Arthurian Romance and the Knightly Ideal

A study of Medieval Romantic Literature and its Effect upon Warrior Culture in Europe

Adam Haviaras

• Publisher: Eagles and Dragons Publishing
• ISBN:
  9781988309149
• Topic: Literatur
• Subtopic: Französische Literaturkritik

HISTORIA: A Gateway to Ancient and Medieval History and Archaeology!

This book explores the history and effects of one of the great literary movements in medieval Europe: Arthurian Romance.

This is not just a study of the Arthurian romances and the authors of the genre. It is a study of the true nature of chivalry and courtly love. It is also a look at a revolutionary and inspiring movement and cultural shift among the nobles of medieval Europe, one that altered perceptions of violence and the roles of men and women, influenced social change, and molded the image of the ideal knight.

In this book, the reader will learn about the origins and history of Arthurian Romance, the emergence of courtly culture, the greatest authors of Arthurian Romance, and the evolution of tournaments during the Middle Ages.

Explore the relationship between violence and the knightly ideal, and discover how medieval Arthurian Romance and its ideals may have played a role in civilizing the warrior classes of Europe and creating a new order of chivalry.

If you have an interest in medieval history and literature, Arthurian studies, or if you simply have fond memories of tales of knights and ladies, then you will enjoy this in-depth study of one of the great literary achievements of the Middle Ages.

IV

Chrétien de Troyes

Without question, the most important and influential writer of Arthurian romance is Chrétien de Troyes, for it is he who popularized romance and brought new meaning to the Arthurian tradition. Chrétien is the father, and one could say the inventor, of popular Round Table romance. With his stories came greater interest in the Matter of Britain. His work reflected the changes in sentiment among the nobility such as exaltation of the lady, and courtly manners or courtoisie. This was not an instantaneous change, but rather a gradual one.

Chrétien was influenced by many sources such as the troubadours’ love lyrics, Geoffrey of Monmouth, the Tristan legend, and the Breton lais of the northern jongleurs. All of these in turn were influenced in one way or another by Celtic legend. Chrétien de Troyes gave all of these sources his own approach by linking fantasy to reason. The old material was given clearer meaning and broader values. Within the romances of Chrétien de Troyes, there is a mixture of martial adventure and amorous dedication to ladies. The idea that it is good for a knight to be in love because he wants to honour his beloved through his prowess emerges; this carried great meaning for the twelfth-century audience.

There is a constant attempt to reconcile the heart with honour so that the two can become one. The heroes of romance are complicated. They must constantly follow their heart and bear public shame in the process, such as with Lancelot in The Knight of the Cart. Some scholars see courtliness and the courtly knight as not merely idealistic aspirations, but as something one could say was anchored in social and political realities. There was a gradual domestication of the feudal warrior, and a pacification of states.

However, we have to wonder how widespread this phenomenon was.

Chrétien’s work was the product of, and intended for, a court culture which was presided over by the counts of Flanders and Champagne who demanded efficiency and rules of etiquette. There may have been some clerical influence too, for courtliness, discretion, and self-restraint were what many clerics sought to instil in knights, as well as introspection, and moral deliberation which also appear in the romances. Chrétien’s patrons were very powerful and he dedicated his work to them; Lancelot was dedicated to Marie de Champagne, and Perceval to the Count of Flanders. Both of these texts were written at the request of these two patrons, indicating that the nobility for whom the romances were written had input into the stories, and therefore the tales reflected what was in the minds of the audience.

A major theme in Chrétien’s romances is the union of learning with military prowess. One could say that this was a living ideal of the time. There are other qualities and themes present in the stories such as clarification of the mysteries of the heart, tragic and comic treatment of love, and an attempt to solve the problems of conscience posed by conflict between love, morality, and knightly honour. This latter theme is the most dominant of all the romances and indicates a new struggle for the contemporary knightly class. A new and distinct code of worldly ethics was being portrayed which did not reject joy, but did not debase it either, and in which the hero’s greatness of soul and the virtue of sacrifice was praised. As we shall see upon examination of the stories themselves, these qualities are what set romance apart from earlier heroic epics.

Arthurian romance has been described as the most innovative artistic form of the twelfth-century, and for much of the Middle Ages. Chrétien created a new genre of Arthurian literature in which we see the first mention of the chivalric quest, the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the Holy Grail - all important contributions to the tradition. In the civilization created by Chrétien, one based on chivalry, it is love that conquers and is of supreme importance. Love is central to all of the tales, with the exception of Perceval, which deals more with the spiritual quest for the Holy Grail.

In the latter part of the twelfth-century, the knight was gaining a more important and individualistic role in society. This is reflected in the romances. The hero is always a young knight on his own, whose role emphasizes choice and free will. Emotion plays a large role, as the hero is one who sees inner and outer qualities. One must not forget either that status and wealth are also part of the romance genre, thus giving Chrétien’s tales a believable and realistic balance. Amy Kelly says that “for Chrétien, sincere love, whether in marriage, as in Erec and Yvain, or in adultery, as in Charrette [The Knight of the Cart] and Cligés, promotes the equality of the lovers, not the traditional authority of the husband over his wife or the seducer over the seduced.” It is this equality that helps to shed a bright light on the image of the knight at the dawn of the thirteenth-century. It attracted the attention of young knights to the ideals of Arthurian romance, though these ideals were new to the twelfth-century.

In all of Arthurian romance, the qualities of the ideal knight remain the same for the most part. They include clarity of vision, a strong will, character development and self-knowledge through trials, and a sense that true love is the ideal union.

Now that we have discussed the main themes of Chrétien de Troyes’ romances, and their origins, let us briefly examine each of his works in their order of composition - Erec and Enide, Cligés, Lancelot, Yvain, and Perceval.

The story of Erec and Enide contains two very important lessons that Chrétien wished to present. In this first of Chrétien’s stories, the hero learns that ignoring one’s beloved is wrong, but also that a knight must not be inactive. Chrétien teaches balance between romantic love and social duty. The following excerpt shows how Erec, after having married Enide, fails to fulfill his social duties as a knight.

“But Erec loved Enide with such love that he cared no more for feats of arms, nor did he attend tournaments. He had no desire to joust. His only wish was to lie beside his wife, whom he made his sweetheart and his mistress. Embracing her and kissing her occupied all his attention, and he longed for no other pleasure.” (Erec and Enide, Chrétien de Troyes)

The duty of a knight to his lady is not being downplayed here at all, but rather a knight’s duty to his position as knight is made quite clear. We see above how important physical training was and that tournaments were thought to be a good place to sharpen one’s skills. It is Erec’s failure to maintain martial skills that plunges him into his adventure to learn lessons. It also leads to the demonization of his beloved, and brings him back to his proper status as a knight and husband.

Erec is courteous and generous, but also proud and easily offended. In the true sense of courtly love, he is moved by great love of his lady, Enide, who is lovely in soul and body, active in household, modest in manner, and very loving and gracious. As we can see, the romances did not only contain lessons and ideals for knights, but for the ladies as well who also read or listened to these tales. The tales would have a civilizing effect on both sexes.

In our modern era, we may balk at such talk, but it is important to look at this not in hindsight, with modern perceptions of the roles of women and men as we see them now. Rather, we need to remember that these tales, and the ideas presented in them, were revolutionary. The romances could indeed be a pacifying or civilizing force for many warlike men of the age. For women of the time, one could argue they were also quite empowering. It is no wonder that strong women, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, were patrons of these romances.

The second of Chrétien’s romances is that of Cligés which makes a link between Greece and Arthur’s court, the renown of which is far and wide. It is said that the story of Cligés was drawn from a book from the library of Saint Peter of Bauvais. The character of Alexander in the tale travels from Greece to join Arthur’s court and wishes to be knighted by Arthur alone. He bids his son, Cligés, to do the same one day. The greatness of the Round Table, and the inspiration it creates are important in this work, giving knights a sense of belonging to a magnificent tradition.

Central to Cligés are the questions surrounding matrimony, love, and chivalry. This story can also be seen as a sort of anti-Tristan tale, for the characters, mainly Cligés and Fenice, do not wish to make the mistakes that Tristan and Iseult made. There is even direct reference to them in the story. This may be Chrétien’s attempt to rewrite the Tristan tale while making it more idealistic. Unlike Iseult, Fenice gi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Arthurian Romance and the Knightly Ideal
• Copyright
• Join the Legions!
• Arthurian Romance and the Knightly Ideal
• Preface
• Introduction
• I - Before Arthurian Romance
• II - The Emergence of Courtly Culture
• III - The Flowering of Arthurian Romance
• IV - Chrétien de Troyes
• V - The Twelfth-Century Tournament
• VI - The Thirteenth-Century Tournament and Beyond
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Thank you for reading
• Become a Patron
• About the Author
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