D. D. R. Owen

Chretien De Troyes

Erec and Enide; Cliges; Lancelot; Yvain; Perceval An idyllically happy marriage in which a husband is so involved that he neglects his duties as a knight; love endangered by a husband who is more interested in athletic chivalry than his wife; timorous young love; and adulterous passion — together these stories offer the most complete expression of French chivalry and of courtly love. Chretien de Troyes did not invent the Arthurian legend: he gave it sophisticated literary form, establishing it as major branch of European literature. Without chretien we might today scarcely have heard of King Arthur and his brave company. The most comprehensive paperback edition available, with introduction , notes and glossary

Arthurian Romances

Cliges is the second of five surviving Arthurian poems by twelfth-century French poet Chretien de Troyes. In Cliges, Chretien creates his most artful plot and paints the most starkly medieval portraits of any of his romances. The world he describes has few of the safeguards and protections of civilization: battles are brutal and merciless, love is anguished and desperate. Cliges tells the story of the unhappy Fenice, trapped in a marriage of constraint to the emperor of Constantinople. Fenice feigns death, then awakens to a new, happy life with her lover. Enormously popular in their own time, each of Chretien's great verse romances is a fast-paced psychologically oriented narrative. In a rational and realistic manner, Chretien probes the inner workings of his characters and the world they live in, evoking the people, their customs, and their values in clear, emotionally charged verse. Cliges is filled with Chretien's barbs and bawdiness, his humor and his pleasure, his affection and his contempt. Chretien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvere who flourished in the late 12th century. Little is known of his life, but he seems to have been from Troyes, or at least intimately connected with it, and between 1160 and 1172 he served at the court of his patroness Marie of France, Countess of Champagne, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, perhaps as herald-at-arms (as Gaston Paris speculated). His work on Arthurian subjects represents some of the best regarded of medieval literature. His use of structure, particular in Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, has been seen as a step towards the modern novel. Chretien's writing was very popular, as evidenced by the high number of surviving copies of his romances and their many adaptations into other languages. Three of Middle High German literature's finest examples, Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival and Hartmann von Aue's Erec and Iwein, were based on Perceval, Erec, and Yvain; the Three Welsh Romances associated with the Mabinogion, Peredur, son of Efrawg, Geraint and Enid, and Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain are derived from the same trio. Especially in the case of Peredur, however, the connection between the Welsh romances and their source is probably not direct, and has never been satisfactorily delineated. Chretien also has the distinction of being the first writer to mention the Holy Grail (Perceval) and the love affair between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot (Lancelot), subjects of household recognition even today.

Cliges (Chretien de Troyes Romances)

William Comfort

This late 12th-century Arthurian romance in Old French verse is a masterpiece on the conflict between romantic love and knightly duty and unlike Chretien's Lancelot and Perceval poems, one that he completed. It is an excellent introduction to the poet and to his aesthetic and moral sensibilities.

The Knight of the Lion (Chretien de Troyes Romances)

Yvain

Introduced and translated by W. W. Comfort. Originally written in rhyming eight-syllable couplets, these epic poems date from the twelfth century and served as the original inspiration of what became the Arthurian Cycles - the legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, Courtly Love and popular Medieval imagery and life. The first romance tells the story of Erec, who serves as part of Queen Guinevere's retinue, his quest for the hand of princess Enide, and his struggle for honor on the battlefield, and finally their crowning as King and Queen of Nantes. The second romance tells the story of the knight Cliges, the prince regent of Constantinople and also second cousin to King Arthur. While Cliges is growing up in Britain, Constantinople is ruled by his uncle Alis. Upon his return to that city, Cliges falls in love with Alis's wife, Fenice-who, by means of a magic potion, has never consummated her marriage. The drama which ensues is a whirlwind of deception, but ultimate victory for courtly love. The third romance tells the story of Yvain, the Knight with the Lion whose loyal servant is a lion he rescues from a servant - and whose strength in battle saves his life more than once in battle with natural and supernatural foes. The fourth romance tells the story of Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, and of the love affair between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot, after he rescues her from abduction by Meleagant. It tells of Lancelot's struggles to rescue the queen and of the battle to balance his duties of loyalty to Arthur and his personal love for Guinevere. Chretien de Troyes's works played a major role in helping to shape Arthurian romance-but also, due to his detailed descriptions of everyday court life, provided a fascinating window into early Medieval ruling class lifestyles.

Erec Et Enide, Cligès, Yvain, The Knight of the Lion, and Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart

Four Arthurian Romances

A collection of Arthurian tales by De Troyes, considered by some to be one of France's first novelists. He lived in the 12th century and is closely connected with the French town of Troyes, hence his name.

Erec Et Enide , Cliges , Yvain , and Lancelot

Erec et Enide (or Erec and Enide) is the first of a series of epic poems written by Chrétien de Troyes in the 12th century. It is one of the earliest Arthurian romances known to modern scholars, apart from the Welsh Culhwch and Olwen. The poem contains 7000 lines about a knight who loves his lady so much that he neglects his knightly duties in favor of spending time with her. When this leads to shame on his house, his wife Enide must take matters into her own hands... These texts are taken from public domain sources. A free copy of the ebook is available online. About the Arthurian Classics These are public domain works presented as a cohesive and branded line of literature, brought to you by MythBank.com. Visit the site to learn more.

Arthurian Classics

Erec Et Enide

The Arthurian Romances Chretien de Troyes King Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. The 12th-century French writer Chretien de Troyes, who added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story, began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the Round Table. CONTENTS 1.Erec et Enide 2.Cliges 3.Yvain 4.Lancelot

The Arthurian Romances

Roman d'aventure merveilleux en vers octosyllabiques, Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la charrette fut écrit entre 1176 et 1181 par Chrétien de Troyes à la demande de sa protectrice, Marie de Champagne (fille de Louis VII et d’Aliénor d’Aquitaine et épouse d’Henri Ier). Par l'écriture de ce roman, l’auteur souhaitait flatter « sa » Marie tout en obéissant aux règles régissant le rapport entre un amant et sa dame ; tout comme Lancelot le fait avec « sa » Guenièvre en volant à son secours. C'est là le propre du roman courtois, la flatterie apparaissant tel un devoir de l’homme envers la femme qu’il tente de séduire avec respect et discrétion. Mais bien moins romantique, bien plus lucide également, de Troyes avait en fait répondu au caprice de sa protectrice en vue d’abuser son mari, le comte de Champagne... Ainsi fidèle aux désirs de la crédule, l'auteur pouvait espérer la voir étendre son influence politique sur sa cour afin de le faire connaître. Mais oublions la manipulation pour en revenir à l'inspiration, à la fiction en d'autres termes, à l’histoire en elle-même... Le vaniteux et cruel Méléagant - fils du roi de Gorre et chevalier du Pays sans Retour - retient captifs sur ses terres de nombreux habitants du royaume d’Arthur. Afin de voir les prisonniers libérés, l’un des chevaliers de la Table Ronde devra le battre en duel, à l’inverse de quoi la reine les rejoindrait dans leur exil. Le sénéchal Keu relève le défi mais perd le combat, si bien que Guenièvre est enlevée à son tour. C'est alors que l’humble Lancelot du Lac et Gauvain, lui-même chevalier de la Table Ronde et neveu du roi Arthur, prennent la route pour secourir leur reine. Dénué de monture, Lancelot prend la route au creux d'une charrette conduite par un bouvier difforme et vil. Symbole de déshonneur suprême, c'est bien conscient du risque de devenir un paria que le chevalier se montre à visage découvert face au peuple croisé en chemin. Qu'importe alors la honte, le code de la chevalerie et l'honneur à préserver ! Ravalant sa fierté et sacrifiant son titre, ce dernier n’a qu’une obsession en tête : délivrer sa dame. Malgré ses deux pas d'hésitation à l'approche de la charrette, les sentiments éprouvés par Lancelot à l'égard de Guenièvre lui dictent aveuglément sa conduite, au rythme des battements de son cœur, en parfait accord avec son corps, herculéen quant à lui. Une typographie médiévale ; une enluminure dans les teintes orangées ; un amoureux conquérant porteur d'un casque...

Chretien De Troyes

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