Fig.

Marie de france
THE BRETON LAY
Profile of Marie de France

 Was a native of France,

 Authored three influential works: Lais, Fables, and St.
Patrick’s Purgatory,
 Educated/Proficient in French, Latin, and English,
 Dedicated her work to a ”noble king,” probably
Henry II of England,
 Appealed to counts, barons, knights, and ladies
(142).
Characteristics of the Lay

 Lyrical and/or Narrative,

 Subject generally deals with courtly love and
chivalry,
 May contain elements of magic and mystery or
reveal supernatural beings,
 Conflict that generates pain and suffering for the
protagonists, who can be male or female,
 Short (between 117 and 1184 lines)—(142).
12 Lays of Marie de France

”Guigemar” “Equitan” “Le Fresne”

“Bisclaveret” ”Lanval” “Les Deus Amanz”
“Yonec” “Laustic” “Milun”
“Chaitivel” “Chevrefoil” “Eliduc”

12 Lays of Marie de France

The traits of a knight

1. Loyalty:
2. Nobility:
3. Generosity:
4. Courtesy:
5. Prowess
Marie de France

 “Milun”
 “Lanval”
 “Chevrefoil”
“Milun”

Characters: Here are some of the characters to

remember ,
 Milun,
 The unnamed baron
 The unnamed baron’s daughter,
 The unnamed baron’s other daughter,
 An old woman,
 A rich lord of the region,
 “The Knight Without Equal,” Milun’s son.
 Works Cited

Marie de France. Fig. 1. Thirteenth Century. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.

<https://www.umass.edu/wsp/resources/french/mots/13c

html>.

“Marie de France.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The

Middle Ages, 9th edition, Vol. A. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt.

New York: Norton, 2012. 142 – 169. Print