#romaunz

* Naming a child after an event is traditional in the Bible. Beginning with Adam and continuing through all the heroes, there is either a sound philological basis or folk-etymology operating with all the names. For instance, Rachel called her first son Joseph (Yosef) because “The Lord add (yosef) to me another son.” Genesis 30:24. […] In the Arthurian legends, Tristan gets his name because of the sadness of his mother, who dies at childbirth. […] The naming of Artusin, above, is most likely an additon of the Hebrew scribe. Such a pattern of naming does not appear in the O.F. 

Then Sir Lancelot let make him a shield all of sable, and a queen crowned in the midst of silver, and a knight clean armed kneeling before her. And every day once, for any mirths that all the ladies might make him, he would once every day look toward the realm of Logris, where King Arthur and Queen Guenivere was; and then we would fall upon a weeping as his heart should to-brast.

‘Nay, sir,’ she said, ‘at this time, but almighty Jesu preserve you wheresoever you ride or go, for the most courteous knight thou art and meekest unto all ladies and gentlewomen that now liveth. But one thing, sir knight, me thinks ye lack, ye that are a knight wifeless, that ye will not love some maiden or gentlewoman. For I could never hear say that ever ye loved any of no manner of degree, and that is great pity. But it is noised that ye love Queen Guenivere, and that she hath ordained by enchantment that ye shall never love no other but her, nor no other damosel nor lady shall rejoice you; wherefore there be many in this land of high estate and low that make great sorrow.’

‘Fair damosel,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘I may not warn people to speak of me what it pleaseth them; but for to be a wedded man, I think it not; for then I must couch with her, and leave arms and tournaments, battles and adventures. And as for to say to take my pleasance with paramours, that will I refuse, in principal for dread of God. For knights that be adventurous should not be adulterers nor lecherous, for then they be not happy nor fortunate unto the wars; for either they shall be overcome with a simpler knight than they be themselves, or else they shall slay by unhap and their cursedness better men than they be themselves. And so who useth paramours shall be unhappy, and all thing unhappy that is about them.’

Then he saw an old hoar gentleman coming toward him, that said, ‘Balin le Savage, thou passest thy bounds to come this way, therefore turn again and it will avail thee.’ And he vanished away anon.

And so he heard a horn blow as if it had been the death of a beast. ‘That blast,’ said Balin, ‘is blown for me, for I am the prize; and yet am I not dead.’

lancelot in the old french of the knight of the cart

The Knight of the Cart was lost in thought, a man with no strength or defence against love, which torments him. His thoughts were so deep that he forgot who he was; he was uncertain whether or not he truly existed; he was unable to recall his own name; he did not know if he were armed or not, nor where he was going nor whence he came. He remembered nothing at all save one creature, for whom he forgot all others; he was so intent upon her alone that he did not hear, see, or pay attention to anything.