"Les Deux Amants" ( fro, "Les Deus Amanz", en, "The Two Lovers") is a

Breton lai A Breton lai, also known as a narrative lay or simply a lay, is a form of medieval French and English romance literature. Lais are short (typically 600–1000 lines), rhymed tales of love and chivalry, often involving supernatural and fairy-wor ...

, a type of narrative poem, written by

Marie de France Marie de France ( fl. 1160 to 1215) was a poet, possibly born in what is now France, who lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an unknown court, but she and her work were almost certainly known at the royal court ...

sometime in the 12th century. The poem belongs to what is collectively known as ''

The Lais of Marie de France The ''lais'' of Marie de France are a series of twelve short narrative Breton lais by the poet Marie de France. They are written in Anglo-Norman and were probably composed in the late 12th century, most likely between 1155-1170. The short, narra ...

''. Like the other lais in the collection, "Les Deux Amants" is written in Old French, in rhyming octosyllabic couplets. This lai tells the tragic story of two lovers.

Plot summary

The story takes place in Normandy, in a great city called Pitre, built by a King. After the death of his wife, The King becomes overly attached to their daughter. Rumours around the court of his inappropriateness provoke him to devise a plan; to offer his daughter for marriage, and yet make the success of any suitor impossible. The man must carry his daughter up a hill, without stopping to rest. Many attempt, and all fail; some men make it halfway up the mountain but none reach the top. A son of a count in the realm falls in love with the King's daughter, and she begins to fall for him too. They embark upon a secret affair, but the secrecy upsets the youth, who proposes they elope. The Princess refuses, not wanting to upset her father, but also notes that the boy is not strong enough to pass the King's test. However, she speaks of her aunt in Salerno who is competent in potions, and with her written request, will make the boy a potion to increase his strength. The boy returns with the potion and publicly proposes. The King is dismayed at the weakness of the youth, but nonetheless sends out word for his subjects to witness the event. The King's daughter begins to starve in order to be a lighter weight to carry. The day of the trial comes, and the boy begins his ascent, carrying his love. He carries the potion in his mouth but decides he does not need it for the first half, and relies on adrenaline. He reasons that he would be distracted by the crowd if he slowed down to take the potion. The youth makes it two-thirds of the way and still refuses to take the potion – when he makes it to the top, he drops dead from exhaustion. Unable to revive him, the girl throws the potion away in her upset. She dies of sadness next to her love. When the King finds their bodies, he collapses. After three days, their bodies are buried together on the mountain, and in tribute, the mountain is named ‘The Mountain of the Two Lovers’.

Allusions

The mountain mentioned in the poem actually exists, near the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Pîtres Pîtres (; medieval Pistres) is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in north-western France. It lies on the Seine. History Historically, it had a bridge to prevent Vikings from sailing up the river to Paris. It was here that King Char ...

in the

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

.''Lais de Marie de France'', traduits, annotés et présentés par Laurence Harf-Lancner, Lettres gothiques, Livre de Poche 1990, p. 169

Notes and references

External links

Text in Old French on wikisource.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Deux Amants, Les French poems Lais of Marie de France PDF: http://bibnum.enc.sorbonne.fr/omeka/files/original/796aaaf2efa33ef31f2e5d3a1b4a7ce8.pdf

Plot summary

Allusions

See also

Notes and references

External links