Yvain or the Knight with the lion is a tale of chivalry of Chrétien of Troyes. “The Knight with the lion” is the other name of lord Yvain in the chansons de geste, having milked with the knights of the Roundtable.

Summarized book

The history starts at the court of king Arthur, where Calogrenant, cousin of Yvain, tells the adventure which arrived to him. He tells to be lodged in a castle, then to have spoken with a Vilain (here, i.e. country free) hideous which showed the way to him towards a magic fountain which brings the rain when one reverses his water on his perron. Calogrenant then reversed water of the fountain on the perron, and Esclados the Russet-red one, a knight, appeared, outgoing castle from which Calogrenant came. They fought until Esclados overcame it. The queen Guenièvre, awaked and attracted by the history, listening. Then Arthur, also attracted to him by the history, lends the ear to it. It decides to avenge Calogrenant, but Yvain prefers to precede it and leaves in the forest Brocéliande. Arrived at the fountain, it fights the Esclados knight thus. This one, touched with dead flees. Yvain continues it and is blocked in the castle. Thanks to a maidservant, Lunette, which give him a ring of invisibility, Yvain succeed in escaping the servants who seek it.

Hidden into the castle, it falls in love with Laudine (also called Dame of Landuc), the widow of Esclados. Glasses succeed in convincing the lady of the manor to grant to Yvain a maintenance. This one convinces it that it needs a knight like him to protect the castle and the fountain. They marry. Arthur arrives then and after having recognized Yvain, they feast. But the friends of Yvain advise to him to leave to whirl to guarantee its honor against the forfeiture. Laudine accepts in only one condition: that in one year, Yvain returned. It gives him also a ring having to carry chance to him. One year later, Yvain did not return yet. Laudine sends a messenger then having to take again the ring and to announce the hatred of the queen for the knight. Yvain becomes insane of pain and flees in the forest. It is helped by a hermit, then by the lady of Noroison. It defends it against attackers, but, always in love with Laudine, it refuses to marry it. Taking again its road, it saves a Lion which fought against a Serpent. The lion sticks to him and will follow everywhere it from now on. Then, it finds Lunette, enclosed in a tower and condemned because she is shown of treason. Yvain promises to defend it. But, before, it finds refuge in a castle which is threatened by a giant. Yvain the combat and kills it. It turns over to the castle of Laudine, where nobody recognizes it and saves Lunette. Another young lady then comes to ask him for her assistance. Yvain accepts and made stage with the castle of Worse-Ventures (also called Pême-Ventures). This castle is cursed and of many young girls are retained captive. To leave, it must fight wire of the lord of the manor. Helped by its lion, it leaves victorious. It thus obtains the honor to marry the girl of Lord of the manor but it refuses because it still likes Laudine. It releases the captive girls and sets out again. To help the young girl to find her heritage, Yvain is brought to fight his/her friend Gauvain who did not recognize it. They fight hard during a whole day. At the end of this day, they realize of their respective identity. They decide to stop this fight. It is finally Arthur which solves the disagreement on the heritage.

Thanks to the force of persuasion and the mischievousness of Glasses, Yvain still succeeds in obtaining a discussion with Laudine. This one, with the sight of its exploits, forgives him.

" All's well that ends well for him: he is liked and cherished his lady, and she of lui."

Random links:

The Fall of the house Usher (film, 1928) | Opus Incertum | Long Teeth | Adventurers of giant planet | Vital' O FC