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, yet it comes full circle in saying that it will be written into a lai. Why did Marie de France write more than one lai in this way? Was she trying to get some underlying meaning across? Or was she just trying to show the process of art being created.

This lai is makes a reference to a famous legend of Tristam and Isolde. Therefore audiences were kind of expected to know this already to understand the reference. A theme can be identified within the use of the honeysuckle and the hazel branch: private love is impossible within a public world. Marie tells us in the lay, "the two of them resembled the honeysuckle which clings to the hazel branch: when it has wound itself round and attached itself to the hazel, the two can survive together: but if anyone should then attempt to separate them, the hazel quickly dies, as does the honeysuckle." This means that when the two are separated their (which they are) their love will die.

Like in most of Marie de France's lais, the theme of jealousy and betrayal reappears. Tristam is in love with the wife of his uncle, who is the king. The king finds out and banishes Tristam, who nevertheless is willing to run the risk of death and destruction to be with the one he loves, the king's (his uncle) wife.