Les Lais de Marie de France

European Masterpieces Molière & Co. French Classics Nº 7 General Editor: TOM LATHROP University of Delaware THEODORE E. D. BRAUN Unidversity of Delaware

French Series Editor:

Les Lais
MARIE DE FRANCE
Edited and with notes by BETH DROPPLEMAN

On the cover: Lancelot and Guinevere by Herbert James Draper (1864-1920) ©Private Collection/ Photo © Bonhams,London, UK/ The Bridgeman Art Library FIRST EDITION Copyright © 2007 by European Masterpieces 270 Indian Road Newark, Delaware 19711 (302) 453-8695 Fax: (302) 453-8601 MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ISBN

978-1-58977-045-4

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION TO STUDENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 TO THE INSTRUCTOR . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Text of Les Lais Le Chèvrefeuille . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Le Laüstic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Le Chaitivel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 41 Les Deux Amants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Equitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Frêne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Milon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Eliduc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Guigemar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Le Bisclavret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Yonec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Lanval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 French-English Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Acknowledgments
I am grateful to Tom Lathrop and Ted Braun, Editors of Molière&Co., not only for their feedback,guidance, and motivation in support of this project, but also for their significant contribution to our profession by making affordable, student-friendly editions of French texts available for classroom use. Many thanks are due to my dear colleague E. Joe Johnson, Associate Professor of French and Spanish at Clayton State University, whose recommendation to Molière&Co. and whose assistance with theintroductory materials I greatly appreciate. For her ongoing mentoring and friendship, I thank Paula Shirley, Professor of Spanish at Columbia College. If she had not gone to bat for me, this edition would still be in the works. I am grateful to Graduate Research Professor at the University of Florida William C. Calin whose expert teaching approach inspired in me an appreciation for thetransgressive quality of medieval literature. I strive to meet the high standard he has set and to pass along his legacy to my own students. I would also like to acknowledge Wayne Grovenstein who may never fully know what his unflagging support means to me. Finally, to Isabelle and Charlotte, who patiently awaited the completion of this edition, now it is playtime.

To PATRICIA GENTRY DROPPLEMAN, ascholar and humanitarian who has inspired many to worthwhile endeavors.

To the Student
WHO WAS MARIE DE FRANCE? WE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT Marie de France. Seeking her identity has been an adventure for scholars, but the mystery remains largely unsolved today despite extensive academic inquiry and speculation. Indeed, our primary source of information about her comes from her own writings. Two works,…