Arthurian Romances, penned in the 1170s, were the first extant writings that took this idea of King Arthur out of any semblance of history and put him squarely in romance, where he'd remain and enjoy immense popularity for centuries. de Troyes tells five tales:
Erec & Enide
Erec, renowned son of a minor king and knight of Arthur's court, encounters and pursues a malicious knight all day, ending up in a town where he spends the evening with a local family and meets Enide. They fall in love, are quickly married, and enjoy the good life- so much so that Erec is more interested in love than other pursuits. Offended when his new focus leads some to question his prowess, he undertakes multiple adventures proving his bravery and worth.
Cliges
Alexander, son of the Greek Emperor, goes to King Arthur's court to be knighted and win renown. There he falls in love and is wed, and they have a son Cliges. Cliges returns to Greece and falls in love with Fenice, the woman pledged to his uncle (the regent), who himself had vowed never to marry and pass the crown to Cliges upon his death. Cliges & Fenice hatch a plan to fake her death so they can be together without creating overt scandal. Will it work?
The Knight of the Cart (Lancelot)
The kingdom adjacent to Arthur's is ruled by King Bademagu. When his evil son, Meleagant, carries off Guenevere, a mysterious and powerful knight comes to save her. It's none other than Lancelot of the Lake, determined to defeat Meleagant and free all captives in the land. In the process he's reunited with his secret love, the queen.
The Knight with the Lion (Yvain)
Yvain defeats a knight guarding a magic well, then marries his widow. His friend Gawain guilts him into immediately leaving and hanging out with the guys for over a year at tournaments; Yvain's wife gets angry and refuses to see him anymore. As he sulks roaming the country, he kills a dragon hurting a lion, the latter of whom immediately becomes Yvain's BFF, and they have several magical adventures. Ultimately, he tricks his wife into taking him back.
The Story of the Grail (Perceval)
Perceval is an uncouth Welsh boy whom Arthur knights when requested. He immediately sets off and commits many deeds of renown, culminating in his seeing the grail and lance with blood-soaked tip. Interspersed with his tale is that of Gawain, who has several bizarre adventures (often defeating ill-tempered knights and rescuing beleaguered maidens) of his own. The tale was left unfinished- Chretien likely died before he could conclude.
Thoughts:
Erec and Enide was a decent story. Cliges was also okay, as a very romanticized look at deception comparable to Tristan and Isolde. Lancelot's tale was good, Yvain's amusing, and Perceval's bizarre. Again and again we see knightly combat, love, hospitality, and virtue glorified, giving insight into the priorities of the day. There was much talk of love- it seemed overwhelming at times. de Troyes wrote when supported by a patron, and so the patron's tastes surely influenced the emphasis.
Overall, I enjoyed this. It surprised me how many elements of these tales would be preserved in later modifications. Here we hear of Arthur, Guenevere, Excalibur (though it's Gawain's sword here), Camelot, Gawain, Perceval, the Grail, and a few other elements that will be familiar to modern eyes. This seminal work is a staple of Arthurian literature and recommended for genre enthusiasts.
Rating: B+
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