Lanval is a lai written by Marie de France. It is set within the Arthurian mythos and tells of a knight whom falls in love with a foreign queen.
Characters[]
- Lanval
- The lady
- King Arthur
- Sir Gawain
- Queen Guinivere
- Yvain
Plot[]
In the time of King Arthur, during the ravages of the Scots and the Picts, one of his Knights was envied by all and loved by none. For Lanval, this state drove him into penury. One day, as Lanval sat near a stream, two beautiful women came to him and brought him before their lady. The lady reveals that she is in love with Lanval (which the knight reciprocates) and that she will give Lanval riches beyond his wildest dream if he keeps their relationship a secret.
Lanval returns to Carlisle and begins spreading his wealth around. He even gained the friendship of Sir Gawain, but one day the Queen noticed Lanval and began making unwanted advances towards him. After Lanval turned the Queen down, she accused him of being gay. Lanval then revealed his affair - claiming that "even the very poorest girl" is worth more than the Queen.
This enrages the Queen, and she claims to her husband that Lanval besmirched her image. The King has Lanval imprisoned. Though many of his servants believe this sentence to be unjust, they let it stand. Lanval's lover sends forth several of her servants to speak with the King before appearing in person to bail Lanval out. Seeing the true beauty of Lanval's lover, King Arthur agrees to free Lanval and the two lovers ride off to Avalon.