Chrétien de Troyes

Chrétien de Troyes | 12th century
Chrétien de Troyes, a twelfth-century French poet, played a pivotal role in the development and popularization of Arthurian romance literature. Chrétien was active in the court of Champagne. Very little is known about his personal life, and details are scarce. His name and dialect suggest a connection to the town of Troyes. In his works, Chrétien references translating or adapting several Ovidian works, a work about Isolde and King Mark, and a metamorphosis tale based on Ovid’s Philomela story. Some of his major works are:
Le Chevalier de la Charrette Also known as The Knight of the Cart, this romance centers around Lancelot’s quest for Queen Guenevere, who has been abducted. Notably, Lancelot hesitates to ride in a cart meant for criminals, prioritizing his reputation over the chance to find the queen quickly. The unfinished work depicts trials undertaken by Lancelot to expiate his offense.
Cligés This romance, with a bipartite structure, explores courtly love and contrasts two generations. It narrates the story of Alexander (Cligés father) before focusing on Cligés. The tale involves Cligés love for Fénice, who is married to his uncle Alis, creating parallels with the Tristan legend.
Le Chevalier au Lion (Yvain) Known as The Knight with the Lion, this romance presents a highly structured narrative. Yvain (Ywaine), after winning Laudine’s love, neglects his marital duties in favor of pursuing adventure, leading to the loss of his wife’s love. The story delves into themes of love, chivalry, and the hero’s expiation for his offenses.
Erec et Enide This work explores conflicts between love and chivalry. Erec, after winning Enide’s love, neglects his public duties, causing societal discontent. The romance depicts their journey, where Erec’s trials become tests of love and chivalry.
Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal Perceval, or Le Conte del Graal (“The Story of the Grail”), is perhaps Chrétien’s most intriguing work. This unfinished romance introduces the concept of the Holy Grail. Perceval, a naive character, fails to inquire about the Grail procession, leading to a series of errors and expiationsl. The story weaves a mysterious and symbolic narrative around the Grail, introducing religious themes.
Legacy Chrétien de Troyes is often considered the greatest French writer of medieval romance, contributing significantly to the Arthurian legend. His works laid the foundation for the Arthurian romance genre, influencing later writers and adaptations. Chrétien’s exploration of themes such as courtly love, chivalry, and the individual’s development had a lasting impact on medieval literature. Selon P.A. Karr For Chrétien, I have used the most recent Everyman Classics edition: Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, tr. with an introd. and notes by D.R.R. Owen; London and Melbourne: Dent, Everyman's Library [©1987]. This is a prose translation, with paragraphing by the transla­ tor and a line number only at the beginning of each paragraph, which makes it difficult to cite by exact line. Therefore, I have either given inclusive line numbers from the beginning of one paragraph to the beginning of another, or used "ca." if I felt brave enough to attempt an educated guess. Only when I found material at the very beginning or end of a paragraph, or when Owen's note pinpointed the line, have I ventured to cite an exact line number. Sometimes, when a citation would have involved too many lines, I have contented myself with giv­ ing merely the title of the romance in question. Owen avows that his translation is primarily meant as an aid to stu­ dents reading Chretien's original Old French. No doubt it was because he expected his serious readers to have a copy of the original text at hand that he neglected to repeat the original versions of names and soubriquets in his own volume. I keenly regret this absence, which leaves me, for instance, able only to guess that the Do named as Girflet's parent is indeed "Dieu" and that Sagremor the Impetuous is indeed our old friend Sagramore le Desirous—not to mention such intriguing figures as the Handsome Coward and the Ugly Brave.

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For Chretien's Perceval, I have used Ruth Harwood Cline's spright­ ly translation into modern English verse (New York, etc.: Pergamon Press [©1983]) side by side with Owen's prose version.-This enabled me to use a little more exactness about verse numbers in Chretien's last romance; however, since Cline could not always render her translation 100% line for line, I have been generous with the "ca." in my citations. The introduction and notes to my Dell edition of Yvain have been of as much use as the text: Yvain, ou Le Chavalier au Lion, [by] Chrétien de Troyes; translated into modern French by André Mary; introduction and notes by Julian Harris. New York: Dell Publishing Co., ©1963 (The Laurel Language Library; Germaine Bree, General Editor, French Series).