Marie de France 1155-1189

Biography• Earliest female poet in France• Her name • Educated• Henry II• Normandy area

Works • Lais (1155-1170)• 12 lais• Prefaced with the information that she is translating many of them

from Breton lais for the first time.

• Ysopet (1167-1189)• First known translation of Aesop’s Fables into French

• Espurgatoire de Saint Patrice (1189)• Legend of the Purgatory of Saint Patrick• Journey through purgatory

What is a lai exctly? • Meant to be sung• Octosyllabic rhyming couplets• Characterized by adventure and romance• Elements of the fantastic

• Marie de France’s particular lais: • Romance with an ominous atmosphere• Focus on feelings of the characters rather than the story itself

Le Laustic Lanval• Knight of King Arthur’s

court• Secret love • Accusations of

homosexuality• Loss of love• Reuniting of the lovers

• Knights of St. Malo• Rossignol • Fate of love • Why this is characteristic of

Marie de France.

Le Bisclavret Les Deux Amants • Werewolf curse• Barron of Brittany• Clothing• Wife’s betrayal • King’s protection• Revenge

• Set in Normandy• Mountain test• Secret affair• Potion• Fate• “The Mountain of the Two

Lovers”

Guigemer Yonec• Knight of Brittany• Disinterested in love• Deer’s curse• Mysterious ship• Locked up• Chastity belt• Meriaduc

• Rich landowner• Imprisoned 7 years• Knight must prove faith• Razors• Blood trail • Ring & Sword • Son: Yonec

Conclusion• Reoccurring themes in the lais of Marie de France.

Works Cited

• Bishop, Morris and Rivers, Kenneth T., eds. A Survey of French Literature. Newburyport: Focus Publishing, 2005. Print.

• Les Lais De Marie De France. Trans. Paul Tuffrau. Paris. 1959

• The Broadway Anthology of British Literature. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2011 Print.