Lancelot
the knight of the cart
Yvain
the knight of the lion
Kay..

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threatens to leave Arthur unless the king allows him to rescue Guinevere from Meleagant
Guigemar summary
sent to work for a king, much loved. Didn't love anyone; considered a lost cause. Shoots deer and then the arrow shoots back at him.

Deer curses - Guigemar will not find a cure for the wound until he finds a woman who will not only suffer for him, but for whom he himself will suffer. Finds a ship, the ship starts moving. Ship ends up in a city w/ a mean ruler who keeps his wife captive in fear of her infidelity. Guigemar and lady fall in love, nurses him back to health.

Both suffer from unrequited love. Woman has premonition they'll be discovered; they part. Knot in a shirt, chastity belt. Women decides to drown herself, but finds the ship waiting instead. Sails on the ship, goes to castle of Meriaduc, falls in love with her.

Can't undo her belt. Then throws a tourny and invites Guigemar (and has suspicions) Unties the knot. Meriaduc says no, but Guigemar then pledges his service to his enemy. Kill M and reunite with lady.

Guigemar
selflessness, suffering (unrequited), fate. Private and public love
Equitan summary
very chivalrous.

Has a seneschal and is in love with his wife. Meets her and is tempted. Resolves to pursue her. Issue of class- she argues once he's had fun he'll be done with her.

They get together, eventually want to kill her husband. have two baths, the one for her husband at boiling. Wife and Equitan are on the bed when the seneschal walks in, Equitan ends up jumping into the boiling water and then the seneschal throws his wife in and they both die.

Equitan
selfish love, bad ending. Says he's chivalrous and courtly but he doesn't have loyalty.
Le Fresne
two neighboring knights, one of them has twins.

The other knight's wife says it's b/c she slept w/ 2 men, and the twins lady's husband believes her. Then the gossip wife gives birth to two twins herself. Sends the other one to a convent - new town, prays, then sees a large ash tree and puts her in it. Le Fresne - the ash tree.

Gurun falls in love with Le Fresne, leaves w/ her. Gurun needs an heir and noble wife, so his friends recommend La Codre (hazel tree) Married La Codre, her and Le Fresne are the separate twins. Le Fresne is very selfless

Bisclavret
Baron Bisclavret disappears for 3 days, his wife won't stop asking why, doesn't want to tell her b/c he'll lose her love and destroy himself. He becomes a werewolf - tells wife truth,. Needs clothes to morph.

Wife is disgusted and contacts old flame, and agrees to love him if he takes her husbands clothing. Bisclavret appears a year later in meeting the king; becomes a pet. Sees wife's husband at court and attacks him. Tears off her nose when he sees her; investigation and she gives back his clothes.

Bisclavret's lands are restored, wife and husband are banished

Lanval summary
overlooked knight; on a hunt and sees a beautiful lady, leaves his horse. Can't tell anyone about their love but she will be there at any time for him. Becomes model of generosity. Queen tries to get Lanval, he refuses and she is upset.

Queen says HE tried to seduce HER, Lanval put on trial. Says they'll believe him if his woman will testify; she does. Go to Avalon and live happily ever after

Lanval
public vs private love; outcast then to fame then loses everything
Yonec summary
old man w/ young wife, locks her away. Loses her beauty and wishes for death.

A hawk flies in her tower window, turns into a knight. Confesses he's loved her a long time but couldn't visit her until she wished for him. Test him if he believes in God by taking communion. Knight says he'll visit whenever but warns against too much so they aren't discovered by the old woman watching her. King gets suspicious and lady spies.

Sees the knight, put spikes on the window. Fatally wounded, travels to city, woman follows and she is pregnant. Finds him, and he tells her that their son will avenge her husband. Yonec kills him, lady dies.

Yonec
danger of selfish love, private and public love, importance of moderation
Milun summary
daughter of nobleman falls in love with Milun, sends for him and they will meet. Sends her a golden ring.

Meet in secret, she is pregnant. Woman is scared to be seen as not a virgin so she sends her daughter with Milun to his sister. Milun carries the baby for days. Then returns, and the woman has been married by her father to someone else. Milun and her live near each other, sends a letter in the feathers of a swan.

Starve the swan then send it back so it will always return. Do this for 20 years. Milun goes to fight his son w/o knowing its him; but sees the ring and they are reunited. The son promises to kill his mother's husband but he dies while they're away.

Milun
swan - represents emaciated love