Lanval’s story was unusual in its day. A beautiful woman and a helpless knight meet. Lanval cannot tell anyone about this woman. This was the condition that she set. He must depend on his lover for help when he violates the rule and offends queen Guinevere. She does. The woman is the heroine in this poem. She is responsible for Lanval’s destiny. Lanval represents courtly love. This term is used to describe values in medieval European Literature. The woman has traditionally been in charge of courtly affairs, but I believe her power extends beyond that subgenre. Lanval shows the woman’s control in more ways than one. Lanval’s last scene, for example, uses common poetry conventions (word choice, imagery) to explore women’s power during an era when men were more often the hero.
Lanval has no control over his fate, and this arrangement shows the power of the magic woman. Lanval says that he doesn’t care who kills him, as long as she takes pity on him (599-600). Lanval will be doomed without the compassion of this woman. Lanval’s indifference to his fate is shocking. This attitude is the opposite of damsels-in-distress, a common theme in literature from the period. Lanval is ultimately under the control of Lanval, not just her. Lanval doesn’t need Lanval; she does. Marie de France warns that men should not underestimate the power women can possess by reversing their traditional roles.
The crowd is infatuated with her, as shown by multiple lines: “[S]uch a beauty had never come” to the palace before. This statement speaks of the fact that this woman was far more beautiful than Queen Guinevere (602). There are multiple lines that show the crowd’s adoration for her. For example, “[S]uch [a] beauty had not come before” (602) which implies that this woman has a more attractive appearance than Queen Guinevere. In fact, “all the [citizens] honoured her/and offered themselves to service her” (610). The beauty of this woman literally made the room awe-inspiring. It’s as if the citizens shifted their loyalty from King Arthur to her. Marie de France says that women can be as powerful or as strong as men. It is important that she is not bound by any man. Even King Arthur, “who was well-bred / got up and met her” (607-8). The king approaches her and not the other way around, demonstrating how strong she is. King Arthur himself “couldn’t detain” her (631). Lanval, too, cannot be held back by this woman. Lanval is saved because of her love for him and not because he desperately needs his love (615). When she demands Lanval’s liberation, the woman demonstrates another aspect of her power. “It” is Lanval’s liberation, and King Arthur says so without objection. The King does not ask Queen Guinevere to explain what happened, even though she is the one who has caused the problem. The King accepts this woman’s words at face value and hands Lanval over to Queen Guinevere. The reader will never see Lanval again and neither will the storyteller.
The final scene uses word choices to demonstrate the woman’s superiority over Lanval. This tactic starts with the final lines, where Lanval jumps aboard the horse “behind them” (640). Lanval follows her, but she is the one controlling the horse. Lanval is an accessory to the sentence, demonstrating the reversed role. Lanval is “carried away” as the final image, and this is all we will ever know of Lanval. These last lines show Lanval being under the woman’s control; she saved him. Marie de France chose to leave her reader with these images and words, giving them added emphasis. Lanval gives the impression of a woman having power over her partner, which was rare for Marie de France.
Marie de France is a clear feminist. Lanval shows a woman who is flawless and commands not only Lanval but also King Arthur’s court. The story is not the only thing that she does. This woman could play the role as a savior with the same ease as a man. Marie de France’s statement is made by her not naming a woman. Any woman can play this role, not just this one. Marie de France also reverses gender roles in a seamless manner. Lanval has a female protagonist who is not just an object to be fought for, but rather a character. Marie de France, through her subtle narratives, proves to men that women are more powerful than they think.
