Le Fresne is a lai written by Marie de France. It tells of two twins being separated shortly after birth.
Characters[]
- Le Fresne
- Le Fresne's mother
- Gurun
- La Coudre
- Le Fresne's father
- The abbess
Plot[]
In the kingdom of Brittany, the wife of a knight slanders another knight by claiming that her twins were fathered by two separate men. Shortly after this, the slanderer falls pregnant with twin daughters. Fearing people thinking that she cuckolded her husband, she initally plots to murder one of the children but gives one of the babies to a handmaiden to leave near an abbey. The handmaiden leaves the baby under an ash tree, where she is found by a porter.
The porter brings the baby into the abbey, where is raised by the abbess and grows into a beautiful woman, whom is named "Le Fresne". One day, a local Lord named Gurun notices Le Fresne and becomes enamoured with her. His knights do not support the union, as they believe Gurun should have a noblewoman for a wife and that Le Fresne will fail to produce a legitimate heir. His knights soon find a worthy suitor for Gurun, La Coudre.
At the wedding, La Coudre's mother meets Le Fresne (who at this point is only known as the courier of Lord Gurun) for the first time and decides to separate her and Gurun. Despite this, Le Fresne prepares Gurun's wedding bed and uses the brocade that she was found in while preparing it. This is noticed by La Coudre's mother, who realizes that Le Fresne is her abandoned daughter. The mother of the twins confesses her sin to her husband, who forgives her. Shortly after this, the union between La Coudre and Gurun is annulled and the Lord is allowed to marry his original lover.