Arthurian Romances

by Chretien de Troyes

  And he was seized by great pity when he heard and saw and understood the poor ladies making a curious lament and saying: ‘Ah! God, how You have forgotten us! We will not know what to do when we lose our good friend, who gave us such counsel and such aid and took our part at court! At her recommendation our lady dressed us in her finest robes; things will be very different for us, for we will have no voice at court. May God curse the man who takes her from us! May He curse the man who causes us to suffer such a great loss! There will be no one to say or urge: “And give this mantle and this surcoat and this robe, dear lady, to this good woman, for truly, if you send them to her they will be well used, since she is in great need of them.” Such words will go unspoken, for there is no one left who is generous and good, and everyone makes demands only for themselves and never for anyone else, even when they themselves need nothing.’

  The women lamented in this fashion. My lord Yvain was among them and clearly heard their complaints, which were not false or insincere, and saw Lunete kneeling stripped to her shift; she had already made her confession, asking God’s pardon for her sins and offering penitence.

  And Yvain, who had loved her dearly, approached her, lifted her to her feet and said: ‘My lady, where are those who condemn and accuse you? I shall challenge them to immediate battle, if they dare to accept it.’

  And she, who had until this moment not seen or noticed him, answered: ‘Sir, God has sent you to me in my great need! Those who bear false witness against me are right here waiting; had you come just a little later I would have been dust and ashes. You have come to defend me, and may God grant you strength to do so, in so far as I am innocent of the charges brought against me.’

  These words had been heard by the seneschal and his brothers. ‘Ha!’ he said, ‘so like a woman: miserly with the truth, and generous with lies! He would be a foolish man who took on such a weighty task at your words! The knight who’s come to die on your account is crazy, for he is alone and we are three. So I advise him to turn away before things get bad for him.’

  Angered by these words, Yvain replied: ‘Whoever is frightened, let him flee! I’m not so afraid of your three shields that I would depart defeated without exchanging a single blow. I’d be most ungallant were I to abandon the lists and field to you while I was still hale and hearty! Never, as long as I’m alive and well, will I flee in the face of such threats. But I advise you to have the damsel released, whom you have so wrongly accused; for she tells me and I believe her word, given and sworn upon peril of her soul, that she never committed or spoke or conceived treason against her lady. I fully believe everything she has told me, and I shall defend her if I can, for in her righteousness I find my strength. And, if the truth be told, God himself takes on the cause of the righteous, and God and Righteousness are as one; and since they are on my side, therefore I have better companions than you, and better supporters.’

  In his folly the seneschal replied that Yvain could set against him whatever pleased and suited him, but that the lion must not harm them. And Yvain said that he had not brought his lion to be his champion, and that he needed no one but himself; but if his lion were to attack them, they should defend themselves well, for he would make no promises on this score.

  They responded: ‘No matter what you say, if you don’t discipline your lion and make him stand aside peaceably then you have no right to remain here. And you would do well to leave, for everyone in this land knows how this damsel has betrayed her lady; it’s only right that fire and flames be her reward.’

  ‘May the Holy Spirit condemn it!’ said he who well knew the truth. ‘May God not permit me to leave before I have delivered her!’

  Then he ordered the lion to withdraw and lie quietly; and it withdrew as he commanded. The discussion and taunts between the two men ended at once, and they separated. The three charged towards Yvain together and he came slowly to meet them, for he did not intend to be turned back or injured by their first charge. He let them shatter their lances and kept his intact: he made a quintain of his shield, and each broke his lance against it. And he rode off until he had put about an acre’s ground between himself and them; but then he returned swiftly to the fray, for he did not care for long delays. Upon his return he encountered the seneschal ahead of his two brothers: he broke his lance upon his body, driving him to the ground despite himself. Yvain gave him such a mighty blow that he lay there a long while stunned, unable to do him any harm. The two others threw themselves into the attack: brandishing bared swords they both struck mighty blows, but received still more powerful from him, for a single one of his blows was easily worth two of theirs. He defended himself so well against them that they could gain no advantage until the seneschal himself arose and renewed the attack with all his might; the others joined in until they injured him and began to overpower him.

  Seeing this, the lion delayed no longer in coming to his aid, for it recognized that Yvain was in need. And all the ladies, who dearly loved the damsel, called repeatedly upon God, begging him with all their hearts never to allow the knight suffering for her cause to be defeated or killed. With their prayers the ladies brought him aid, since they had no other weapons. And the lion brought such aid that with its first attack it struck the seneschal, who was back upon his feet, so ferociously that the chain-links flew from his hauberk like so many pieces of straw in the wind. It dragged him down so viciously that it ripped the cartilage from his shoulder and all down his side. Everything it touched it stripped away, leaving his entrails exposed. His two brothers will pay for this blow! Now all of them were equal on the field: the seneschal, who was struggling and writhing in the red stream of blood that flowed from his body, could not escape death. The lion attacked the others, and nothing my lord Yvain could do by way of threats or striking could drive it back. Though he tried his best to chase it off, the lion clearly recognized that its master was not at all displeased by its aid, but rather loved it the more for it. The lion struck at them ferociously until they had cause to rue its blows, but they in turn wounded and maimed it.

  When my lord Yvain saw his lion wounded, the heart in his breast overflowed with wrath, and rightly so. He struggled to avenge his lion, striking the brothers so hard that they were completely unable to defend themselves against him, and they submitted to his mercy because of the succour brought him by his lion, which was now in dreadful pain for it had received so many wounds that it had good cause to feel distressed. And my lord Yvain was far from being uninjured himself, for he had many a wound on his body. Yet he was not as concerned with these as for the suffering of his lion.

  Now, just as he desired, he has freed his damsel, and her lady has quite willingly made her peace with her. And those who had been eager to burn her were themselves burned upon the pyre, because it is right and just that those who wrongfully condemn another should die by the same death to which they have condemned the other.

  Now Lunete was happy and joyful to be reconciled to her lady, and the two of them were happier than anyone had ever been before. Everyone there offered to serve their lord, as was proper, without knowing who he was; even the lady, who possessed his heart but did not know it, implored him repeatedly to be pleased to remain there until both he and his lion were restored to health.

  And he replied: ‘My lady, I cannot remain a single day in this place until my lady has ceased her anger and displeasure towards me. Only then will my task be ended.’

  ‘Indeed,’ she said, ‘this troubles me; I don’t consider the lady who bears you ill-will to be very courteous. She should not close her door to a knight of your renown unless he had grievously offended her.’

  ‘My lady,’ said he, ‘however much it may hurt me, I am pleased by whatever she desires. But do not question me about this, for nothing can force me to tell the cause or the offence to anyone except those who are already well aware of it.’

  ‘Does anyone except you two know of it?’

  ‘Yes, to be sure, my lady.’

  ‘Tell us
your name, if you please, good sir; then you may leave without obligation.’

  ‘Without obligation, my lady? Indeed not, for I owe more than I could repay. None the less I should not conceal from you the name I have chosen for myself: whenever you hear reports of the Knight with the Lion, it is I; I wish to be called by this name.’

  ‘For God’s sake, sir, how is it that we have never before seen you or heard your name mentioned?’

  ‘My lady, that shows you that I am not of great renown.’

  Then the lady repeated: ‘Once again, if it would not trouble you, I would like to urge you to stay.’

  ‘Indeed, my lady, I could not until I was certain I possessed my lady’s good will.’

  ‘Go then in God’s favour, good sir, and may it please Him to turn your grief and sorrow into joy!’

  ‘My lady,’ he said, ‘may God hear your prayer!’ Then he added softly, under his breath: ‘My lady, you carry the key and have the locket in which my happiness is enclosed, yet do not know it.’

  Then he left in great sorrow, and there was no one who recognized him except Lunete alone. Lunete accompanied him a long while and he begged her as he rode off never to reveal who had been her champion.

  ‘My lord,’ she said, ‘it won’t be told.’

  Afterwards he begged her to remember him and to speak a good word for him in her lady’s presence, should the occasion arise. She told him to say no more about that, and that she would never forget him and would not be unfaithful or idle. And he thanked her a hundred times and departed, downcast and distraught on account of his lion, which he had to carry since it was too weak to follow him. Upon his shield he made a litter of moss and ferns; after he had made a bed for it, he laid it upon it as gently as he could and carried it along stretched out on the inside of his shield.

  He bore it along in this fashion until he arrived in front of the gate of a very strong and beautiful manor. He found it locked and called out, and the porter opened it before he had had the chance to call out more than once. The porter reached for his reins, saying: ‘Good sir, I offer you free use of my lord’s lodging, if it pleases you to dismount here.’

  ‘I wish to accept this offer,’ he said, ‘for I am in great need of it and it is time to find a lodging.’

  Next he passed through the gateway and saw the assembled household all coming to meet him. They greeted him and helped him dismount: some placed his shield, still bearing the lion, upon a stone bench; others took his horse and put it in a stable; others, just as they should, took and removed his armour. As soon as the lord heard this news he came into the courtyard and greeted Yvain; and his wife followed him, along with all his sons and daughters; there were crowds of other people, who all happily offered him lodging. They placed him in a quiet room because they found he was ill, and they gave proof of their good nature by putting his lion with him. Two maidens who were skilled in medicine set themselves to healing Yvain, and both were daughters of the lord of the manor. I don’t know how many days they stayed there before he and his lion were healed and they were obliged to continue onward.

  Meanwhile it happened that the lord of Blackthorn had a quarrel with Death; and Death so overpowered him that he was forced to die. After his death it happened that the elder of his two daughters claimed that she would keep all of his lands as her own as long as she was to live, and that her sister would have no share. The younger sister said she would go to King Arthur’s court to seek help in defending her lands. And when the elder saw that her sister would not concede to her the entire inheritance without contest, she was extremely vexed and determined that, if possible, she would reach court before her.

  She readied herself at once; without delay or hesitation she rode until she came to court. And the other set off after her and hastened as fast as she could; but her journey and efforts were wasted, for her elder sister had already presented her case to my lord Gawain, and he had granted everything she had requested. But Gawain had insisted that if she were to tell anyone, he would not then take up arms in her cause; and she had agreed to this condition.

  Just afterwards the other sister arrived at court, wrapped in a short mantle of scarlet lined with ermine. Only three days previously Queen Guinevere had returned from the prison where Meleagant had kept her and all the other captives; and Lancelot, betrayed, remained locked within the tower. And on the very day that the maiden arrived at court, news reached there of the cruel and wicked giant that the Knight with the Lion had slain in battle. My lord Gawain’s nephews greeted their uncle in the name of the Knight with the Lion, and his niece told him all about the great service and bold deeds he had done for them for his sake, and said that Gawain was well acquainted with him although he would not recognize him. This conversation was overheard by the younger daughter of Blackthorn, who was bewildered, distraught, and confused, fearing that she would not find help or good counsel at court, since the best had failed her: she had tried in every way, by pleading and by cajoling, to persuade my lord Gawain, and he had said to her, ‘My friend, you are begging me for what I cannot undertake, since I have accepted another cause and will not abandon it.’

  The maiden withdrew at once and came before the king. ‘My lord,’ she said, ‘I came to you and to your court to seek help, yet have found none, and I am surprised that I cannot find help here. Yet it would be ill-mannered of me to depart without obtaining leave. Moreover, I would like my sister to know that she could have what is mine out of love, if she wished it, but I will never surrender my inheritance to her because of force, provided I can find help and support.’

  ‘What you say is proper,’ affirmed the king, ‘and while she is still here I urge, pray, and beg her to leave you your rightful share.’

  But the elder sister, assured of having the best knight in the world as her champion, answered: ‘Sire, may God strike me down if I share with her one castle, town, field, forest, meadow, or anything whatsoever. But if any knight, whoever he may be, dares to bear arms on her behalf and fight for her rights, let him come forth at once!’

  ‘Your offer is unfair,’ said the king, ‘for she needs more time; if she wishes, she can seek a champion for up to forty days, in accord with the practice of all courts.’

  ‘Good sir king,’ replied the elder sister, ‘you may establish your laws as you desire and as you please, and it would not be right or proper for me to disagree with you. Therefore I must accept the delay if she requests it.’

  Her sister replied that she did request, desire, and ask for it. She immediately commended the king to God and departed from the court, determined that she would spend all her life seeking through every land for the Knight with the Lion, who devoted himself to helping women in need of assistance.

  And so she set out upon the quest and travelled across many realms without learning any news, which so distressed her that she fell ill. But she was very fortunate to arrive at the house of acquaintances to whom she was very close, and who could tell just by looking at her that she was not at all well. They insisted that she remain with them, and when she told them her situation, another maiden took up the search that she had been pursuing and continued the quest in her place.

  So while the one remained behind, the other rode rapidly along entirely alone all day long, until the shadows of night fell. She was frightened by the night, but her fright was doubled because it was raining as heavily as God could make it pour and she was in the depths of the forest. The night and the forest frightened her, but she was more upset by the rain than either the night or the forest. And the road was so bad that her horse often sank to its girth in the mud. A maiden in the forest alone with no escort might easily be frightened by the bad weather and the black night – so black that she could not make out the horse upon which she was seated. Therefore she implored incessantly, first God, then His Mother, and then all the saints in heaven; and that night she offered many prayers that God might show her the way to a lodging and lead her out of this forest.

  She prayed unt
il she heard the sound of a horn, which greatly cheered her because she felt that she might find lodging, if only she could reach it. She headed in that direction until she joined a paved road that led her directly towards the sound of the horn, which had been blown loud and long three times. And she made straight for the sound until she came to a cross set up to the right of the road; she thought that the horn and the one who had blown it might be there. She spurred on in that direction until she neared a bridge and saw the white walls and barbican of a small round tower. Thus by good fortune she had headed towards the castle and reached it because the sound had led her there. The horn blasts that had attracted her had been sounded by a watchman who had climbed up upon the ramparts. As soon as the watchman saw her, he shouted greetings to her and descended. He took the key to the gate and opened it, saying: ‘Welcome, maiden, whoever you may be. This night you will be well lodged.’

  ‘I ask nothing more this night,’ said the maiden, and he led her within. After the hardships and trials she had undergone that day, she was fortunate to find such comfortable lodgings there. After supper her host addressed her and inquired where she was going and what she was seeking.

  She answered him at once: ‘I am seeking one whom I believe I have never seen and have never known; but he has a lion with him, and they say that if I find him I can place all my trust in him.’

  ‘I can testify for my part,’ he said, ‘that when I was in most desperate need God led him to me some days ago. Blessed be the paths which led him to my manor, for he avenged me against one of my mortal enemies and gave me great pleasure when he killed him before my very eyes. Tomorrow outside this gate you can behold the body of a huge giant that he killed so easily he hardly worked up a sweat.’