Topic summary

Chrétien de Troyes

Chrétien de Troyes

Chrétien de Troyes (Modern French:; Old French: Crestien de Troies; fl.c. 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects (the Matter of Britain) such as Gawain, Lancelot, Perceval, and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's chivalric romances, including Erec and Enide, Lancelot, Perceval, and Yvain, represent some of the best-regarded works of medieval literature. His use of structure, particularly in Yvain, has been seen as a step toward the modern novel.