Graelent

In the 13th century, there was a Breton lais titled Graelent, in which the identity of the author is unknown.

This tale has nothing do with Dahut and the city of Ys, but the similarity between the hero knight Graelent and the Breton king Gradlon is striking, particularly about their love for the mysterious fairy woman.

In Brittany, there was a king who fought in a war against his neighbouring kingdom. Among the king's vassals was a knight named Graelent. Graelent proved himself the best knight in battle and tournament. Yet at the same time, he was also humble and wise; he was very loyal to the King.

But the Breton king's wife and consort fell in love with the young knight. The Queen was famous for her beauty. The Queen thought that she could easily seduce Graelent, but discovered that the knight was completely loyal to the King, her husband. Graelent refused to dishonor the King.

Despite his refusal to return her love, the Queen sought his love through messages and gifts, but he continued to ignore her advances and entreaties, until her love for him turned into anger. She advised her husband not to pay Graelent for his services so that Graelent could not leave the King's court.

Graelent became poor and couldn't pay his followers and servants. Graelent even had trouble keeping his horse. He was forced to stay in the king's court.

One day, his host's daughter took pity on him. The damsel loaned him a horse and saddle. Graelent was riding through the forest, where he met a beautiful fairy-woman bathing at a fountain, with a couple of damsels who were servants and companions. Graelent fell in love with the Lady.

Graelent took a rainment from the lady, seemingly to steal her clothes. When the damsels saw Graelent, they cried out in fear. The Lady recognised the young knight. Seeing that her dress was in his hands, the Lady rebuked Graelent. Graelent persisted that he was not stealing; that he only wanted to woo her.

At first, the Lady didn't trust Graelent, and told the knight to leave. But because of his sweet words and promises, as well as good looks and courage, the Lady finally returned his love. The Lady gave the young knight a kiss.

However, she had a condition that she set upon Graelent, in order to prove his worth. The Lady told him that he must return to the king's court and to his lodging, and she would visit him either day or night. The Lady offered to furnish him with clothing, armour and a weapon, as well as money to pay his squires and servants, but he must not mention where he got the new possession or wealth from. And most importantly of all, Graelent must not reveal to anyone about her. In other words, Graelent must not boast about her.

Graelent agreed to her terms, and returned to his lodging. It was at night when a valet arrived. The valet told the Good Knight that he had come from the Lady that Graelent loved. The valet presented to Graelent, his new destrier (warhorse), complete with new bridle and saddle. The valet would be taking his service with him, caring for his lodging and paying Graelent's servants. Graelent also received other gifts from his Lady. Graelent was now living in comfort and luxury.

The Lady also frequently visited him, so Graelent was quite happy.

However, a year passed, and his fortunes changed.

At Pentecost, the King invited all his barons for a feast, including Graelent. During the meal, the King told his wife to stand on a dais, and asked the barons if any man had a more beautiful woman than his queen. All the barons except Graelent praised the Queen's beauty.

Graelent offended both the Queen and her husband, when he heedlessly boasted of a Lady more beautiful than the Queen of Brittany. Graelent had broken his promise to the Lady.

The King, at his wife's urging, had Graelent arrested and thrown in prison until he could produce the woman fairer than his wife. Graelent was kept in confinement for a whole year, before he had parole to seek out the fairest woman he could find or else face the King's justice.

However, he could not find the woman he loved. So Graelent returned to the King without the woman he had boasted about. Just as Graelent was about to face the verdict and sentence from the King, two damsels arrived at court, appealing to the King and lords to delay their sentence, until their Lady came to deliver the unfortunate knight.

While the Court waited for the Lady, they admired the two fair damsels, and wondered about the beauty of their Lady.

The Lady arrived at the King's Court on her white palfrey. The King and the barons had never seen a woman lovelier than the Lady on the palfrey. The Lady was as gracious as she was fair. The Queen fled to her quarters in shame that both the Lady and the two damsels surpassed her in looks.

The Lady pleaded for the King's mercy upon Graelent. The Lady publicly rebuked her knight for boasting of her beauty, but nevertheless, she had come to prove Graelent's words as true.

The King could not deny the Lady's beauty over his wife, and graciously acquitted Graelent of all charges, releasing him.

With the acquittal, the Lady left the court with her damsels. Graelent quickly had his horse saddled and rode after his love. Graelent followed the Lady, begging for forgiveness for his boasting and broken promise, but the Lady ignored his pleas.

Finally the Lady ordered him not to follow her any further, for he would meet his death if he tried to cross the swift-flowing river. Graelent refused, and tried to wade across the deep water while mounted on his steed. The Lady had to pull his horse out, by the reins.

She again ordered him turn back. Then the Lady and her damsels safely crossed to the other side of the river. Again, Graelent heedlessly tried to follow her, and the force of flow swept him and the horse away.

The Lady's companions had pity in their hearts when they saw that the reckless knight was about to drown, they pleaded to the Lady to save Graelent from his plight. The Lady was moved by his reckless courage and his love for her. His perilous condition had now forced her to save him.

The Lady entered the raging river and pulled her young knight, by the belt, to the riverbank. By rescuing Graelent, it proved that she was still in love with him. So the Lady took Graelent home with her. Graelent was still alive, but he was never seen again in Brittany, for he lived in the Otherworld.

As to Graelent's horse, it managed to escape from the river. The noble steed, however, grieved for his master. It sought to find Graelent as it roamed the wild forest. Those who had seen this wondrous destrier, desired to possess it, yet no other hand could master the noble steed.

So ended the Lay of Graelent.

---

Though this tale had nothing to do with the tale of the Submerged City, nevertheless it's related to Gradlon, if not with Dahut and the city of Ys. It's related because the two legends are quite similar.

Here we have the hero, Graelent, who was a knight, while Gradlon was a king. They both loved a beautiful fairy woman. With Graelent, the woman left Graelent because of his broken promise and his indiscretion in the King's Court. In the legend of Ys, the woman (Malgven?) left Gradlon because he had converted to Christianity, while she was a believer in the Old Religion. Graelent/Gradlon followed the woman he loved, ignoring her warning, which was not to follow her across the river. Graelent/Gradlon would have drowned, but the woman still loved him, so she saved his life.

The woman took Graelent back and lived together with him in the Land of the Fairy (Otherworld), where he was not seen again, and the story ended there. Whereas with Gradlon, she stayed with the king long enough to give birth to Dahut; then the woman either left or died shortly after.

As you can see, the legend of Graelent and that of Gradlon was similar, yet different. The motives and causes of the Fairy leaving her lovers were different. One left because of Graelent's broken promise when he bragged of knowing a more beautiful woman than the Queen. The other left because of Gradlon favouring Christianity rather than her own pagan religion.