Showing results by author "Chrétien de Troyes" in All Categories

The Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes form the wellspring of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Stories of knightly valour in the Welsh Marches had existed before the 12th century, but it was the magnificent poetry and imagination of Chrétien, the 12th century French poet and trouvère, which brought alive the great characters of Arthur, his wife Guinevere, Lancelot and others.

Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval is the single most important Arthurian romance. It contains the very first mention of the mysterious grail, later to become the Holy Grail and the focal point of the spiritual quest of the knights of Arthur's court. Chrétien left the poem unfinished, but the extraordinary and intriguing theme of the Grail was too good to leave, and other poets continued and eventually completed it.

Chrétien de Troyes's masterpiece "Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart" is a riveting tale of knightly valor and courtly love. This romance marks the first known appearance of Lancelot as a major player in the Arthurian canon, and it also provides the first account of his affair with Guinevere. The first half of the narrative follows Lancelot (then unnamed) as he rescues Guinevere, who has been taken hostage by the evil Méléagant. Méléagant visits Arthur's court, boasting that he has ensnared many from Arthur's land (Logres).

Lanzarote o el caballero de la carreta no solo se distingue por ser la precursora de la narrativa moderna, sino que destaca aún más si cabe, por su aportación trascendental a la literatura artúrica. Con Chrétien de Troyes el héroe emprende sus hazañas, exclusivamente, por amor a una dama o una doncella. El denominado amor cortés importado de los trovadores occitanos. Es así como Lanzarote, por su desmedido amor a Ginebra, sensual y carnal a la vez, traiciona incluso a su propio rey Arturo. Chrétien de Troyes fue un poeta en la corte de Champaña.