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Marie De France

This version was saved 14 years, 11 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Lindsey Bell
on April 23, 2009 at 4:41:52 pm
 

Marie De France

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is Marie de France? This is a question that many scolars have been asking. With doing so they have come up with several assumptions. These assumtions would give her many diffrent perspectives . for instance, it is said that she may be an abbess at a convant, a sister to Henry II, a daughter of :Geoffery of Anjou, William Manderill Earl of Sussex, or Walera de Beaumopnt. Another places her simply as an illigitamante daughter of a roaly father ( not nessisarily the king). Through this all she is associated with the court of Eleanor of Aquitane. It is still unknown of Marie de France is even her true name, or if Marie was both female and one person. 

     Marie write between 1160 c.e. and 1215 c.e , though the year of her last peice is slightly controversal some belive it was 1190 c.e.. She was also the first female writer of france much of what is known is from her writeing. A reason for her name being so well known would have to be atributed to her placeing it within her work. She states within her first Lai "Listen my lords to what Marie tells you" and within the epolouge to her fables  " Marie is my name/ I am from France".

A few othere tid bits about the poet Marie would have to be that she spent some of her life in briton ( as shown through her adaptations of many British tales).Marie write in French Venacular. Through comparison with Ovid a conceptopnm of love can be seen as very similar. Marie recived the authority as an author by reviveing the classical figures. That is that in studying both Ovid's demonstrations of love in his work and Maries you can see the demonstration of persueing and enchanting a lover.

 

 

 

 

Marie's work can be broken up into three diffrent catigories: Lai's, Fables, and Spiritual journies.

 

Lai

 

A Lai is a narritive song or tale that recounts an adventure. Marie de France's Lais were translated into Old Noris, Middle English, Middle High German, Italian, and Latin. These stories brought Marie de France in to the 21st century. For Marie de France her lais are writein in octosyllabic couplets.Her Lais have a "Cletic motif" and host a woman as the main character. These women are the ones who launch the story and resolve the conflict in the end. Each of Marie de France's Lai's are a criticism to the Feaudal, Midevial Court. This is done through the characters (both men and women) suffering in love. These stories cause the reader to create an interpertiation of both the meaing of the stoy and their own connection to what it is speaking out about.

 

 

 

Cheverfoil or  The Lai of the Honeysuckle

 

This is Marie de France's shortest lai. This lai goes off of the long known myth of Tristian and Isolt. Within this lai Tristian comes back from banishment only to find out that his love Isolt is going back with her husband when they meet by the honeysuckle and the hazle trees that are joined as one. This lai shows the joy of love through them meeting and the pain of seperation through their departure. Along with the amplification of greif caused by love.

 

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The Lai of Sir Launfal

This lay is the only Authorian lai that Marie de France writes. Yet, It is vewry similar to the othere tales of Author ( Guenivier attemps an affair). This is Maire's most copied lai being translated into Old Norse and Middle English. This lai has four manuscrips. In a time when sicioty was not to kind to women Marie de France write a story fliping the gender roles of the man and woman.

     Within this lai a forjen knight is over looked by aurthor in the distrubation of wealth and women. the knight goes to a stream and takes a nap after letting his horse go free. When he was close to naping he is brought to a tant where a fairy queen is waiting. promising to be her lover and to tell no one she grants hima large amount of wealth. Guenevier notices him at this time and hits on him. Launfal then state that his love and loyalty is to the king . Guienivier is persistant at trying to suduce him and accuses him of being homosexual. With this Launfal breaks his promis by stateing that " even my ladys lowlyest servant is dressed more finly than you". this enrages the queen and she encurages King Aurthor to charge Launfal. The barrons at court state that Launfal should bring his lady to the court to prove his claim. Launfal knowing he had broken his promis is downtrodden and dosen't think he has a way out of the charges. That is untill two finly dressed beautiful servant girls come to the castle asking for a place for their lady to stay. This happends once more but the second time the ladies are even more finly dressed. Then the fairy queen comes to the castle and all can see that what Launfal had stated was true. The fair queen wisks Launfal off to Avalon.

     There is so much going on within this lai and many diffrent things that the critics pick apart.. Mostly what is noticed is the gender reversal. Unlike so many stories concerning knights  and ladies this one has the knight being saved by the woman. it can aslo be pointed out that the knight, Launfal, renounces his vassel or knight hood in various spots, most noteably the point in which he lets his horse go. The horse is a symbol conected to the knight. "The knight rides up on his noble stead." When he lets it go the connection between the man and his "chivilric identity" are lost. Through laying at the side of the stream it can be stated that it is a demonstration of lazziness. Yet the largest issue raised within the lai can be the fact that Launfal was looked over in the first place. He is a forjen knight and by being looked over for no noticeable reason brings attention to the king and queens fear of cultural and class differances. Launfal is not charged with suduceing the queen but stateing that his love is more finly dressed, implying wealth, than the queen.

 

Fables

 

 

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