. Today, visitors are still drawn to its famous pompeian baths.

Agatha Christie loved vacationing in France. Hence, Hercule Poirot often travels there during his storied career. Still, she never lost her love for Torquay. Her childhood home, locating on a stretch of coastline known as the English Riviera, offers beach lovers many places to enjoy an invigorating swim or a relaxing soak. According to one guidebook, Beacon Cove was one of the places Agatha Christie returned to again and again. With its sparkling azure waters and rugged coastline, its easy to imagine her loving this place.

Perhaps that's what drew me to capture this place in more than a photograph. While my wife wandered along the shore, hunting for interesting rocks and shells, I sat down with my pencils and hurriedly sketched out what I saw. The ocean breeze grew cool and bracing as the afternoon waned, but I didn't mind. For an hour or so, I immersed myself in one of Agatha Christie's favorite bathing spots. 

Afterwards, instead of swimming, my wife took me out to a warm restaurant for dinner. But then, she's occasionally admitted that she's fascinated by my sketching, and that she enjoys my company.

Dragon Dave

Agatha Christie's Boardwalks

Should you ever visit Deauville in France, in which the Agatha Christie's Poirot production of "Murder on the Links" took place, you've got plenty of entertainment options. One place you'll definitely want to check out is the Promenade des Plances, a famous boardwalk along the seafront. If you time your stay appropriately, you can take in the Trophee De Deauville. This bicycle race begins on the scenic promenade.

While the riders cycle through this scenic historic town, you can take time to admire the beach life from the comfort of an ocean front bar or restaurant. Or you can walk along the boardwalk and contemplate Deauville's film history. The names of many of Hollywood's finest actors and directors, such as Glenn Close, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, grace seaside cabins. This is an honor the French have bestowed upon them, in gratitude for their having attended the city's annual film festival. But keep a sharp lookout! 

Mrs. Renault and Gabriel Stonor watch the race on
the Promenade des Planches.

Before long, the racers will return, and you can see which bicyclist crosses the finish line first.

Although Agatha Christie chose to feature neither the boardwalk nor the bicycle race in her novel, visiting seafront boardwalks no doubt formed a regular part of her life. In her hometown of Torquay, a famous boardwalk arcs out from the beach and surrounds the harbor. After strolling through the nearby gardens, shopping at waterfront stores, or eating at a seaside restaurant, what could be nicer than strolling out over the waves, and admiring the boats anchored in the harbor?

The Boardwalk in Agatha Christie's hometown of
Torquay, England.

It's a great place for meeting people, either fellow travelers like yourself, or locals who have also fallen in love with Agatha Christie's Poirot. We found this out, the night we visited Torquay's boardwalk, as I related in A Conversation at the Quay. Having visited several English boardwalks now, I'm curious to visit one in France. The boardwalk in Deauville sounds like a great starting point for an exploration of French boardwalks. Who knows? I might even meet someone famous while walking along that scenic waterfront, such as the sporting Captain Hastings, or the more quiet and retiring Hercule Poirot.

Dragon Dave

French Cuisine & Five-Star Hotels

Should you ever travel to the scenic town of Deauville in France, to visit the sites featured in the Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation of The Murder on the Links, why not stay at the Hotel Du Golf? This is where Captain Arthur Hastings and his friend Hercule Poirot resided when investigating the death of immigrant Paul Renault, a part owner of the hotel and adjacent golf course, who reportedly made his fortune in precious stones in South America.

The Hotel du Golf, or Hotel Normandy,
as featured in the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode
"Murder on the Links."

Also known as the Hotel Normandy, this five star hotel offers cuisine suited to even the most sophisticated palates, as the well-traveled Belgian detective can attest. It also offers the best entertainment, including the attractive singer Miss Bella Duveen. She's someone whose voice, face, and personality will bowl you over, as Captain Arthur Hastings discovered during his stay in Deauville.

When on vacation, my wife and I find ourselves much more interested in the local cuisine than playing golf. While touring places in Devon mentioned in Charles Kingsley's novel Westward Ho!, such as Bideford, Clovelly and Appledore, we often dined out. The place we stayed that week offered us our own kitchen, so we had the option of making our own breakfasts.

When properly trained,
 Daleks make excellent cooks and waiters.

We often prepared these with items from local grocery stores, as well as leftovers from restaurants we visited.

While staying at the White Horse Lodge opposite Churston Train Station, our breakfasts were sumptuous and filling. The staff were friendly, and the dining area filled with homey touches. 

It was the kind of place I'd gladly return to again, should circumstances allow.

Unlike the famous detective Hercule Poirot, I'm not familiar with French cooking. But if my wife and I visited Deauville, I'd be willing to give it a try, especially if I had a sophisticated gastronomist like Hercule Poirot to guide my choices, and a talented singer like Bella Duveen to serenade us while we ate. Now, only one question remains. Could we afford to stay in a five star resort for more than five minutes? Could you?

Who knew sleuthing paid so good? I guess that's part of the genius of Hercule Poirot.

Dragon Dave

Agatha Christie Loves Trains

This map, used in the beginning of the
 Agatha Christie's Poirot production of
"Murder on the Links," 
adorns a wall in the Deauville Train Station.

Trying to decide where to spend your next vacation? Then consider Deauville, a romantic seaside town in France. It's a historic town with a rich history in sports and cinema. The local casino may even have inspired Ian Fleming to write his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.

While there are other ways to travel, there's no better way to arrive in Deauville than by train. With the steam engine chugging and hooting, and the passenger cars gently rocking you from side to side, you can drink in the beautiful French scenery rolling past your window, without worrying if you'll make the appropriate turns without getting lost. Plus, you won't have to worry about where to park your car. 

If, like Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's novel The Murder on the Links, you discover that you need to make a quick journey to Paris, Deauville's train station can accommodate you. If, like Hercule Poirot in the Agatha Christie's Poirot TV adaptation, you decide to visit London instead, the train station can help you reach that famous city as well. In fact, whatever your needs, you'll find the porters and station staff ready to render any assistance you require, from carrying your golf clubs to telling you when suspects in a murder investigation arrived or departed. They'll even happily summon a cab for you to transport you to wherever you might be staying. 

As trains formed a crucial part of the transportation system in Agatha Christie's day, they frequently featured in her novels. This proved the case not only for her stories set in France, where events in The Murder on the Links took place, but also those set in England. During our stay outside Torquay, we discovered that our hotel lay directly across from a train station. 

While we relaxed in our comfortable room, and the sumptuous bar (or, if you prefer, pub), we would often hear the whistle of a train arriving or departing, and the bellowing of its mighty steam engine. At the time, I regarded the sounds as something of a distraction, as we were usually exhausted from a day's worth of sightseeing and travel when we returned to our night's lodging. So I never thought to photograph these magnificent old trains that help transport visitors to Agatha Christie's stately vacation home of Greenway. 

If I return to Torquay, I'd love to take one of those magnificent steam trains. Should I ever visit Deauville, taking a train is a transportation option I would definitely consider. Who knows? My wife and I might find ourselves sitting across the aisle from some interesting and convivial people, such as Captain Arthur Hastings, and his indomitable friend Hercule Poirot.

Dragon Dave

Captain Hastings on Golf And Cars

While it's always interesting to speculate as to how the people and events in an author's life inspire her to include them in her story, what we know is that the production team chose to rewrite Agatha Christie's original stories. Often, they did this to strengthen the bond between Hercule Poirot and Hastings, as proved the case with this story. In the TV version, Poirot and Hastings travel to France on holiday. Somewhat bizarrely, a perfectionist like Poirot, who always needs everything just so, leaves the entire planning of this vacation to Captain Hastings. A man who cares about all the little details, who needs everything symmetrical and suited to his tastes, entrusts his friend, who takes a much more casual view of life, to choose the hotel? It may not make sense, but it does endear us to Hastings, who pushes back the porter at the train station when the man attempts to hand him his golf clubs. 

Hastings knows that Poirot dislikes the game of golf. Poirot's aims for this trip are different. He wishes to explore the glorious realms of French cuisine. In the car, he casually asks Hastings what hotel he has chosen. Then the great detective sees the taxi pulling up at the Hotel Du Golf. As Poirot leaves the car, we feel for Poirot when he warns Hastings that the chef's cooking had better be acceptable to his palate. Hastings quickly assures Poirot that he's sure the food is up to scratch. After all, you can work up a healthy appetite after playing 18 holes!

Thankfully for Hastings, Poirot finds the food at the Hotel Du Golf acceptable. Even better, the rich Mr. Renault (note the slight name change) shows up in the hotel lobby. There he sits by Poirot, and urgently requests his assistance. Poirot shushes him, and agrees to call on his tomorrow at his house. Perhaps Poirot shushes Renault because he does not wish to disturb his friend Captain Hastings. If so, he need not worry, as Hastings is thoroughly absorbed by the beautiful lady singer. 

The TV series presented Captain Hastings as having a passion for automobiles. Poirot, meanwhile, views them merely as a necessity. So swapping the name of an obscure French nobleman for one shared by a company with a rich heritage in racing and automotive history seems like another way to involve Hastings further in the story. Consider Hastings' agony in the TV version of The Murder on the Links. He plans a magnificent vacation in France, only to have his golf plans ruined with the murder of a fellow golf enthusiast. Worse, the name of the victim is synonymous with that of the famed Renault car company. What a catastrophe!

Dragon Dave

Archibald Christie's Passion For Golf

By all accounts, Agatha Christie enjoyed playing golf. It was a pastime she shared with her first husband, Archibald Christie. But writing came first for Agatha Christie. So while she wrote her novels on the weekends, Archibald spent his weekends at the Sunningdale Golf Club. 

Interestingly, she chose to make a golf enthusiast the victim in The Murder on the Links, her second Hercule Poirot novel.

In her story, Captain Hastings travels back to France at Hercule Poirot's invitation. There they discover Mr. Renauld, the rich man who wrote to Poirot, pleading for the great detective's assistance, has been found stabbed on the golf course. This isn't just any golf course: this is one Mr. Renauld helped design and fund, and it lies right next to his property. Agatha Christie never explores this aspect of the story, but you can imagine the irony of the situation, as well as how his wife and son must have viewed it. This man, who to a certain extent lived for golf, has now also died for his cherished sport. Poirot and Hastings spend the entire day assisting the French police, then take a car to the Hotel Des Bains, which has been recommended to them by the examining magistrate M. Hautet. 

In the TV adaptation,
Captain Hastings plans a vacation for himself and Poirot.
Instead of the Hotel Des Bains,
he books them into the Hotel Du Golf.
The film location is the five-star Hotel Normandy,
located in the French city of Deauville

Was Agatha Christie merely envious that her husband got to play a sport he loved while she locked herself away at home to write? Even if she loved writing? Did she suspect that his time away from her, playing a sport he loved with other men and women, might lead him to form new and powerful relationships, which would sap his devotion to her?  We may not know what drove her to make a golf enthusiast like her husband the victim of her next novel. What we do know is that, a few years after she wrote The Murder on the Links, Archibald Christie asked her for a divorce. 

But then, life imitates art, often in unexpected ways.

Dragon Dave

Captain Arthur Hastings' Modern Girlfriend

In Agatha Christie's novel The Murder on the Links, Captain Arthur Hastings takes a ferry across the English Channel, then rides on a train back to London. There he returns to the apartment he shares with Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective. Unlike most of his countrymen, Poirot opted to remain in England after the war. Over breakfast the next morning, Hastings and Poirot catch up, and Poirot reiterates how glad he is not to have traveled on the ship with Hastings. Even in the calmest weather, and even for an hour, Poirot finds the notion of a voyage aboard a ship unpalatable. 

In its own way, sea sickness can be as debilitating as a fear of air travel. 

After breakfast, Poirot goes through his morning mail. In it he finds a letter from France. When he opens it, he discovers it is an appeal for help from a Mr. Renauld. Even though the rich gentleman doesn't say exactly what he wants Poirot to investigate, he insists that he lives in fear of his life. Despite his dislike of sea voyages, the urgent tone of the letter convinces Poirot to travel to France and meet Mr. Renauld. And even though he's just returned from France on a business trip for the government, Hastings agrees to return, this time to help his friend with this mysterious investigation. 

When they reach Mr. Renauld's house in France, Poirot and Hastings discover that he was kidnapped. Mrs. Renauld was found in the house by a servant, bound and gagged. The police expected to receive a ransom demand from the kidnappers. Instead, the body of Mr. Renauld is discovered on the golf course adjoining his estate. It seems Mr. Renault was murdered, stabbed in the back.

I won't attempt to summarize Agatha Christie's novel for you. Nor do I wish to throw out any spoilers that might diminish your interest in the story. But as to the girl Hastings met in the first chapter, aboard the train headed toward Calais, he bumps into her the following day.

As on the train, he can't resist telling her he's investigating a murder. She declares that she's mad about murders, and sweet-talks him into showing her the scene of the crime. I like how Agatha Christie shows us how repulsive Hastings views this modern woman's interests and actions, tells himself how much he dislikes her, but can't resist acceding to her requests. Clearly she wields a power over him. For although he knows the French police will surely object, he gives her a tour of the crime scene anyway.

The TV adaptation changes a great many things about this girl Hastings meets. Agatha Christie's girl is a coarse dance hall entertainer. The girl in the TV version works as a refined, elegant singer in the hotel where Hastings and Poirot take lodgings. In the book, Higgins fights his constant attraction to her. On TV, she is instantly everything he's ever desired in a woman. In the book, his growing attraction to her is much more of a mystery in itself. On TV, it's the typical storybook romance we've seen a thousand times. In Christie's novel, Hastings doesn't even know her name until two-thirds of the way through the novel. Even then he only thinks he knows it, and Poirot must set him right as to her true identity many pages later. In TV, Hastings learns her name immediately, but tells the French police and Poirot that he doesn't. Of course, the French police may believe his story, but Hercule Poirot knows the woman's identity. For he saw how his friend Arthur Hastings gazed at her when she sang in the hotel lobby.

I found these two different versions of Arthur Hastings' romance with his modern girlfriend satisfying and enjoyable. Having watched Agatha Christie's Poirot on TV for over twenty years now, I am finding that exploring the stories as she wrote them, and comparing them to the TV versions, enhances my appreciation for both. Still, it is interesting how TV rips apart and reassembles what works in Christie's novels in order to translate her stories into a new medium. Don't you agree, mon ami?

Dragon Dave 

Arthur Hastings, a Beautiful Lady, and the Battle of the Somme

Agatha Christie's second Hercule Poirot novel, The Murder on the Links, starts with Captain Arthur Hastings riding on a train in France. In his carriage, his sole companion is a young lady who goes against all his classic ideas of what a woman should be. She swears, says the most outrageous things, and wears too much makeup. Yet, despite all this, he finds himself strangely attracted to her. 

As they talk, Hastings opens up to her, and tells her that the landscape they are traveling through reminds him of his experiences during World War I. Like many of his friends, he fought in the great war, and saw many people of his generation die. The scenery especially reminds him of the Battle of the Somme, which was waged between July and November 1916. After receiving serious injuries, he was invalided out of France. He was sent to a manor house that had been converted into an Army hospital, where he recovered from his wounds. Thereafter, he never returned to active service on the battlefield. Instead, during the remainder of WWI, he served the British Army in lesser capacities. 

The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest battles of World War I. In all, roughly one million people were killed or wounded. Hastings, who recovered fully from his injuries, is one of the lucky ones. Despite his breezy, unaffected manner, it's easy to understand how deeply such an experience would scar him for life.

Recently, Hastings has been working for a British M.P. (or Member of Parliament), and on this occasion his duties took him to France. But he doesn't seem heavily involved in his government work. Aside from the occasional trip abroad,he may sit idle for days or weeks. So as he travels with the girl toward Calais, he tells her about his friend Hercule Poirot, the famous detective, and how he sometimes helps him investigate his cases. In particular, he references the poisoning of Mrs. Emily Ingelthorp at Styles Court, which Agatha Christie covered in the first Hercule Poirot novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. When the train reaches the station, Hastings reluctantly disembarks and parts company with her. 

As the train steams off to its next destination, this beautiful young woman seems to walk out of his life. Although he looks for her, he doesn't see her when he boards the ferry that will take him across the English Channel.

As I mentioned previously in my post, The Mysterious Battle of Ypres, in the TV version of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, we found Captain Arthur Hastings recovering from his injuries in a converted English manor house. Unlike today, he has no continuously broadcasting TV channels such as the BBC or CNN to watch. Nor can he read reports posted on a continuously throughout the day on his laptop or cell phone. The only source of news he gets comes via newspapers and newsreels. When we first see him, he sits in a darkened room, and the film projector shows him footage from the recent Third Battle of Ypres. This battle, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, was waged in Belgium, and the resultant destruction spurred a mass exodus of refugees to other countries. Shortly after that, at the invitation of his friend John Cavendish, he visits Styles Court. There, he meets up with Hercule Poirot, one of many Belgians who has fled the fighting to resettle, at least temporarily, in England.

The Third Battle of Ypres occurred between July and November of 1917, a year after the Battle of the Somme. I wonder why the TV adaptation of The Mysterious Affair at Styles was set later than Agatha Christie wrote the novel, in 1917. Why would the production team ignore Captain Hastings conversation with this young lady on the train in The Murder on the Links, which clearly dates the Styles affair in 1916? I understand why the people behind the series chose to set all the Poirot stories between WWI and WWII, as opposed to letting the later novels appear as Agatha Christie wrote them, such as the 1960s and 1970s. Still, given that decision, it seems odd to set productions of Agatha Christie's first two Poirot novels later than she did. 

Anyone else find this as strange as I do?

Related Poirot And Friends Posts
The Mysterious Battle of Ypres