Yvain, the Knight of the Lion

In the romance, Yvain is one of the legendary Knights of the Round Table, a knight at the court of King Arthur. While most seem to be fictional, Yvain may be based on a historical figure. As the notes in your book suggest, Owein, son of Urien, lived during the 6th century and fought with his father against the Angles who invaded Northumbria. Owein appears in many Welsh folktales.

In the time that Arthur the "historical figure" would have existed there was an abundance of smaller tribes living in Britain under Roman rule. Arthur may have been a chieftain of one such tribe, but it's nearly impossible to say for sure if he existed.

The Arthur passed down to use in stories such as those of Chrétien de Troyes is almost entirely a legend. Regardless of the existence of a tribal chieftain named Arthur, there was no central king of Britain like the character of Arthur that we know. There are sparse references to an Arthur, some of which might suggest that people knew who he was, but none that solidify him as an authoritative early medieval figure. The question of whether our Arthur is "real" is rendered meaningless by the fact that, if an Arthur existed, he was not an individual we would be likely to recognize as the hero of Camelot.

Some historians believe they have found the original Camelot in Cadbury Castle, which is now just the outline and remains of a Bronze and Iron Age hillfort in Somerset, England.

Notice that in Yvain, Arthur is one of the less important characters. This holds true for all of Chrétien's romances, which focus on the deeds and heroics of the various knights surrounding Arthur. In fact, the structure of Chrétien's stories, which emphasize damsels in distress throughout the land, unjust and forced labor in particular castles, and giants wreaking havoc on small towns, suggest a decentralized authority or weak/distant king. If Arthur was as formidable and all-powerful as many of our modern adaptations suggest, there would be far fewer wrongs for knights such as Yvain, Gawain, Lancelot, and Perceval to right throughout the land. Arthur needs to be a distant and uninteresting character in order to let his knights shine through.

The author of some of the best-known medieval romances, including Yvain is Chrétien de Troyes. Little is known about Chrétien de Troyes apart from what he tells us in his works. His name indicates he was from Troyes (a town in the French region of Champagne).

And so Chrétien de Troyes says that it is reasonable for everyone to think and strive in every way to speak well and to teach well, and from a tale of adventure he draws a beautifully ordered composition that clearly proves that a man does not act intelligently if he does not give free rein to his knowledge for as long as God gives him the grace to do do. --prologue to Eric and Enide (Kibler trans.)

His name (chrétien, 'christian') and the type of knowledge he has also suggests that Chrétien de Troyes was a cleric. He is associated with the court of Marie de Champagne (d. 1191), for whom he composed the Knight of the Cart. His romances were well known during the Middle Ages, but not all of them have survived.

However, even this basic information is suspect. Just as with the "vidas" that describe the lives of troubadours, we have to be skeptical of "biographical" information presented to us in the context of the story. For example, Chrétien de Troyes can also be translated to the Christian of Troy, an oxymoron. What does it mean to be a Christian living in a city that predated Christianity? Are we meant to understand this name as ironic or a play on words? Even before we begin his story, which calls into question truth and honor, we are led to question the reliability of Chrétien.

Historians also debate whether or not the works of Chrétien de Troyes predate those of Geoffrey of Monmouth, who has long been seen as the first to write down the tales of Arthur. Regardless, both were drawing on a long standing oral tradition of Welsh stories. Geoffrey and Chrétien were writing in the same approximate era, but Geoffrey wrote in Latin while Chrétien wrote in Old French, the medieval vernacular language that most people would have spoken. This represents the beginning of a shift of popular literature from the Latin language to local languages such as French, English, and Italian. Just as Dante was important in solidifying the Italian language, Chrétien is one of the earliest and most important French authors.

The Knight of the Lion tells the story of Yvain. According to Kibler it was probably composed in the 1070s concurrently with the story of Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart. "Many critics consider the Knight of the Cart to be Chrétien's most perfectly conceived and constructed romance" (Kibler "introduction," 8). Chrétien drew on earlier stories, such as the story of Owein or the Lady of the Fountain found in the Welsh Mabinogion, in composing his own version of the story of Yvain. Like his other works, The Knight of the Lion is composed in medieval French verse.

In the opening lines of the work, Chrétien sets the scene. It is the court of King Arthur who is dining with his knights at the king of Carlisle's castle. After dinner they gather with the women of the court to tell stories of adventures and love . . .

Artus, li boens rois de Bretaingne, 

La cui proesce nos enseigne

Que nos soiens preu et cortois, 

4 Tint cort si riche come rois

A cele feste qui tant coste, 

Qu'an doit clamer la Pantecoste. 

Li rois fu a Carduel en Gales ; 

8 Aprés mangier, parmi ces sales, 

Cil chevalier s'atropelerent

La ou dames les apelerent

Ou dameiseles ou puceles. 

12 Li un recontoient noveles, 

Li autre parloient d'Amors, 

Des angoisses et des dolors

Et des granz biens qu'orent sovant

Calogrenant entertains the knights with an adventure he had, which ended in disgrace. Calogrenant followed a narrow trail to a different realm, stayed with a vavasour and got directions from an ugly peasant in a field to the mysterious spring.

I then saw the heavens so rent apart that. lightening blinded my eyes from more than fourteen directions; and all the clouds pellmell dropped rain, snow, and hail. (300)

He wanted to try his hand at challenging the knight who guards the spring so he waits after the storm passes. The knight appears but has a better horse and is more powerful. He knocks Calogrenant off his horse. Calogrenant is defeated and disgraced, as he tells the court. Kay insults and shames him. Yvain wants to avenge his first cousin by defeating the knight and sets out on his own . . .

How are Calogrenant and Kay characterized? Do they seem "knightly" to you? What purpose might they serve in the story?

Yvain finds the path, stays with he vavasour, meets the ugly peasant and pours water over the spring.

The knight appears and they battle. Yvain gives him mortal blow and he flees toward his castle. Yvain follows him into the castle and his horse is cut in half by the portcullis (gate). He is trapped in the castle by the dropped gates, but a woman (Lunette) he had helped in the past helps him. She hides him in the castle.

Lunette, a lady in waiting for the lady of the castle, helps him escape the murderous crowd seeking him for having killed the knight of the castle, by giving him a ring that makes him invisible.

she gave him the little ring and told him that its effect was like that of bark on wood, which covers it so it cannot be seen. . . . whoever is wearing the ring on his finger need have no fear of anything, for no one no matter how wide open his eyes could ever see him, any more than he could see the wood with the bark growing over it. (307)

How does this ring compare to that of Frodo in Lord of the Rings? How does it compare to Harry Potter's "cloak of invisibility"? What do the characters in each work use them for?

Yvain is smitten with Esclados the Red's widow and can't stop thinking of her.

New Love has sweetened him with her sugar and honeycomb, and has made a foray into his lands where she has captured her prey: Yvain's enemy has led away his heart, and he loves the creature who most hates him.The lady, although she does not know it, has fully avenged the death of her husband: she has taken greater vengeance than she could ever have thought possible had Love herself not avenged her by striking Yvain such a gentle blow through the eyes into the heart. The effects of this blow are more enduring than those from lance or sword: a sword blow is healed and cured as soon as a doctor sees to it: but the wound of Love grows worse when it is nearest to its doctor. (311)

What does the narrator compare love to in this passage? Is this how we would describe love today? Why do you think Yvain falls in love with Laudine? Why does Laudine fall in love with Yvain?

Lunette wastes no time in convincing her lady that she should marry Yvain. Her lady needs someone to defend her spring before Arthur and the court arrive--brought by Calogrenant's tale they all want to see the spring and have an adventure. Luckily it is Kay who pours the water for Arthur and the court. Yvain defends the spring, defeats him in combat and shames him.

The court stays at the castle (of which Yvain is now the lord). Lunette and Gawain hook up. They stay a week doing noble things, like "hunting and hawking." Then Arthur et al. get bored and decide to leave, asking Yvain to come with them. Gawain, in particular, tries to convince him it would be more noble than staying home with his new bride.

Consider the interactions between Lunette and Gawain. How are they different or similar to the relationship between Yvain and Laudine? Does one seem more "genuine" than the other? Keep in mind this portrayal of Lunette and Gawain's relationship when reading the graphic novel.

"What! Would you be one of those men," said my lord Gawain to Yvain, "who are worth the less because of their wives? May he who diminishes his worth by marrying be shamed by Holy Mary! He who has a beautiful woman as wife or sweetheart should be the better for her; for it's not right for her to love him if his fame and worth are lost." . . . "I'll fight under your banner. See to it that our friendship doesn't end because of you, dear companion, for it will never fail on my account. It's remarkable how one can come to luxuriate in a. life of constant ease. (326-27)

Why do you think Gawain is trying to convince Yvain to leave with them? Do you think this is good advice? Does is sound like things people say today?

Yvain decides to go with Gawain and Arthur. Laudine is not happy and makes him promise to return within one year.

"I grant you leave until a date I shall fix. But the love I have for you will become hatred, you can be sure of that, if you should overstay the period I shall set for you." (327)

This is a key moment in the narrative and crucial for the way the rest of the tale unfolds and for explaining the actions and adventures of the characters in still lengthy part of the romance to come.

However . . .

The year passed meanwhile and my lord Yvain did so splendidly all year long that my lord Gawain took great pains to honor him; and he caused him to delay so long that the entire year passed and a good bit of the next. (329)

Who do you think is at fault here? Gawain or Yvain?

Lunette comes and finds him and tells him in no uncertain terms that he is a no good thief, who has stolen her lady's heart.

"Yvain, my lady no longer cares for you, and through me she orders that you never again approach her and keep her ring no longer. (330)

Yvain is shocked and goes off by himself.

Such a great tempest arose in his head that he went mad; he ripped and tore at his clothing and fled across fields and plains, leaving his people puzzled . . . and he ran on and on . . . He lived in the forest like a madman. (330)

Yvain wanders around naked in the forest, killing animals for food. He comes upon an hermits's house in the wood. The hermit leaves him bread and meat to eat. One day 3 women from court who knew him were riding through the forest and find him sleeping naked. They cure him with one of Morgan the Wise's ointments and give him clothes. Then the woman who helped him pretended she hadn't seen him and that he just happened across her.

he was disturbed and embarrassed at seeing his own bare flesh and said that he would be dead and betrayed had anyone who knew him found or seen him in that sate. (333)

Yvain returns to court society. He fights Count Alier and then goes off into the forest . . .

He discovers a dragon and lion fighting and decides to takes the lion's side.

He drew his sword and came forward with his shield in front of his face, to avoid being harmed by the flame pouring from the dragon's mouth, which was larger than a cauldron. (337)

Yvain rescues the lion who then becomes his boon companion.

Listen to how nobly and splendidly the lion acted: it stood up on its hind paws, bowed its head, joined its forepaws and extended them toward Yvain, in an act of total submission. (337)

Such scenes are echoed in other medieval works, such as the tale of the Spanish epic hero, the Cid, who also tamed a wild lion.

Yvain has 2 adventures in one day (before noon)! Yvain kills the giant, harping of the Mountain, and saves the vavasour's sons and his daughter from being raped by his stable boys. The vavasour turns out to be married to Gawain's sister, but Gawain is away from court. Yvain agrees to help them only if the giant arrives before midday, when he has to go and save Lunette. When the giant does not appear in that time, the daughter pleads with Yvain to save her in the name of her uncle, Gawain.

She begged him also in the name of Gawain, her uncle, whom he said he knew and loved and esteemed. And he felt great compassion when he heard that she implored him in the name of the man he most loved...memory of the great nobility of his friend, my lord Gawain, caused him such distress that his heart nearly burst in two since he could stay no longer. (346)

How does this compare to his love for Laudine? What love seems "deeper" to ourmodern sensibilities? Who do you feel Yvain is more faithful to?

After saving them, Yvain tells the people to let Gawain know that "the Knight of the Lion" saved them for love of Gawain. Then he rides as fast as possible to save Lunette from being burned to death for treason (having advised her lady to marry him). He fights 3 knights at once, during which his lion jumps in to save him and is injured.

Yvain is victorious, but no one except Lunette knows who he is: even Laudine does not recognize him.

Laudine: "For God's sake, sir, how is it that we have never before seen you or heard your name mentioned?" (352)

Yvain tells her he cannot reveal his identity or stay at her court, but begs her to remember him. Yvain leaves his lady and goes off on adventures with his Lion. He then has another adventure . . .

A lord dies and his 2 daughters fight over the inheritance. The oldest wants all os her father's wealth for herself, giving nothing to her sister.

Both sisters race each other to Arthur's court to plead their case. The oldest arrives first and gets Gawain to defend her position. The second gets Arthur to give her 40 days to find someone to defend her position. She hears of this "knight of the lion" and goes off in search of him. She finds him in a town ruled by a bad lord. The people of the town, named "Dire Adventure," tell Yvain to not go in the castle, but he insists he has no where else to seek lodging.

"Beware, sir, beware! You were directed to this place of lodging to cause you shame and suffering" (359)

He discovers at the Castle of Dire Adventure hundreds of imprisoned women forced to make silk textiles for the lord of the castle. Another lord ("the king of the Isle of Maidens") had been trapped by them and swore in exchange for his freedom, he would send 30 maidens each year.

"We shall remain poor and naked for ever and shall always be hungry and thirsty; no matter how hard we try . . . For though our labor is worth twenty shillings a week, we have barely enough to live on. And you can be sure that there's not one of us whose work doesn't bring in twenty shillings or more, and that's enough to make a duke wealthy! (361)

Yvain agrees to lock his lion in a room and battle the two demons of the castle to liberate the maidens. The battle is not going well, but the lion manages to get out of the room and free itself, then kills a demon. Yvain wins. The lord tries to get him to marry his daughter, but Yvain refuses. He takes off with the younger sister who wants her part of the inheritance to King Arthur's court.

Yvain is not recognized at court and challenges the knight who has sworn to defend the other sister (we know that it is Gawain, but Yvain does not).

Ah, Love! Where are you hidden? Come out and you'll see what an army the enemies of your friends have brought and set against you. The enemies are those very men who love one another with a sacred love. But now Love is wholly blind and Hatred is likewise can see nothing . . . And Hatred, unable to say why the one hates the other, yet wants to start a wrongful fight so each feels a mortal hatred for the other. You can be sure that the man who wishes to shame another and who seeks his death does not love him. (371)

They are equally matched and fight all day without one beating the other. Then they reveal who they are to each other. Yvain then wants to admit defeat. Then Gawain says, no, he wants to admit defeat. King Arthur steps in and has the older sister give her younger sister her rightful inheritance.

"Her rights will no longer be denied, for you yourself have just acknowledged the truth to me. It is right that you renounce all claims to her share." (375)

What do you think of the ways in which disputes were handled in this work? Does this seem like justice to you?

That adventure resolved, Yvain and the lion go wandering around and end up at the spring. We are told that Laudine is in a pickle because people are making the spring cause storms all the time and her lands are being destroyed. She asks Lunette for advice and Lunette says she has a solution that her lady wont like. Laudine swears to accept it and Lunette tells her to forgive Yvain. Yvain returns . . .

"so help me God Almighty, you've caught me neatly in your trap! In spite of myself you will make me love a man who doesn't love or respect me." (379)

They are reconciled.

Is this a happy ending?

There are some fairly powerful women in this tale: Laudine, Lunette, and in a way the sisters who fight over their father's inheritance. However, there are many examples of women, including these, utterly dependent on knights and male relatives for their well-being. They are often threatened with imprisonment, torture and rape. This romance explores in some detail these power dynamics, as well as how women can use their positions and knowledge to navigate these power relations. Laudine and Lunette are two examples of this. Lunette gives advice to Laudine about how to govern and keep her lands (and who to marry to do so). We also see Laudine manage her relationship with Yvain, her first husband's murderer. Such tales we think would appeal to the presumed patron of the work, Marie de Champagne. The characters such as Lancelot, Arthur, and Gwain were familiar from other popular tales, so medieval audiences/readers would have the same response to another tale featuring these characters that we might to a Marvel movie in which familiar superheroes have cameos or supporting roles. Chrétien tells us that there was an independent tale (or lay) about Laudine, "he took Laudine, the lady of Landuc and daughter of Duke Laudunet, of whom they sing a lay" (322). Gawain is the hero of another popular romance, Gawain and the Green Knight.

And Chrétien himself composed other romances with the same cast of characters.

The There are many scenes of violence in this work. Yvain goes from one single combat to another and has so may scars that they are apparently used to identify him (for example when Lunette discovers him in the woods). Matters of love and honor are often settled by third parties (knights, daughters, sons).

This romance is full of strange and mysterious creatures and events. There is the spring that causes storms; giants; dragons; tame lions; demons; magic rings; magic potions, etc. While these magical creatures and objects shape the events of the narrative, one could argue that it is the decisions that the characters make that determines their fates.

Chivalry was a knightly code of conduct that, much like courtly love in the troubadour lyric, was more about performance of an idea rather than the reality. In this story, we see how important it is for a knight to keep his word, help those who are in distress, and, perhaps most importantly, continue to accrue honors through jousting and tournaments. The story turns on the tension between Yvain's duty to his love Laudine and his need to maintain his reputation by traveling and fighting with Yvain. We see in this story that while gaining the favor of a lady is an important part of chivalry, treating women well or maintaining relationships with women are not necessarily a central tenets. Think about how Gawain and Yvain interact and their relationship as opposed to Yvain's relationship with Laudine. What does this say about the most important aspects of chivalry? Does Yvain pick his reputation over his love? Is love, as we think of it, regained at the end of this story?

Do you think Yvain makes good decisions? Is he a good person? How about Lunette and Laudine? Why or why not?