![]() ![]() He calls to her over and over, to no avail, and "it was a wonder he did not kill himself." He sends barons to fetch Lanval, who meanwhile is in extreme grief, having lost access to his beloved because of his failure to keep the secret. In a fury, Arthur swears that unless Lanval can defend himself in court, he will have the knight hanged. When the king returns, his queen complains to him, fallaciously claiming that Lanval had attempted to seduce her and, in response to her refusal, made the claim that his beloved's serving girls were superior to her. Guinevere flees him, upset, and takes to her room, swearing not to rise until her husband avenges the insult. Angered by her petulant accusation, he defends himself as loving and being loved by a woman of such loveliness that even his beloved's serving girls are superior in beauty and goodness to Guinevere. Angry, she responds by accusing him of homosexuality, suggesting that his degeneracy has affected Arthur. He gently rejects her advances, citing his loyalty to Arthur. She quickly confesses her desire for him, and offers herself to him. The girls are quickly approached by the knights, but Lanval, who has retreated from the crowd to dream of his own lady, is approached by Guinevere. She dresses in her most magnificent gown and brings several ladies out to the garden with her. ![]() Meanwhile, the queen ( Guinevere, though she is not named explicitly by Marie) sees Lanval through her window and devises a plan. ![]() Gawain takes a group to fetch Lanval, who comes willingly. Later that year, several knights are relaxing in a garden when Gawain realizes Lanval is not with them and chastises his group for having neglected to include Lanval. All the while, he finds joy in visiting with his beloved any time he wants. From that moment onwards, he becomes a model of generosity, giving gifts freely, granting pardon to prisoners, and offering hospitality to all, even as guests cannot determine from where his wealth comes. That night, Lanval almost doubts the existence of the lady, but he arrives home to find his men as finely dressed as he is. After a long time together, she tells him he must leave, and tells him that anytime he wishes to see her, he merely needs to think of a pure place and she will join him there. The only requirement is that he tell nobody about her and their love, or else he will lose her forever. He is granted lodging in her tent, food, and wonderful clothing. She grants him the boon that he would never wish for anything, and in fact the more he might spend in life, the more he would have to continue spending. At his promise, they sleep together and are joined in love. He sees her beauty and is equally struck with love, so much so that he promises he would do whatever she might ask. The maiden calls Lanval and tells him she has come in search of him from her deep love, and should he prove himself worthy, she will grant him a happiness without equal. She lies half-covered amidst other fine adornments, to which Marie gives much description. Lanval leaves his horse behind and accompanies them to a magnificent tent finely adorned, so fine that great emperors could not "have afforded even the right-hand side of it." Even finer is the lady within, who "surpassed in beauty the lily and the new rose when it appears in summer. He stands to meet them, and they explain that they have come to conduct him to their mistress, who waits in a nearby tent. A while later, he sees two beautiful damsels approaching, one with gold dishes and the other with a towel. When he approaches a stream, his horse grows frightened, so he lets it loose and lies down to revel in his sadness. One day, Lanval heads out to the country for leisure. As he was born far away and has long since spent his inheritance, Lanval lives a sad, lonely life. Arthur never grants him anything (despite Lanval's loyal service) and neither do the other knights make any effort to help him. Such envy is manifest in his standing at court. ![]() He is a knight possessed of great qualities including both beauty and valor, and as a result is envied by many other knights who would not have grieved had he suffered misfortune. Marie tells of a knight from the legendary King Arthur's court, named Lanval. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |