Lai of Lanval

According to the Breton source, the poet Marie de France translated Breton songs known as lais, and one mentioned Queen Guinevere's infidelity. This lais was titled Lanval (c. 1170), which was the name of a knight. Lanval was a knight of the Round Table, handsome as well as strong and brave. Lanval was of royal lineage, yet he left his father's kingdom to serve as Arthur's knight.

At the feast of Pentecost, Arthur was staying in his castle at Carduel. The King was known for his generosity who freely give his bounty to his loyal knights but he either forgot about Lanval or Arthur was not as noble as we thought. Soon, Lanval was poor and penniless, having spent all his money that he had brought with him.

One day, Lanval went out riding and decided to rest in the meadow, reflecting on his plight when he encountered two lovely damsels. One damsel was carrying a golden bowl of water, while the other maiden bore a towel. They greeted the knight and brought him to a tent, where they served their Lady. This lady was more beautiful than the two damsels that he had met in the meadow. The Lady knew his name. However, the Lady's name was never revealed throughout the tale.

Lanval fell in love with the Lady, and succeeded in wooing her. In return for her love, Lanval received gold and other wealth. She warned her lover not to reveal her identity to anyone; or else she would leave him forever. Lanval stayed with his Lady for several days, before he departed from her pavilion. The Lady would join him whenever he desired her company, but only he would be able to see her when she visited him.

Lanval was laden with rich clothes and other gifts as he returned to his hostel. His men, who had faithfully served him even though he had no money to pay them, were now dressed in rich clothing. Lanval enjoyed a great feast among his comrades that night, and every other night. Neither Lanval nor his followers had to worry about food and money, which had appeared mysteriously.

It was on the Midsummer's Day that Gawain, nephew of Arthur, felt terrible that Lanval had been ill treated in the King's court, and invited Lanval to a great feast.

While he was alone in the royal garden, Queen Guinevere, wife and consort of King Arthur, came before Lanval and expressed her love for the young knight, but he rebuffed the Queen. Lanval told the Queen that he would never dishonour or betray the King, her husband. Guinevere in anger retaliated with a strong hint that Lanval must be gay; why else did he never seem to enjoy the company of women. The Queen also accused him of being a sinner and coward.

The accusations and lies from the Queen hurt him such that he forgot his promise to the Lady that he loved. Lanval revealed that he did love a woman who was fairer and more gracious than the Queen. Lanval also rebuffed the Queen, saying that even the beauty of his Lady's two maids surpassed Guinevere. Guinevere fled to her chamber in anger and shame.

When Arthur returned that night from his hunting trip, his weeping wife accused Lanval of making unwanted advances upon her, and it was she who had rejected his lust. She also told her husband that Lanval laughed at her, claiming a chambermaid was more beautiful than she was. Enraged by his knight's boast, Arthur sent three knights to arrest Lanval.

When Lanval returned that night to his hostel, he realised that he had broken his vow to his Lady when he revealed her presence to Queen Guinevere. Lanval thought that he would die, since he thought that he would see the Lady again. When three knights arrived, Lanval didn't resist when they detained him and brought him before the King.

Lanval sorrowfully denied all charges concerning him making advances to his liege lord's consort. However he admitted that the Lady he loved and her maids were indeed fairer and more courteous than the Queen.

The jury advised Arthur that Lanval should be able to prove his innocence, so Lanval was allowed to go free until the trial, provided if he could produce a hostage to Arthur as a bail. But Lanval had left his homeland, so he had no member of his family or friend to be the King's hostage. Sir Gawain believed Lanval's innocence, so he offered himself as the King's hostage.

So Lanval waited for the day to arrive for his trial. During that time, Lanval was suffering longing for the Lady, who would no longer visit him at his hostel.

Some of the jury (they were all nobles and knights) were ready to hand the guilty verdict against Lanval, while most of them pitied the poor accused and wanted to support Lanval, but without angering the king. So they advised the king that unless Lanval could produce his mistress for all to see, the King could set any punishment against Lanval. If the Lady that Lanval was in love with was more beautiful than their Queen was, then Lanval would be vindicated.

Arthur agreed to the jury's advice. However, Lanval told them it was not possible, since he told them that he had broken his vow to the Lady, he would not get any help from her.

It was at this moment that two fair damsels arrived, each riding a white palfrey. Gawain hoped that one of them was Lanval's mistress, since they marvelled that they were both so fair. But Lanval recognised neither of them, nor did he know who they were. They dismounted before the King and greeted him with fair words. They told the King that their Lady would soon come to their presence. Everyone in Arthur's court, including the King himself, was captivated by the two maidens' beauty.

Knowing that Lanval had admitted of not knowing who these two damsels were, the King demanded verdict and punishment upon Lanval.

Then two more damsels arrived in the same manner as the first two maidens, in rich, silken gowns, but this time riding on mules. The whole court looked upon these maidens with great delight. Sir Yvain asked Lanval if either one of these women were the mistress that he loved. Lanval denied loving either one or the other, nor did he recognise the two newcomers.

The two damsels dismounted from their mules, and greeted the King. All who saw them agreed that both maidens surpassed Guinevere's beauty. Arthur gave them accommodations along with the first damsels.

Once again, Arthur demanded that the jury give Lanval the guilty verdict so he could punish the boasting knight who had shamed his wife. Before the knights could pronounce judgement upon Lanval, they were once again interrupted by a third arrival.

Here, they saw a maiden arriving upon a white palfrey. Everyone was delighted by her peerless beauty. Here, Marie de France went into great detail, describing the Lady's beauty.

Everyone was delighted, except Queen Guinevere who fled from the royal court in shame that her beauty was no match to the Lady.

All of the sudden, the melancholy that Lanval was suffering from had vanished with her arrival.

The Lady dismounted before Arthur and claimed that she was Lanval's lover, and she had come to save him from wrongful punishment. She told Arthur that Lanval had no unwanted advance upon his wife. However, she told him that Lanval did boast of her, so the King and his court must judge if Lanval had lied about her beauty. Everyone in court agreed that she was indeed more beautiful than the Queen, so the court found Lanval innocent of all charges. So Arthur graciously set Lanval free.

The Lady refused to stay. So as she rode away, Lanval refused to be left behind. The young knight leaped and mounted on her steed, so they rode away. The poetess says that they were never seen again, because Lanval had gone with her to the fair Isle of Avalon.

This tale resembled the anonymous tale of Graelent of the mid 13th century, with the hero being loved by a fairy woman, a queen tried to seduce the hero but he faithfully refused, thereby falling foul with the King. And the fairy woman rescuing her lover from the trial, proving her beauty was greater than the King's unfaithful wife.

Marie's Lanval is of course the older of the two tales.

The tale of Lanval was rewritten several times in English in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.