Laudine is a character in Chrétien de Troyes's 12th-century romance «Yvain, or, The Knight with the Lion». Usually known as the Lady of the Fountain, she becomes the wife of the poem's protagonist, Yvain, one of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table, after he kills her husband, but later spurns the knight-errant when he neglects her for heroic adventure, only to take him back in the end.
Chrétien calls her "la dame de Landuc", i.e. the noblewoman in command of the territory and castle of "Landuc", located near a supernaturalfountain within the enchanted forest of Brocéliande. The lady Laudine's fountain, which magically generated a powerful storm when its water was poured into a nearby basin, was guarded by her husband, Esclados the Red, until his defeat by Yvain. After learning about his cousin Calogrenant's encounter with Esclados, in which the former was attacked and beaten for using the well to create a storm, Yvain took revenge on behalf of his kinsman by slaying Esclados in combat. He then followed the mortally wounded warrior back to the castle, where he fell instantly in love with his victim's widow.
Love is illogical. As Yvain observes Laudine's grief, he comments on its nature, and praises her beauty. Yvain praises her physical qualities – she is nature's marvel, and like a proper courtly lover, he is madly in love with her. When Lunete returns, she offers to take him out of the castle. Yvain, as expected, refuses to be removed. However, he says only that he refuses to leave secretly like a thief, but he doesn't speak of his love for Laudine. Lunete, being no fool herself, instantly guesses his desire. She immediately goes to Laudine, and begins to work on Yvain's behalf. She argues for him on several grounds: logical, as Laudine will need a new husband to defend her fountain; ontological, as it is almost certain that God will send her a better man; emotional, as she wants a man in her life. Laudine's response, upon first glance, seems too emotional: she merely says doesn't want to. Acridly pointing out that Laudine had in her the "same folly that other women have," Chrétien notes that all of them refuse to accept their own desires. Laudine is by no means oblivious or stupid. She is aware of the concrete threat to her domain, but she is unwilling to address it at the moment for two very acceptable reasons.
After all, Yvain has just killed her husband, and it would be unusual if she just decides to marry him now. Furthermore, she does not know Yvain at all, and though she is aware of his reputation, she questions his motivations for wishing to marry her. This questioning sets off a chain reaction in her mind in which she eventually concludes that she may be able to accept him after all. Here, the presented idea in relation to the courtly lover is that women have their moments, and that though they may act in "folly," the proper behavior for the lover is to carry out their desires to the best of his ability. In this case, Yvain has been (impatiently) waiting for an audience over the last week, in accordance with correct behavior. The two characters – lady and maidservant – are often juxtaposed. Lunete generally operates in a far more logical and level-headed fashion than her mistress, though her hotheadedness is what lands her in trouble in the latter half of the tale. Her intelligence complements Laudine and Yvain, and is instrumental in the two's initial meeting, as well as their reconciliation. Laudine, on the other hand, can often see the reasoning behind events despite her emotional tendencies. The interaction of Yvain with these two women reveals two notable traits of the knight. With Laudine, he is the perfect lover – theoretically obedient to the point of thoughtlessness, and genuinely wishing to place her interests before his. With Lunete, he is more at ease, able to self-reflect and both give and receive counsel when it is needed.
Prior to meeting Laudine, Yvain is depicted as the perfect knight. After meeting Laudine, his status as a perfect knight has not changed – he is still Yvain. Nonetheless, there must be a balance in the knight between the adventurer and the lover. When Gawain comes to take Yvain to seek adventure, he offers two very persuasive reasons for him to come along. The first is that the husband who honors himself also honors his wife, and the second is that his love for the lady grows stronger if they are apart. Even so, it takes a week for Gawain to tempt him towards adventure, and he first goes to request permission to leave from his lady, as it is proper for him to do. Yvain is cautious because it is in his character, and it shows his reluctance to carry out a task with the slightest potential to hurt Laudine.
Laudine, as is characteristic of her, unhesitantly grants him his request without inquiring into the matter. When the knight says that he is leaving, however, her mood changes immediately. The limit she set for him is arbitrary – it shall be a day of her choosing, and should he overstay, her love for him will turn to hatred. Upset, Yvain notes that her conditions are too strict, citing possibilities of imprisonment or injury. This shows his care in attempting to ensure that he can carry out her will. To solve the problem, Laudine hands him a magic ring. The ring's property addresses his concerns by preventing physical harm, illness, and imprisonment, all the conditions that would prevent Yvain's return to her. Here, this ring represents her love as well as her trust, and Laudine makes it clear to him that the true matter here is that of his fidelity as a lover, and should he prove himself to be false, then she will reject him. Ironically, when she demands it back in a later episode, the ring actually proves Yvain to be a true lover, since he wins every tournament he participates in, and suffers no injuries.
Yvain is portrayed as an exemplary lover. Here, however, he accidentally breaks one of the most fundamental rules in verais amors - being a vassal in his love's service. He should have returned at the appropriate time – and indeed, he had all intention of doing so. But because of his failure, the ring – presented as a representation of Laudine's love for him – is taken from him. Throughout her speech to him, the damsel addresses Yvain with tu, an informal (and in this case, disrespectful) form rather than vous. Laudine lacks the knowledge – or perhaps, simply chooses to ignore evidence that proves Yvain innocent, and rightfully accuses him of being a traitor. Yvain has failed in two ways. He broke his contract with his lady and his promise as a lover by overstaying. He is now no longer trustworthy, and trust must be restored. Unsurprisingly, the knight falls into a bout of momentary madness. This madness serves as a transition point, allowing Yvain to lose all aspects of his humanity in order to construct himself anew. The new identity and name he makes for himself as the Knight with the Lion is reflective of such a change, eventually serving to bring him back into the graces of Laudine. Before the ultimate reconciliation, Yvain meets Laudine under the disguise of the Knight of the Lion. His response to her is extremely prudent and appropriate, as through his self-blame he frees Laudine from the charge of discourtesy she had inadvertently aimed at herself. Yvain is acutely aware of what is necessary for him to do to regain her favor, which is making a name for himself. He does not reveal his true name, because neither he nor Laudine is ready. He has dishonored himself in the eyes of his lady. This is a point on which Lunete will capitalize later, as she once again lures Laudine into promising that she will do all she can to assist the Knight with the Lion in regaining her lady's favor, a promise which foreshadows the events to come.
At the end, when Yvain goes to be reconciled to his lady, many events mirror their first meeting. The storm occurs, a motif that represents Laudine's state of mind. Lunete also speaks first, which begins the reconciliation process. Laudine initially appears to be indignant at the fact that she has been tricked into reconciliation, though later she nonetheless decides to forgive him for his transgressions. Here, Chrétien emphasizes the emotional quality of Laudine's responses. Laudine speaks dramatically, using a number of conditionals in her dialogue. She is upset not at Yvain but at the fact that she cannot take back an oath that has been made. The whole ending may feel somewhat less than satisfactory. Yvain, however, is content. As a courtly lover, Yvain has painstakingly redeemed himself through his actions, and as the Knight with the Lion, he has accomplished much to honor her. Laudine is aware of this, and in context, her complaints may simply act as a veil, rather than concrete reasoning. She does not have to take him back – but after all he has done, and since he is genuinely sorry, there is no reason for her not to forgive him. This reconciliation is also not a simple restoration of the status quo, but rather an advancement. The reconciliation between Laudine and Yvain brings together two different values – love and chivalry.
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