The Lais of Marie de France
Background/context
• Late 12th century
• Earliest known female poet
• Stories/poems based on tales of chivalry and romance,
love and courtliness
• Drew on older traditions- not all work original like
Shakespeare
• Written in old French i.e. the vernacular
• Talks a lot about the UK- shows author well-travelled
• Recounts trials and tribulations of lovers – stories inhabit a powerfully realised world
where very real human protagonist act out lives against fairy-tale elements of magical
beings, potions and beasts
• They often incorporate magic/supernatural and other marvels, and usually aim at
entertaining rather than edifying (educating) their audience.
Story summaries
Equitan= King of Nantes, affair w senchals wife, plot to murder husband, boiling bath
Le Fresne= twins, abbey, Gurun, ash VS hazel, noble baroque, marriage annulled
Lanval= outcast knight, mystical woman, trial, saved by otherworldly woman
Yonec= his parents, rich old man marries beautiful young woman, tower, affair, Yonec kills
stepdad
Eliduc= leaves wife and king of Brittany to fight for another king, princess Guilliadon, boat,
weasel, magic flower, wife forgives, all three end up in monastery
Themes
Relationship between men and women
• For the purpose of marriage: to produce heirs (Le Fresne: ‘on the hazel tree there are
nuts to be enjoyed, but the ash never bears fruit’), for security (Le Fresne: ‘never fail
you and shall provide for you well’) BUT nature of relationship flexible e.g. in Le
Fresne ‘marriage annulled the next day’, ALSO in Le Fresne once mother of twins is
smeared, ‘shame and dishonour that his wife had two sons’ meant ‘keeping her in
close custody’ SO DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP
• Sexual relationships- descriptions not very erotic, blunt and brief BUT doesn’t hide it
either- treats sex as normal/ part of human nature
• All consuming, irresponsible, selfish, e.g. in Yonec the wife lacks moderation calling
the knight which leads to his death, VS women being the saviour of men e.g. in
Lanval. It is moderation and restraint that is best- it allows the marriage to be annulled
in Le Fresne as it was never consummated, therefore facilitating a happy ending to all
1
Background/context
• Late 12th century
• Earliest known female poet
• Stories/poems based on tales of chivalry and romance,
love and courtliness
• Drew on older traditions- not all work original like
Shakespeare
• Written in old French i.e. the vernacular
• Talks a lot about the UK- shows author well-travelled
• Recounts trials and tribulations of lovers – stories inhabit a powerfully realised world
where very real human protagonist act out lives against fairy-tale elements of magical
beings, potions and beasts
• They often incorporate magic/supernatural and other marvels, and usually aim at
entertaining rather than edifying (educating) their audience.
Story summaries
Equitan= King of Nantes, affair w senchals wife, plot to murder husband, boiling bath
Le Fresne= twins, abbey, Gurun, ash VS hazel, noble baroque, marriage annulled
Lanval= outcast knight, mystical woman, trial, saved by otherworldly woman
Yonec= his parents, rich old man marries beautiful young woman, tower, affair, Yonec kills
stepdad
Eliduc= leaves wife and king of Brittany to fight for another king, princess Guilliadon, boat,
weasel, magic flower, wife forgives, all three end up in monastery
Themes
Relationship between men and women
• For the purpose of marriage: to produce heirs (Le Fresne: ‘on the hazel tree there are
nuts to be enjoyed, but the ash never bears fruit’), for security (Le Fresne: ‘never fail
you and shall provide for you well’) BUT nature of relationship flexible e.g. in Le
Fresne ‘marriage annulled the next day’, ALSO in Le Fresne once mother of twins is
smeared, ‘shame and dishonour that his wife had two sons’ meant ‘keeping her in
close custody’ SO DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP
• Sexual relationships- descriptions not very erotic, blunt and brief BUT doesn’t hide it
either- treats sex as normal/ part of human nature
• All consuming, irresponsible, selfish, e.g. in Yonec the wife lacks moderation calling
the knight which leads to his death, VS women being the saviour of men e.g. in
Lanval. It is moderation and restraint that is best- it allows the marriage to be annulled
in Le Fresne as it was never consummated, therefore facilitating a happy ending to all
1
