Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband because Lancelot(AKA: reincarnated Equitan) is snatchin' everybody out here!!!

Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband because Lancelot(AKA: reincarnated Equitan) is snatchin' everybody out here!!!

           

 Can we talk about the fact that Lancelot just pulled the exact same move as king Equitan by taking the love of queen Guinevere from her king Arthur? Courtly love just cannot stay away from these people, luckily I just wrote to MY king about this issue!! Although it cannot go without mentioning the endless courage and independence that Lancelot had to acquire that love. ENDLESS injuries this man took! Breaking bars in order to get down to the good stuff? Crossing sword bridges and taking off his in order to GET injuries to prove himself? That's a real man right there. You would not find this man dying from a feet-first dive into boiling water!

            Also what was getting on my nerves were the constant mind changes that queen Guinevere made when Lancelot had been confronted with the decision to hop in the cart, she was upset for his hesitation? Why? It is not exactly easy to make that kind of decision to be publically shamed. But when it was all said and done she just forgave him for his decision. And then she told Lancelot to start to lose to prove that he loves her, and then goes "okay okay never mind go win this fight!!" this girl needs to make up her mind. Lancelot not only has the strength and courage of no other, but also the restraint that surpasses anyone for having not flipped out on Guinevere.

The final bloodshed of the final battle was one to behold and how we finally did not have to wait for whatever could possibly go wrong and keep us reading another twenty pages. Honestly I was surprised that Lancelot was not the first one to lose an arm or even a leg between any other character in this story.

            This story really was a fascinating read, although it took every ounce of energy within me to read its entirety. If we continue this path of all of these stories has taken us, I think we will have the immortal knight among the mortal competitors and falls in love with the mortal with goddess-like charm, otherwise known as Hercules?? Whaaaaa?

 

Machismo (My secret love)

Ok, so remember how on Thursday I was all like, "Lancelot just wanted to whip out his dick when he crossed the sword bridge."

I have a confession.

I eat that shit up for breakfast.

OH GOD, NO! IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M IMPLYING I EAT DICKS! NOOOOOOOO.

What I mean to say is that I do like over exaggerated acts of macho-ness, but only in fictional settings. If you ever step up to me and pull anything like this crap just to show off manliness, I will junk punch you. But, if you happen to be a part of the Straw Hat pirate crew then I will swoon. Like, I will seriously loose my shit.

So why doesn't this work for the Knight of the Cart? Why aren't I excited to read about Lancelot fighting for his lady love while still wounded? Honestly, I don't have a rock solid answer.

My suspicion is that the narrator of the story is already doing my job as an audience member for me. Lets take the moment where King Bademagu spends 8 MILLION YEARS explaining to Lancelot that his wounds are too severe for him to fight the King's own bad-ass kid. Lancelot has to keep saying that he will go on, this fight isn't over, he won't sit down and rest, BLAH BLAH BLAH. I am seriously underwhelmed by the entire scene. If the king had kept his awe in check, maybe explain the severity of the wounds but not the necessity for healing I might have swooned. 

Now, past me would have tried to come up with some sort of excuse. Perhaps reader participation wasn't a big part of written works (bullshit), What if this is the way that they hype up situations (possibly). Again, I don't really have an answer to my question.

All this talk about manliness does bring me to King Bad. I don't know how to read him as a character. His idea of the honorable thing, the right thing, and I suspect the manly thing, is to surrender. 

Well, maybe the surrender bit isn't meant to be manly but the only thing that will maintain someone's manliness. What would a man be without his honor? Not a man. Still, King Bad is just so malleable as a leader and an individual which isn't something I typically associate with idolized manhood. And he doesn't even have the convenient excuse of being in Love with someone. Lancelot is a puppet of Love and I mean that in a nice way. I think. I haven't decided yet. 

Love the story... but hate how it was told...

After now having read “The Knight of the Cart” in its entirety, I have to admit that the story has certainly grown on me. However with that being said, I also must confess that it took every bit of concentration I had to read until the end.

The main reason I had such a difficult time making my way through this particular tale was in large part due to Chretien’s writing style. Like I mentioned in one of my previous comments, the entire time I was reading I felt like there was a barrier between the story and myself and no matter how hard I tried I could not seem to bypass it. Every time I thought I understood what was going on a new event or twist in the plot would prove me wrong (such as when Lancelot gets “deceived” by the dwarf on pg. 232). Usually I am intrigued by plot twists, as they work to build tension and suspense, but in this case I was simply left confused and wondering what was going on in Chretien’s mind when he wrote this story.

It was quite a challenge for me to follow the main plot of the story all the way through to the end, as I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that what I was reading was simply a bunch of random / invented events all strung together in order to craft a complicated tale. I almost feel as though there were so many things going on that I couldn’t become overly invested in the story itself because I was too busy / distracted by trying to keep all of its parts straight! Now don’t get me wrong, there were definitely a few moments throughout that I did have the pleasure of being able to connect with and enjoy, such as when Meleagant finally met his doom on pg. 256 or when Guinevere had to restrain herself from embracing Lancelot too openly in front of Arthur’s court on pg. 253. However on the whole this story left me feeling very incomplete; as if I even though I had read the entire thing I was still an outsider looking in who didn’t quite get it. (Of course this is true to a certain degree, as I am not the original audience this tale was intended for, yet I believe that there is more to it than that.)

Overall I have come to the conclusion that Chretien’s writing style drastically affected my ability to relate to, enjoy and become invested in his story. Not only was it difficult for me to follow the plot in general thanks to the many twists and turns the tale took before its conclusion, but the questionable intelligence of Chretien’s characters (hello, can we talk about that dwarf / how daft Lancelot is for a moment?!) significantly turned me off thanks to the many distracting questions their decisions raised in my mind. The only character whose actions I never questioned was Meleagant, as it was always very clear to me why he acted the way he did, however in general I often found myself wondering what the hell everyone was thinking. I know that by reading this tale over a few more times its charm would only increase (since I did find it easier to read through the second half than I did the first), yet the overcomplicated and cumbersome style of Chretien’s writing doesn’t make that task seem too appealing…

A Guide To Making Adultery Acceptable-- Warning: High Failure Rate If Not Set in a MedRom

What’s the deal with the adultery in this story? Unless I am misunderstanding or missed a part, his love, honor, and loyalty to Guinevere seems to pardon that whole part of the story. Well, they are caught because he bleeds on her bed; however, I feel like Chretien wants us to forgive him because his devotion is so romantic. After some sexy time…..

Chretien reveals a tortured Lancelot:

“But the day’s approach pained him deeply since he had to rise from his beloved’s side. Rising made him feel like a martyr, for he suffered the agony of martyrdom in the torture of departure…”

Hey, Chretien, you didn’t throw me off track! I still realize there’s adultery going on here! But, I guess in the art of courtly love, marriage is squashed by real love.

No, but really, I do understand that Lancelot as a character is revealed through this affair. Without his love for Guinevere, he would probably be just another knight and boring to follow. It is through her that we see how chivalrous he is. His initial push to go on this crazy journey was to rescue her. I guess it is sweet that he does everything for her… like do his worst… In response to her request to fight horribly in a tournament, Lancelot says, “Since this is her command, I am grateful to her” (241).

Really…?? Let’s not forget that he shamed himself riding in a cart and has a bajillion wounds from this quest to rescue her. I promise that I am not a person jaded by romance.

From our last class discussion, many of us wondered why the knights were not named… specifically, why Lancelot was referred to as “the knight”. In my opinion, this story is about how a woman can complete a man. His and her love is so strong that they are always associated with one another; therefore, his identity is not important without her. Since she is missing in the first half of the story, he is just a knight on a journey.

I really want to know how others feel about Guinevere. I mean, she seems like she wears the pants in their relationship. At the same time, I think she is stuck in a loveless marriage. I feel bad for her at times, but she sure does act like a spoiled little girl. I mean, come on… okay, he didn’t go into the cart right away? He hesitated? The man ended up riding in the cart, give him a break!

Meleagent the Evil-Doer!

I have to love this guy because he is the essence of our modern villain. Shows up to a party, steals a queen, then tries killing the hero in the end? Perfect character trope in the making! You can almost imagine Meleagent’s armor is black and red whereas Lancelot’s is blue and silver. The best Darth Vader ever did was kidnap his own princess daughter and try killing his son (and no, Tarkin was the one to destroy Alderaan so Vader can’t even put that on his resumé). Nevertheless, child abuse is evil, too, but far less classy than party crashing.

Plus, I like pretending his name is secretly an old French pun for "evil-doer." See, the stem "mal," means evil, and "agent" is someone who does something.

Like many hated villains, he has an older, wiser advisor. And like the most evil of those villains, that advisor is his dad. Even he wants Meleagent to chill before he gets his ass handed to his angsty self by our knight in shining armor. Our evil-doer is starting to seem less like Vader and more like whiny Anakin.

George Lucas is the real villain.

So like civilized nobles the hero and villain decide to resolve their conflict by murdering each other! Standard procedure, villain loses his arm gets punched in face. Yet it’s not very gratifying. And that bugged me! He’s evil but we don’t get the full impact of hating him like Lancelot hates him. It's because we don't get a good reason to hate him because we only see him as an actual actor nearing the end. That’s way too late to start a compelling relationship between character and audience.

Still, Meleagent lives up to his villain status in the end by basically yelling, “I’ll get you for this!” Too bad he can't keep his head to deliver said revenge. He would’ve won if he were better armed.

Me laughing at my own dumb puns.

It's Just A Flesh Wound

         Let me start by asking what I hope others in our class have been wondering as well: just how high is Lancelot’s pain tolerance. I mean, come on! Throughout the entire story (and that’s a lot of pages) he is either wounded, or healing from his terrible wounds. He refuses more treatment than I can count, and he is somehow able to participate in battle throughout it all—and that’s not even taking into account the weight of the armor which is necessary for him to wear! 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAYQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.egu.eu%2Fnetwork%2Fpalaeoblog%2F2013%2F02%2F18%2Fits-just-a-flesh-wound%2F&ei=F9rrVPvhBMWbNsuSg4gK&bvm=bv.86475890,d.eXY&psig=AFQjCNH9mZhx2c8WUfCMxWQrQtk1TbDMzQ&ust=1424829311441607

                I had to add this image because it’s the only thing I could think of while I was reading. It’s funnier because the first time I ever watched Monty Python and The Holy Grail, I found it funny…well…simply because it was funny. After learning and reading so much more Medieval literature, the movie has reached an entirely new level of humor. If you haven’t seen it, I highly suggest you watch it at some point.

            ANYWAY, I couldn’t help but to laugh while reading, “Little worried about injuries to his hands and feet, he would rather maim himself than fall from the bridge and bathe in water from which he would never escape” (208). MAIM himself? For goodness sake! Let’s just take a look for one moment at the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of maim.

“Originally: a lasting wound or bodily injury. Subsequently: an injury to the body which causes the loss of limb, or of the use of it; a mutation, a mutilating wound.”

            Chretien wasn’t talking about a scratch. He wasn’t even talking about a broken bone or something which requires a few stitches. If I’m following the text correctly, Lancelot has possibly lost major portions of his body (or maybe even a few small chunks), but isn’t worried about it. Yeah, I’d probably bow down to him too.

            The best part about the injuries in this story, in fact, is possibly the way in which they barely affect the people who have received them. Toward the end I wasn’t even surprised to hear that Lancelot, while ripping metal bars out of a concrete slab (something I hope somebody tackles in their blog), accidentally severed his finger (and part of another), but didn’t notice until he is in his own bed (226).

The image below accurately depicts my facial expression when I have accidentally given myself a paper cut, or maybe even caught a piece of my hair in the zipper of my jacket. 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fio9.com%2F5912008%2Fthe-ten-most-painful-insect-stings-as-measured-by-science&ei=id7rVILIHeKwsASz0YHQBQ&bvm=bv.86475890,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNFYDqU1e0ZQLKzLPXynJpYoylgjBA&ust=1424830433002436

            So, overall, I only covered one aspect of the story which caught my attention. But then again, the entire story questions what it means to be a knight, and I think receiving injuries without complaint is a major part of that. 

 Works: 

 http://www.oed.com/

Chretien de Troyes. The Complete Romances of Chretien de Troyes. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 1990. Print. 

Love Thy Lover With All Thy Heart and Soul and . . . Wait, What?

            One of the most interesting things about “The Knight of the Cart” is the way it approaches piety and faith. As per the norm, characters interact with each other in a deeply Christian age, but Chrétien de Troyes creates a land where faith means different things to different people. The knights in particular approach faith in a different way.

            Lancelot has a shaky manifestation of his faith in God. He starts off fairly merciful and noble, sparing the life of the knight at the ford: “‘I have always shown mercy to anyone . . . if he seeks mercy in the name of God. I do this in God’s name, as is right’” (Chrétien 181). Mercy is one of the core Christian virtues, so Lancelot seems pretty solid in his faith. Things soon change when he beheads the knight who interrupts his meal. That knight also asks for mercy in God’s name, but Lancelot instead sides with “Generosity” and gives the head to a passing maiden who asks for it.

The “dueling virtues” of Generosity and Pity seem pretty strong as Chrétien portrays them, but that is an argument people (myself included) have been using for ages to justify doing something wrong. While Lancelot doesn’t abandon his Christian nature, he certainly diminishes it after losing his mercy.

            Rather than focusing on God, Lancelot spends most of the story fixated on the queen, who, it becomes evident, is an empowering force. One of the biggest examples is when Lancelot breaks open a barred window: “‘I believe these bars to be useless. Only you may prevent me from reaching you. If you grant me permission, [my lady,] my way is clear’” (Chrétien 226). The instance’s significance comes from its resemblance to water-walking miracle from the Bible. Jesus walks across the Sea of Galilee to meet the disciples. Peter responds much like Lancelot does: “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water’” (Matt. 14.28). Clearly, faith is a force that empowers humans to greatness, but in “The Knight of the Cart,” Love is also a force that empowers greatness. It seems like Lancelot puts his love for the queen before his love for God, which is a no-no in traditional Christianity.

            So, I’ve been wondering, can a lover in courtly romance truly be dedicated to his faith? What does it mean to be faithful? Is love greater than faith? I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like the infatuation of courtly love and faith coexist fairly well; however, Chrétien de Troyes would probably disagree.

***

Additional Works Cited

The New King James Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982. Print.