

The Clerk's Tale
A good example of medieval marriages can be seen when Walter is confronted and asked to take a wife even though he has refused (because...


Chevrefoil
This lai by Marie de France has the same concept of "Chaitivel." It is a lai that was written about something that had already occured,...


Chaitivel
There was a lady who lived in a city in Nantes in Brittany. The is titled Le Chaitivel, "the unhappy one," or more commonly known as Les...


Laustic
One of Marie de France's shorter lais, Laustic translates to nightingale in English. This lai captures multiple fairy tale aspects,...


Yonec
Yonec is the story of a rich old man who has a vast inheritance, and takes a much younger, beautiful wife to produce an heir. Because of...


Lanval
Lanval is a knight from King Arthur's court who possessed great qualities including beauty and valor, and because of this, he is envied...


Bisclavret
Bisclavret is a young baron who is introduced as handsome and noble, as well as loved by all in his home realm of Brittany. He lives with...


Medieval Marriages
In the medieval era, marriages were sought out for very different reasons, and in general were very different than they are today. Women...


La Fresne
In this lay, Marie de France tells the story of two reputable knights, who were both married and fond of each other. The first knight's...


Marie de France
Marie de France begins "Equitan" describing that the Bretons "composed lays for posterity and thus preserved them from oblivion." She...