Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart
Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart (French: Lancelot, le Chevalier de la charrette), is a 12th-century Old French poem by Chrétien de Troyes, although it is believed that Chrétien did not complete the text himself. It is one of the first stories of the Arthurian legend to feature Lancelot as a prominent character. The narrative tells about the abduction of Queen Guinevere, and is the first text to feature the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere.
| Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart | |
|---|---|
Lancelot crossing the sword bridge (illumination in a manuscript produced for Jacques d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, in the workshop of Evrard d'Espinques, c. 1475) | |
| Original title | French: Lancelot, le Chevalier de la charrette |
| Author(s) | Chrétien de Troyes and Godefroi de Leigni |
| Patron | Marie of Champagne |
| Language | Old French |
| Date | between 1177 and 1181 |
| Provenance | County of Champagne |
| Manuscript(s) | |
| Genre | Chivalric romance |
| Verse form | Octosyllable rhyming couplets |
| Length | 7,134 lines |
| Subject | Arthurian legend |
| Setting | Logres and Gorre |
| Personages | Lancelot, Maleagant, Guinevere, Gawain |
Chrétien's writings impacted the Arthurian canon, establishing Lancelot’s subsequent prominence in English literature. He was the first writer to deal with the Arthurian themes of the lineage of Lancelot, his relationship to Guinevere, secret love and infidelity, and the idea of courtly love. The text also deals with the Christian theme of sin.