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Excerpt from Four Arthurian Romances, by active 12th century de Troyes Chrétien

Chrétien De Troyes has had the peculiar fortune of becoming the best
known of the old French poets to students of mediaeval literature, and
of remaining practically unknown to any one else. The acquaintance of
students with the work of Chrétien has been made possible in academic
circles by the admirable critical editions of his romances undertaken
and carried to completion during the past thirty years by Professor
Wendelin Foerster of Bonn. At the same time the want of public
familiarity with Chrétien's work is due to the almost complete lack of
translations of his romances into the modern tongues. The man who, so
far as we know, first recounted the romantic adventures of Arthur's
knights, Gawain. Yvain, Erec, Lancelot, and Perceval, has been
forgotten; whereas posterity has been kinder to his debtors, Wolfram
yon Eschenbach, Malory, Lord Tennyson, and Richard Wagner. The present
volume has grown out of the desire to place these romances of adventure
before the reader of English in a prose version based directly upon the
oldest form in which they exist.

Such extravagant claims for Chrétien's art have been made in some
quarters that one feels disinclined to give them even an echo here.
The modem reader may form his own estimate of the poet's art, and that
estimate will probably not be high. Monotony, lack of proportion,
vain repetitions, insufficient motivation, wearisome subtleties, and
threatened, if not actual, indelicacy are among the most salient defects
which will arrest, and mayhap confound, the reader unfamiliar with
mediaeval literary craft. No greater service can be performed by an
editor in such a case than to prepare the reader to overlook these
common faults, and to set before him the literary significance of this
twelfth-century poet.

Chrétien de Troyes wrote in Champagne during the third quarter of the
twelfth century. Of his life we know neither the beginning nor the
end, but we know that between 1160 and 1172 he lived, perhaps as
herald-at-arms (according to Gaston Paris, based on "Lancelot" 5591-94)
at Troyes, where was the court of his patroness, the Countess Marie de
Champagne. She was the daughter of Louis VII, and of that famous Eleanor
of Aquitaine, as she is called in English histories, who, coming from
the South of France in 1137, first to Paris and later to England, may
have had some share in the introduction of those ideals of courtesy and
woman service which were soon to become the cult of European society.
The Countess Marie, possessing her royal mother's tastes and gifts, made
of her court a social experiment station, where these Provencal ideals
of a perfect society were planted afresh in congenial soil. It appears
from contemporary testimony that the authority of this celebrated feudal
dame was weighty, and widely felt. The old city of Troyes, where she
held her court, must be set down large in any map of literary history.
For it was there that Chrétien was led to write four romances which
together form the most complete expression we possess from a single
author of the ideals of French chivalry. These romances, written in
eight-syllable rhyming couplets, treat respectively of Erec and Enide,
Cligés, Yvain, and Lancelot. Another poem, "Perceval le Gallois", was
composed about 1175 for Philip, Count of Flanders, to whom Chrétien was
attached during his last years. This last poem is not included in
the present translation because of its extraordinary length of 32,000
verses, because Chrétien wrote only the first 9000 verses, and because
Miss Jessie L. Weston has given us an English version of Wolfram's
well-known "Parzival", which tells substantially the same story, though
in a different spirit. To have included this poem, of which he wrote
less than one-third, in the works of Chrétien would have been unjust to
him. It is true the romance of "Lancelot" was not completed by Chrétien,
we are told, but the poem is his in such large part that one would be
over-scrupulous not to call it his. The other three poems mentioned are
his entire. In addition, there are quite generally assigned to the poet
two insignificant lyrics, the pious romance of "Guillaume d'Angleterre",
and the elaboration of an episode from Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (vi.,
426-674) called "Philomena" by its recent editor (C. de Boer, Paris,
1909). All these are extant and accessible. But since "Guillaume
d'Angleterre" and "Philomena" are not universally attributed to
Chrétien, and since they have nothing to do with the Arthurian material,
it seems reasonable to limit the present enterprise to "Erec and Enide",
"Cligés", "Yvain", and "Lancelot".

Explanation ​

This excerpt is the preface to a modern translation of Four Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes, a 12th-century French poet who is widely regarded as the founder of Arthurian romance in medieval literature. The passage serves as an introduction to Chrétien’s work, providing historical context, literary significance, and a critical assessment of his writing. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, focusing on its content, themes, literary devices, and implications while emphasizing the perspective of the excerpt itself.

1. Context and Purpose of the Excerpt ​

The preface is written by an unnamed editor (likely William W. Comfort, who translated Chrétien’s romances into English in 1914). Its primary goals are:

  • To introduce Chrétien de Troyes to an English-speaking audience unfamiliar with medieval French literature.
  • To justify the translation by explaining why Chrétien’s works deserve modern attention despite their obscurity.
  • To manage reader expectations by acknowledging the stylistic flaws of medieval romance while emphasizing its cultural and literary importance.
  • To provide biographical and historical background on Chrétien and his patroness, Countess Marie de Champagne.

The tone is scholarly yet accessible, blending critical analysis with historical exposition.

2. Key Themes in the Excerpt ​

A. The Paradox of Chrétien’s Fame and Obscurity ​

  • The opening lines present a contradiction:

    "Chrétien de Troyes has had the peculiar fortune of becoming the best known of the old French poets to students of mediaeval literature, and of remaining practically unknown to any one else."

    • This juxtaposition highlights how Chrétien is celebrated in academia but ignored by the general public.
    • The reason given is the lack of modern translations (until this volume), making his works inaccessible to non-specialists.
    • The editor implies that this translation aims to bridge the gap between scholarly appreciation and public awareness.

B. The Debt of Later Writers to Chrétien ​

  • The text notes that while Chrétien is forgotten, his "debtors"—writers who adapted his stories—are remembered:

    "posterity has been kinder to his debtors, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Malory, Lord Tennyson, and Richard Wagner."

    • This literary lineage underscores Chrétien’s foundational role in Arthurian legend.
    • The mention of Wolfram’s Parzival (based on Chrétien’s Perceval) and Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (which draws from Chrétien’s romances) reinforces his influence.
    • The editor suggests that modern fame is often reserved for adaptors rather than originators, a common phenomenon in literary history.

C. The Challenges of Medieval Literature for Modern Readers ​

  • The editor warns readers about the stylistic shortcomings of Chrétien’s works:

    "Monotony, lack of proportion, vain repetitions, insufficient motivation, wearisome subtleties, and threatened, if not actual, indelicacy are among the most salient defects..."

    • This catalog of flaws serves two purposes:
      1. To prepare readers for a writing style that may feel foreign or frustrating (e.g., repetitive descriptions, underdeveloped plot motivations).
      2. To defend Chrétien by framing these as products of his time, not personal failures.
    • The editor adopts a balanced approach: acknowledging weaknesses while urging readers to look past them to appreciate the cultural value of the texts.

D. The Court of Champagne as a Cultural Hub ​

  • The excerpt provides historical context for Chrétien’s writing:

    "The Countess Marie, possessing her royal mother's tastes and gifts, made of her court a social experiment station, where these Provencal ideals of a perfect society were planted afresh in congenial soil."

    • Countess Marie de Champagne (daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine) is portrayed as a patron of courtly culture, fostering the ideals of chivalry and courtly love.
    • The Provencal influence (from southern France) is emphasized as key to the development of medieval romance.
    • Troyes is described as a literary center, where Chrétien’s works embodied the chivalric ideals of the time.

E. The Selection and Exclusion of Texts ​

  • The editor explains why only four romances (Erec and Enide, Cligés, Yvain, Lancelot) are included:
    • Perceval is excluded because:
      1. It is incomplete (Chrétien wrote only ~9,000 of 32,000 verses).
      2. A modern adaptation (Wolfram’s Parzival) already exists in English.
      3. Including an unfinished work would be "unjust" to Chrétien.
    • Other attributed works (Guillaume d’Angleterre, Philomena) are dismissed as non-Arthurian and disputed in authorship.
    • This curatorial decision reflects the editor’s focus on Chrétien’s most representative and complete Arthurian works.

3. Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies ​

A. Contrast and Juxtaposition ​

  • The preface frequently contrasts Chrétien’s scholarly reputation with his public obscurity:

    "best known... to students... remaining practically unknown to any one else."

  • Similarly, it juxtaposes his literary flaws with his cultural significance, forcing readers to weigh both sides.

B. Appeal to Authority ​

  • The editor cites scholars (e.g., Wendelin Foerster’s editions, Gaston Paris’ theory on Chrétien’s role as herald-at-arms) to bolster credibility.
  • The mention of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Countess Marie lends historical weight to the discussion of courtly culture.

C. Metaphor and Imagery ​

  • The court of Champagne is described as a "social experiment station", evoking a laboratory for cultural innovation.
  • The spread of Provencal ideals is framed as planting seeds in "congenial soil", suggesting organic cultural growth.

D. Direct Address to the Reader ​

  • The editor engages the reader with second-person pronouns ("the modern reader may form his own estimate") and rhetorical questions (implied in phrases like "No greater service can be performed...").
  • This invites the audience to participate in the evaluation of Chrétien’s work rather than passively accept the editor’s judgment.

E. Understatement and Irony ​

  • The line "The modem reader may form his own estimate of the poet's art, and that estimate will probably not be high" is ironically self-deprecating, acknowledging that modern tastes may clash with medieval styles.
  • The phrase "such extravagant claims for Chrétien's art" suggests skepticism toward overpraised scholarship, positioning the editor as a moderate voice.

4. Significance of the Excerpt ​

A. Rediscovering a Foundational Author ​

  • The preface positions Chrétien as the originator of Arthurian romance, correcting historical oversight by bringing his works to a broader audience.
  • It challenges the dominance of later adaptors (like Malory or Tennyson) by recentering the source material.

B. Defending Medieval Literature ​

  • By acknowledging flaws while contextualizing them, the editor advocates for a nuanced reading of medieval texts.
  • This reflects a broader 19th–20th century trend of revaluing medieval literature (e.g., the Pre-Raphaelites’ fascination with Arthurian legend).

C. The Role of Translation in Literary History ​

  • The preface highlights the power of translation in shaping literary canons.
  • Without modern translations, entire traditions (like Old French romance) risk obscurity, reinforcing the importance of accessibility in preserving cultural heritage.

D. Courtly Culture and Gender Dynamics ​

  • The emphasis on Countess Marie and Eleanor of Aquitaine underscores women’s role in patronizing and shaping medieval literature.
  • The ideals of courtly love and chivalry promoted in Chrétien’s romances are tied to female agency in aristocratic courts, a progressive notion for the 12th century.

5. Critical Perspective on the Excerpt ​

While the preface is informative and persuasive, it also reveals biases of its time (early 20th century):

  • Eurocentrism: The focus on French and German traditions (Wolfram, Malory) excludes other medieval literary cultures (e.g., Welsh or Scandinavian Arthurian tales).
  • Gendered Language: The assumption that the "modern reader" is male ("his own estimate") reflects early 20th-century norms.
  • Romanticization of the Middle Ages: The description of courtly culture is somewhat idealized, downplaying the political and social complexities of feudalism.

Despite these limitations, the excerpt remains a valuable introduction to Chrétien, balancing criticism with advocacy and inviting readers to engage with a pivotal medieval author.

Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters ​

This preface is more than just an introduction—it is a manifestation of literary recovery, arguing for the relevance of a 12th-century poet in the modern world. By contextualizing Chrétien’s flaws, tracing his influence, and highlighting his cultural milieu, the editor prepares readers to appreciate the richness of Arthurian romance beyond its surface imperfections. The text itself becomes a meta-commentary on how we read, translate, and preserve medieval literature, making it a key document in the history of Arthurian studies.