Breton lai
Encyclopedia
A Breton lai, also known as a narrative lay or simply a lay, is a form of medieval French
and English
romance literature
. Lais are short (typically 600–1000 lines), rhyme
d tales of love and chivalry
, often involving supernatural and fairy-world Celtic motifs. The word "lay" or “lai” is thought to be derived from the Old High German and/or Old Middle German leich, which means play, melody, or song, or as suggested by Jack Zipes
in The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, the Irish word laid (song).Zipes, 62
Zipes writes that the Arthurian legends were believed to have been transmitted from Wales, Cornwall and Ireland to Brittany; once on the continent the songs were performed in various places by harpists and storytellers. Zipes reports the earliest record lay is Robert Biker's Lai du Cor, dating to the mid- to late-12th century.
The earliest Breton lais to survive in writing are probably The Lais of Marie de France
, thought to have been composed in the 1170s by Marie de France
, a French poet writing in England at Henry II's court between the late 12th and early 13th centuries. From descriptions in Marie's lais, and in several anonymous Old French lais of the 13th century, we know of earlier lais of Celtic origin, perhaps more lyrical in style, sung by Breton
minstrel
s. It is believed that these Breton lyric lais, none of which has survived, were introduced by a summary narrative setting the scene for a song, and that these summaries became the basis for the narrative lais.
The earliest written Breton lais were composed in a variety of Old French
dialects, and some half dozen lais are known to have been composed in Middle English
in the 13th and 14th centuries by various English authors.
Breton lais may have inspired Chrétien de Troyes
, and likely were responsible for spreading Celtic and fairy-lore
into Continental Europe. An example of a 14th century Bretan lai has the king of the fairies carrying away a wife to the land of fairy.
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
romance literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. Lais are short (typically 600–1000 lines), rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
d tales of love and chivalry
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
, often involving supernatural and fairy-world Celtic motifs. The word "lay" or “lai” is thought to be derived from the Old High German and/or Old Middle German leich, which means play, melody, or song, or as suggested by Jack Zipes
Jack Zipes
Jack David Zipes is an American retired Professor of German at the University of Minnesota, who has published and lectured on the subject of fairy tales, their evolution, and their social and political role in civilizing processes...
in The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, the Irish word laid (song).Zipes, 62
Zipes writes that the Arthurian legends were believed to have been transmitted from Wales, Cornwall and Ireland to Brittany; once on the continent the songs were performed in various places by harpists and storytellers. Zipes reports the earliest record lay is Robert Biker's Lai du Cor, dating to the mid- to late-12th century.
The earliest Breton lais to survive in writing are probably The Lais of Marie de France
The Lais of Marie de France
The Lais of Marie de France are a series of twelve short narrative Breton lais by the poet Marie de France. They are written in the Anglo-Norman and were probably composed in the late 12th century. The short, narrative poems generally focus on glorifying the concept of courtly love through the...
, thought to have been composed in the 1170s by Marie de France
Marie de France
Marie de France was a medieval poet who was probably born in France and lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an undisclosed court, but was almost certainly at least known about at the royal court of King Henry II of England...
, a French poet writing in England at Henry II's court between the late 12th and early 13th centuries. From descriptions in Marie's lais, and in several anonymous Old French lais of the 13th century, we know of earlier lais of Celtic origin, perhaps more lyrical in style, sung by Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
minstrel
Minstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
s. It is believed that these Breton lyric lais, none of which has survived, were introduced by a summary narrative setting the scene for a song, and that these summaries became the basis for the narrative lais.
The earliest written Breton lais were composed in a variety of Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
dialects, and some half dozen lais are known to have been composed in Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
in the 13th and 14th centuries by various English authors.
Breton lais may have inspired Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Perhaps he named himself Christian of Troyes in contrast to the illustrious Rashi, also of Troyes...
, and likely were responsible for spreading Celtic and fairy-lore
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
into Continental Europe. An example of a 14th century Bretan lai has the king of the fairies carrying away a wife to the land of fairy.
Old French Lais
- The Lays of Marie de France — twelve canonical lais generally accepted as those of Marie de France.
- The so-called Anonymous Lais — eleven lais of disputed authorship. While these lais are occasionally interspersed with the Marian lais in Medieval manuscripts, scholars do not agree that these lais were actually written by Marie.
- 'The Lay of the Beach', one of around twenty Old French lais translated into Old NorwegianOld NorwegianOld Norwegian refers to a group of Old Norse dialects spoken and written in Norway in the Middle Ages. They bridged the dialect continuum from Old East Norse to Old West Norse.-Old Norwegian vs Common Norse:...
prose in the 13th century. This lai gives a detailed description of William the ConquerorWilliam I of EnglandWilliam I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
's commissioning of what appears to be a lyric lai to commemorate a period spent at BarfleurBarfleurBarfleur is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France.-Middle Ages:In the Middle Ages Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England....
.
Middle English Lais
- 'Sir OrfeoSir OrfeoSir Orfeo is an anonymous Middle English narrative poem, retelling the story of Orpheus as a king rescuing his wife from the fairy king.-History and Manuscripts:...
', 'Sir Degaré', 'Sir GowtherSir GowtherSir Gowther is a relatively short Middle English tail-rhyme romance in twelve-line stanzas, found in two manuscripts, each dating to the mid- or late-fifteenth century...
', 'EmaréEmaréEmaré is a middle English Breton lai, a form of Mediaeval Romance poem, told in 1035 lines. The author of Emaré is unknown and exists in only one manuscript, the Cotton Caligula A. ii, which contains ten metrical narratives. Emaré seems to date from the late fourteenth century, possibly written in...
' and 'The Erle of ToulouseErl of ToulouseThe Erl of Toulouse is a medieval English chivalric romance centered on an innocent persecuted wife. It is supposed to be a translated lai, but the original lai is lost.-Synopsis:...
', all by anonymous authors - 'Lay le Freine', a translation of Marie de France's 'Le Fresne'
- 'The Franklin's Tale' from the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
. ('The Wife of Bath's Tale' is sometimes identified as a Breton lai, but in fact it contains none of the generally-agreed defining features of the genre.) - 'Sir LaunfalSir LaunfalSir Launfal is a 1045-line Middle English romance or Breton lay written by Thomas Chestre dating from the late-14th century. It is based primarily on the 538-line Middle English poem Sir Landevale, which in turn was based on Marie de France's lai Lanval, written in a form of French understood in...
', by Thomas ChestreThomas ChestreThomas Chestre was the author of a 14th century Middle English romance Sir Launfal, a verse romance of 1045 lines based ultimately on Marie de France's Breton lay Lanval...
(a retelling of an earlier Middle English lai, 'Landavale', itself a translation of Marie de France's 'LanvalLanval"Lanval" is one of the Lais of Marie de France. Written in Anglo-Norman, it tells the story of a knight at King Arthur's court who is overlooked by the king, wooed by a fairy lady, given all manner of gifts by her, and subsequently refuses the advances of Queen Guinevere...
')
External links
- The Lais of Marie de France, in Old French from the University of ManitobaUniversity of ManitobaThe University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
- Online verse translations by Judith P. Shoaf
- Many of the Anonymous Old French Lais with English translations from the University of LiverpoolUniversity of LiverpoolThe University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
- The Franklin's Tale at the Electronic Canterbury Tales
- The Middle English Lais at TEAMS Middle English Texts