Yonec is a lai written by Marie de France. It tells of a woman who falls in love with a knight.
Characters[]
- The lord of Caerwent's wife
- Muldumarec
- The lord of Caerwent
- Yonec
- The lord of Caerwent's sister
Plot[]
In the city of Caerwent (which sat on the River Duelas), the elderly lord of the city married a beautiful young woman with the intent of fathering heirs with her. Extremely jealous, the lord locks up his wife in a tower and puts has his sister guard her. For several years, the only company the woman has is her guard and she becomes despondent - losing her beauty as she no longer cares for herself.
After asking God to bring her a knight in shining armour, a hawk flies to her window and transforms into the knight Muldumarec. The lord's wife has Muldumarec prove his loyalty to God by receiving the Eucharist. The two start an affair.
Seeing that his wife is oddly happy, the lord assumes that she has taken a lover and has his sister surveil his wife. The sister discovers about Muldumarec and the lord puts up a spike trap on the window. As Muldumarec flies towards the tower in his hawk form, he is skewered and mortally wounded. Muldumarec is found by his lover and tells her that she is pregnant with his child before leaving. She follows the trail of his blood towards his home city (a beautiful city made of silver) and finds him on his deathbed. Muldumarec gives his lover a magical ring which will make his lover's husband forget everything.
Several years later, the lady visits an abbey with her son Yonec and her husband. They sight the tomb of Muldumarec and visit it. While at the tomb, the lady tells her son to avenge his father and dies after fainting. Yonec then beheads his stepfather and is declared the lord of the city.
See also[]
- Tydorel