Revisiting the genesis of the deed of the swan knight plot

The present article focuses on the origin of the deed of the Swan Knight plot. It reviews a corpus of medieval poems, chivalric romance and chronicles. In the plot a central motive could be distinguished, known in folklore studies as prohibition to ask about the hero’s origin. The authors’ wish to reason this prohibition leads to the illogical sequence in the plot. This fact allows us to conclude that the deed of the Swan Knight plot has no folklore roots.