Marie de France who wrote in the late 1100s is the earliest known French woman poet in the medieval times. Marie focused mostly on lias, she composed two Arthurian romances, Lanval and Chevrefueil, A story of a knight who falls in love with a woman of another world. During the 12th and early 13th centuries when Lanval was written it was common for married women to have their work claimed by their husbands. Unlike these women Marie worked very hard to identify herself in all her writing. During this time land borders were not the same as now, so we cannot tell where Marie wrote the story. Based on her choices of language and dialect, we can assume she was from Normandy. Throughout the medieval times there was an extremity of false love, This…show more content… Most of Maries lais focus on intense and intimate relationships fighting against society. Lanval the poem is very unique for this time because in the end of the poem the woman saves Lanval making her the heroine which was very uncommon for this time period. Lanval was written around 1170-1215 near the writing of the third Lateran council 1179, which excommunicated those who participated in sodomy. The only way to prove heterosexuality was to have a mistress or being abstinent. When Lanval said he didn’t want to betray the king Guinevere declared him homosexual which endangered everyone according to common…show more content… Marie describes Lanval as being ver well taken care of. It is at this point that the lady informs Lanval that if “Their love was to become known” Lanval would “lose her forever” and would “never be able to see her or posses her.” This again is another example of the unauthentisity of their relationship. A true love doesn’t contain ultimatums after very little time in the relationship. Marie again talks about how well Lanval is treated, continuously being showered with money and gifts, as well as being with the lady. The most important allusion by Marie is when she compares the lady to “one dish in abundance that pleased the knight particularly.” This relates back to the promiscuality of the lady and lanvals
