The Mammoth Book of King Arthur (72 page)

The story was rendered into several early English versions, the first of which is believed lost but which influenced in turn the anonymous
Sir Landeval
(
c
1230s) and
Sir
Launfal
by Thomas Chestre (
c
1350).

EREC ET ENIDE,
Chrétien de Troyes (French, late 1160s) 6,958 lines.

Erec proves himself second only to Gawain as the most renowned knight at Arthur’s court, but after he marries Enide he settles down to a routine life of marital bliss. His
wife believes he may be losing his reputation, so to prove himself Erec takes her on a series of adventures. Despite proving his valour he is decidedly unchivalrous to his wife, not allowing her to
talk and rebuking her
whenever she does, even when warning him of danger.

The name of the hero is believed to be derived from the Breton chieftain Waroch. He was the son of Macliau who (as I mentioned in Chapter 13) had taken refuge with the equally infamous Conmor.
After 577
AD
Waroch usurped territory across Armorica. Vannes fell to him in 578 and he renamed it Bro Waroch, “the Land of Waroch”. His name was recorded by
later chroniclers as Guerec and eventually Erec. Waroch is clearly not the character of Erec, though. For that we turn again to the relationship between Henry II and Eleanor. Henry had grown tired
of the disorder in Brittany, which was supposed to be under the control of his vassal Conan IV. In July 1166 Henry deposed Conan, betrothed his son Geoffrey, duke of Brittany, to Conan’s
daughter Constance, and through her took control of the territory. Henry was thus symbolic of Waroch/Erec, and through Erec Chrétien could be satirical of Henry and Eleanor.

→
Gereint, Son of Erbin
(
c
1250s). The Welsh version is similar, except that Gereint misunderstands Enide and believes she has been unfaithful, which is
why he takes her on his adventures until she proves herself. This would explain why Gereint is so vile towards her, and suggests that Chrétien drew his story from an earlier common
source.

→
Erek
,
by Hartmann von Aue (German, late 1180s). Hartmann’s version follows Chrétien’s closely but is more intense. Erek loves his wife
with a passion and for a while is more interested in lovemaking than in questing. When he realizes that he is losing the respect of his fellow knights he goes to the other extreme, keeping Enite at
a distance while undertaking adventures. It is a while before he realizes her loyalty to him and they have a deeper, more spiritual love.

CLIGÉS,
Chrétien de Troyes (French,
c
1176) 6,784 lines.

The first third recounts the adventures of Cligés’ father Alexander, son of the king of Greece and Constantinople, who proves
his courage in
Britain, helping Arthur quell a rebellion. He is knighted and marries Gawain’s sister Soredamors. Cligés is their only child. When Alexander’s father is drowned his younger
brother Alis usurps the throne.

Cligés grows to manhood and proves his valour fighting the Saxons. He falls in love with Fenice, daughter of the King of Germany, who is, however, given to Alis in marriage. She arranges
for Alis to take a potion which makes him think he is enjoying his conjugal rights whilst Fenice remains a virgin. Cligés, in the meantime, travels to Britain where, in disguise, he defeats
Arthur’s champions, including Lancelot, though he draws with Gawain. He spends a year at Arthur’s court and enjoys many adventures. Returning to Greece he meets up again with Fenice.
She takes a potion which makes her feign death, and is thus able to escape from Alis and love Cligés. Alis dies soon after, and Cligés becomes King of Greece and marries Fenice.

Patrick Sims-Williams, in a talk given to the International Arthurian Society, suggested that the name Cligés may be derived from Glywys, the king of Glywysing. The character, though, is
more contemporary. The Emperor of Byzantium at this time, who governed Greece and Constantinople, was Manuel Comnenus. The Comneni were a powerful family. Manuel’s grandfather Alexius may
well be both the Alexander and Alis of this story, as he started his reign a popular emperor but was despised by the end.

→ The late fourteenth century Middle English verse romance
Sir Cleges
has nothing to do with
Cligés.
It is set in the time of Uther Pendragon and concerns a knight who
has fallen on hard times and is forgotten but whose virtue is eventually rewarded.

YVAIN: THE KNIGHT WITH THE LION,
Chrétien de Troyes (French,
c
1177), 6,818 lines.

The story starts in Arthur’s court at Carduel. Yvain learns from
Calogrenant of a remarkable spring in the Forest of Broceliande. If you draw water
from the spring and pour it on an adjacent marble block it creates a mighty storm. Calogrenant did this and was challenged by Esclados the Red, the Guardian of the Spring. Esclados defeated
Calogrenant but set him free. King Arthur vows to set out to fight Esclados for having challenged one of his knights but Yvain gets there first and mortally wounds Esclados. Pursuing the Guardian
to his castle, Yvain is trapped but helped by the damsel Lunette, who gives him a magic ring which renders him invisible. Lunette’s mistress, Laudine, widow of Esclados, is now fearful for
their safety as the Spring needs a new Guardian. Yvain falls in love with her and agrees to marry her and be the new Guardian. Freshly armoured, he faces Arthur and his knights when they arrive at
the Spring. Yvain defeats Kay but is recognised. Arthur is happy for Yvain. Gawain is attracted to Lunette and agrees to be her champion.

After several years Yvain grows tired of marital bliss and wishes to return to the Round Table for adventure. Laudine agrees that he may go for a year, but he must then return. However, Yvain so
enjoys the adventuring life that he forgets the passage of time and fails to return. A damsel arrives with the message that Laudine has no desire to see him again and takes back Yvain’s
wedding ring. Yvain is distraught, loses his wits, and runs into the forest like a madman.

Yvain is saved by a countess whose maiden applies a magic ointment (from Morgan le Fay) which cures his madness. In return Yvain saves the countess from her wicked neighbour Count Alier, who has
been taking her lands. The countess wishes Yvain would remain as her husband but he sets off on further adventures. He encounters a battle between a dragon and a lion and kills the dragon. The lion
becomes Yvain’s constant companion. From this moment Yvain and the lion are unconquerable although at one point, when Yvain takes on the giant Harpin, he has the lion confined to a castle
because the giant claims the battle is uneven. Yvain is nearly defeated but the lion rescues him. The lion would seem to represent the strength that Yvain gains by drawing upon an inner reserve,
probably meant to be the love of Christ, but possibly also the
love of the chivalric ideal. Later Yvain again does battle with Gawain, as both are champions for opposing sides
in a conflict. Thankfully they recognize each other, and Arthur uses his wisdom to reconcile the conflict. Eventually Yvain and Laudine are reconciled and Yvain lives on happily as the Guardian of
the Spring.

→
Owain, or The Lady of the Fountain.
The Welsh version is identical, with the names changed, but is much truncated, with the adventures mere episodes rather
than stirring tales. The second half, after Owain becomes Guardian of the Spring, is much reduced. He is also allowed to return to Arthur’s court for only three months rather than a year.

→
Iwein,
by Hartmann von Aue (German, early 1200s). Very similar to Chrétien’s but again more intense and passionate. When Iwein believes he has
lost his wife, first his madness and then his adventuring are both reckless until he can come to terms with his responsibilities.

→
Ywain and Gawain
,
anon. (English, 1340s) is the only surviving English version. It concentrates on the basic heroic story with all the courtly romance
deleted. The original English text is available in
Yvain and Gawain
, edited by Maldwyn Mills (Dent, 1992).

LAI DU CORT MANTEL
(The Lay of the Short Mantle), anon. (French,
c
1200s).

Another tale of a chastity test, except that here a young man arrives with a beautiful cloak or mantle which every lady must try on. However, it will only fit those who have
remained faithful to their husbands. Everyone fails the test except for a maiden who had at first not been at the court because she was ill. The lay is sometimes called
Le Mantel
Mautaillié.

LAI DU TYOLET,
anon. (French,
c
1200s).

Most authorities believe this
lai
originally told a non-Arthurian story but was reworked to fit the new craze. Whether it borrowed from other Arthurian tales (chiefly the
Perceval saga), or whether all were derived from an even earlier tale, is not certain. The
lai
falls into two halves. The first tells of the youth of Tyolet who, like Perceval, is raised in
the woods, becomes captivated by knights and leaves his mother to go to Arthur’s court. At court a damsel seeks Arthur’s aid in obtaining the foot of a white stag. Various knights fail
but Tyolet succeeds. However, he is attacked by a lion and left for dead, and another knight claims the prize. Gawain finds Tyolet and the impostor is revealed.

WIGALOIS,
Wirnt von Grafenberg (German, early 1200s) 11,700 lines.

Perhaps inspired by Renaud’s
Le Bel Inconnu
, this is a story in the “fair unknown” tradition. A strange knight offers Guenevere a magic girdle and
states that should she choose not to keep it he will fight all knights who take up his challenge. She returns the girdle and, wearing it, the knight defeats all, including Gawain. He takes Gawain
prisoner and returns to his faery realm where Gawain marries the knight’s niece Florie. Gawain later returns to Arthur’s court but when he tries to find the faery land and Florie he
cannot. He is thus unaware that Florie has borne him a son, Wigalois.

Twenty years later Wigalois visits Arthur’s court and passes the test of acceptance. Gawain becomes his mentor, neither knowing of their relationship. Wishing to prove himself, Wigalois
becomes the champion of a maiden who needs help to free the castle of her mistress Larie from the heathen usurper Roaz.
Wigalois passes through various adversities and
challenges, each more perilous than the last, during one of which he learns that Gawain is his father, and eventually defeats Roaz with God’s aid. A water-wheel, which blocks Wigalois’s
access to Roaz’s castle, and which is covered in swords and axes, stops when Wigalois prays for God’s help. Thus the Christian has overcome the heathen. At the end Wigalois marries
Larie in the presence of Gawain.

FERGUS OF GALLOWAY,
Guillaume le clerc (
possibly
William Malveisin) (French, early 1200s), 6182 lines.

Though composed in French this poem may have been written in Scotland. D.D.R. Owen suggests it may have been by William Malveisin (d.1238), bishop of St Andrews from 1202, who
would have known Alain of Galloway and others possibly associated with the work. Most notably the Lady Galiene may be the same as Galiena, daughter of the earl of Dunbar and Lothian and wife of
Philip of Mowbray, Scottish ambassador to England in 1215.

Guillaume borrowed freely from the works of Chrétien. Fergus is a peasant who becomes smitten with the sight of knights and sets off to seek his fortune. He reaches Arthur’s court
where the sarcastic Kay sets him a quest to acquire the horn and wimple of Nouquetran guarded by the Black Knight. He falls in love with Galiene, the Lady of Lothian, but knows he must first
complete his quest. He succeeds, but on his return finds that the Lady Galiene has been abducted and the story follows his search for her against many challenges. He is victorious and marries her.
The story displays a light humour and is in all likelihood written about people and places known to Malveisin and the Lords of Lothian and Galloway.