Legends of King Arthur by Isabel Wyatt

Author:Isabel Wyatt [Isabel Wyatt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780863159725
Publisher: Floris Books
Published: 2012-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Marie sings:

“The Bretons say that The Maiden took Sir Lanval to an island, very small and very fair, that is called Avalon, and that there they dwell together still. I myself can tell you no more of the matter. But of the adventures of Sir Lanval and his faery love the courteous Bretons made this lay, deeming it a joyous tale that men should not forget.”

CHRÉTIEN DE TROYES AND HIS FRENCH VERSE ROMANCES

Our next story, The Knight of the Cart, is by Chrétien de Troyes. He wrote it in the second half of the twelfth century for the Countess Marie of Champagne, daughter of King Louis VII of France. He wrote it as a long verse-romance, to be recited rather than sung; although he lived at the same time as Marie de France, he was one small step further away from original Arthurian minstrelsy.

When he wrote this romance, Chrétien belonged to the Countess Marie’s court at Troyes. Some people think he must have been a herald there, as in all his Arthurian stories he delights in describing jousts and tournaments and the symbols on the shields and banners of the knights taking part in them. You will see that he describes the tournament in this story with great gusto and with real first-hand knowledge.

Several of the great medieval trade routes of Europe met in Troyes, and every year two famous trade fairs were held there. To these fairs came not only many merchants from many lands, but also storytellers, minstrels, jongleurs and other entertainers. They brought with them songs and stories from every country in which the name of King Arthur was known.

Chrétien retold four of these long stories in verse, writing in a clear and delightful style in medieval Northern French flavoured with the dialect of Champagne.

Chrétien tells us that he got his stories “from the storytellers and from a book.” As printing had not yet been invented, the “book” must have been a manuscript. This manuscript has disappeared, and Chrétien’s delightful version of The Knight of the Cart is the only one that has come down to us.

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