A tale of jailed remunerated weavers in Yvain ou le chevalier au Lion of Chrétien de Troyes (1178/80)

Grammars of coercion
Data story
Author
Affiliation

Colin Arnaud

WWU Münster

Published

August 3, 2022

Yvain ou le chevalier au Lion is an Arthurian romance written in verse by Chrétien de Troyes between 1176 and 1181 in French based on Gaelic legends. In the romance, Yvain not only has personal problems with his wife (a woman he conquers by killing her husband and protecting her castle), he also saves various characters just for fun – or for justice, at least without self-interest. He saves a lion from a snake; he frees the daughter and the sons of a lord from a cruel giant, just before saving a maid from a death sentence by defeating the champion of the grieving party. On his way to another duel as champion of another damsel in distress, he arrives to the Castle of Ill Adventure. There he finds three hundred damsels jailed in the castle weaving silk clothes and eventually rescues them by defeating two demons. The episode of the silk weavers is a challenging source for the historians of medieval textile production because the maidens are forced to work but receive a remuneration. Even if the text has a fictional and even fantastical character, we need to understand how the labour condition is conceived in order to seize the conceptual frame of the episode. For that purpose, tagging action phrases and analysing the different phases of labour compulsion (entry, extraction, exit) are useful.

Actors:

Extract 1: Yvain enters the castle and discovers the damsels (extraction phase)

5175



si li dit: «Venez tost, venez
qu'an tel leu estes arivez
ou vos seroiz bien retenuz,
et mal i soiez vos venuz.»		 He says: "Come quickly, come.
You are on your way to a place
where you will be securely detained,
and may your visit be accursed."

5180



Einsi li portiers le semont
Et haste de venir a mont,
mes molt li fist leide semonse.
Et mes sire Yvains, sanz response,
par devant lui s'an passe, et trueve		 The porter, after addressing him
with this very ungracious welcome,
hurries upstairs
But my lord Yvain, without making reply,
passes straight on
5184



une grant sale haute et nueve;
s'avoit devant un prael clos
de pex aguz reonz et gros;
et par entre les pex leanz		 and finds a new and high hall
in front of it there was a yard enclosed
with large, round, pointed stakes,
and seated inside the stakes
5188



vit puceles jusqu'a trois cenz
qui diverses oevres feisoient:
de fil d'or et de soie ovroient
chascune au mialz qu'ele savoit;		 He saw as many as three hundred maiden
working at different kinds of embroidery:
each one was working with golden thread and silk , as best
she could.
5192



mes tel povreté i avoit
que deslïees et desceintes
en i ot de povreté meintes
et as memeles et as cotes		 But such was their poverty,
that many of them wore no girdle,
and looked slovenly, because so poor
and about their breasts and at theelbows
5196



estoient lor cotes derotes,
et les chemises as dos sales;
les cos gresles et les vis pales
de fain et de meseise avoient.		 their garments were torn
and the back of their shirts were soiled,
their necks were thin, and their faces pale
with hunger and privation
5200



Il les voit, et eles le voient,
si s'anbrunchent totes et plorent;
et une grant piece demorent
qu'eles n'antendent a rien feire,		 They see him, as he looks at them,
so that they hide themselves and weep;
and for a long moment
they are unable to do anything
5204



ne lor ialz n'en pueent retreire
de terre, tant sont acorees.
Qant un po les ot regardees
mes sire Yvains, si se trestorne,		 but to raise their eyes from the ground,
so deeply they are moved.
When he had contemplated them for a while
my lord Yvain turned about
5208



droit vers la porte s'an retorne;
et li portiers contre lui saut,
se li escrie: «Ne vos vaut
que vos n'en iroiz or, biax mestre;		 and moved toward the door
but the porter barred the way,
and cried: “It is no use;
you shall not get out now, fair master
5212



vos voldriez or la fors estre,
mes, par mon chief, ne vos i monte,
einz avroiz eü tant de honte
que plus n'en porrïez avoir;		 You would like to be outside:
but, by my head, it is of no use.
Before you escape you will have suffered
such great shame that you could not suffer more
5216



si n'avez mie fet savoir
quant vos estes venuz ceanz
que del rissir est il neanz.
— Ne je ne quier, fet il, biax frere,		 so you were not wise
to enter here,
for there is no question of escaping now.
— Nor do I wish to do so, fair brother,
5220



mes di moi, par l'ame ton pere,
dameiseles que j'ai veües
an cest chastel, don sont venues,
qui dras de soie et orfrois tissent,		 but tell me, by thy father's soul,
whence came the damsels
whom I saw in this castel,
weaving cloths of silk and gold
5224



et oevres font qui m'abelissent?
Mes ce me desabelist mout
qu'eles sont de cors et de vout
meigres, et pales, et dolantes;		 and make embroideries that please me?
but it does not please me at all
that their bodies and faces
are so thin and pale and dolorous
5228



si m'est vis que beles et gentes
fussent molt, se eles eüssent
itex choses qui lor pleüssent.
— Je, fet il, nel vos dirai mie,		 I imagine they would be
fair and charming,
if they had what would suit them.
—I will tell you nothing,
5232



querez autrui qui le vos die.
— Si ferai ge, quant mialz ne puis.»
Lors quiert tant que il trueve l'uis
del prael ou les dameiseles		 seek someone else to tell you
— That will I do, since I cannot do better”
Then he searches until he finds the entrance
of the yard where the damsels
5236



ovroient; et vint devant eles,
si les salüe ansanble totes;
et si lor voit cheoir les gotes
des lermes qui lor decoroient		 were at work; and coming before them,
he greets them all together,
and sees the drops appear
from the tears flowing
5240



des ialz, si con eles ploroient.
Et il lor dit: «Dex, s'il li plest,
cest duel que ne sai don vos nest,
vos ost del cuer et tort a joie.»		 from their eyes, as they weep
Then he says to them: “May it please God
to remove this grief, the cause of which I do not know from
your hearts, and turn to joy.”

This extract has not been tagged, but the action phrases already show the condition of impotence of the damsels: they hide and weep (v.5201, v. 5240), they are unable (n’en pueent) to do anything else than look at the ground (5204).

Several action phrases describe the work of the damsels, almost all in imperfect form that signals the indefinite duration of the work (extraction phase): they “work” (ovroient, v. 5190, v. 5236) and “make” (feisoient) different kinds of embroidery with golden thread and silk (v. 5189-90), they weave (tissent) cloths of silk and gold (v. 5223-4). Instead of focussing on the tiring aspect of labour, the choice of words (feisoient = make, ovroient = work) underline the productive process aimed at a clear result. They produce as best as they can (chascune au mialz qu’ele savoit, v.5191).

Extract 2: Report of the story of the King of the Isle of Damsels (entry/exit phase for the King)

The passage follows directly extract 1.

5244



L'une respont. «Dex vos en oie,
que vos en avez apelé!
Ne vos sera mie celé
qui nos somes et de quel terre,		 One of them answers: “May you be heard by God, to whom
you have addressed your prayer.
It shall not be concealed from you
who we are, and from what land:
5248



espoir ce volez vos anquerre.
— Por el, fet il, ne ving je ça.
— Sire, il avint molt grant pieça
que li rois de l'Isle as puceles		 I suppose that is what you wish to know.
— For no other purpose came I here
— Sire, it happened a long while ago
that the king of the Isle of Damsels
5252



aloit por apanre noveles
par les corz et par les païs.
S'ala tant come fos naïs
qu'il s'anbati an cest peril.		 went seeking news
through diverse courts and countries,
and he kept on his travels like a dunce
until he encountered this perilous place
5256



A mal eür i venist il,
que nos cheitives, qui ci somes,
la honte, et le mal, en avomes,
qui onques ne le desservimes.		 It was an unlucky hour when he first came here,
for we wretched captives who are here
receive all the shame and misery
which we have in no wise deserved
5260



Et bien sachiez que vos meïsmesi
poez molt grant honte atendre,
se reançon n'en vialt an prendre.
Mes tote voie ensi avint		 And rest assured that you yourself
may expect great shame,
unless a ransom for you be accepted.
But, at any rate, so it came about
5264



que mes sire an cest chastel vint [AP1]
ou il a deus filz de deable,
ne nel tenez vos mie a fable,
que de fame et de netun furent.  		 that my lord came to this castle,
where there are two sons of devil,
do not take it as a jest,
who were born of a woman and an imp
5268



Et cil dui conbatre se durent [AP2]
au roi, don dolors fu trop granz,
qu'il n'avoit pas dis et huit anz;
si le poïssent tot porfandre [AP3]		 These two were about to fight
with the king, whose pain was great,
for he was not yet eighteen years old,
and they would have been able to cleave him through
5272



ausi com un aignelet tandre;
et li rois qui grant peor ot
s'an delivra si com il pot: [AP4]
si jura qu'il anvoieroit [AP5]		 like a tender lamb
So the king, in his terror,
escaped his fate as best he could, by
swearing that he would send
5276



chascun an, tant con vis seroit,
ceanz, de ses puceles, trante;
si fust quites par ceste rante;
et devisié fu a jurer [AP6]		 hither each year, as required,
thirty of his damsels
and with this rent he freed himself.
And when he swore, it was agreed
5280



et cist treüz devoit durer
tant con li dui maufé durroient;
et a ce jor que il seroient
conquis et vaincu an bataille		 that this arrangement should remain in force as long as the
two devils lived.
But upon the day when they should be conquered and
defeated in battle,
5284



quites seroit de ceste taille
et nos seriens delivrees,
qui a honte somes livrees,
et a dolor, et a meseise;		 he would be relieved from this tribute,
and we should be delivered
who are now shamefully given over
to distress and misery
5288



ja mes n'avrons rien qui nos pleise.
Mes molt di ore grant enfance
qui paroil de la delivrance
que ja mes de ceanz n'istrons;		 Never again shall we know what pleasure is.
But I spoke folly just now
in referring to our deliverance,
for we shall never more leave this place

Action phrases:

Entry/exit phase for the king of the Isle of Maidens:

The verbs enhance the idea of coercion that the king is experiencing in the Castle of Ill Adventure. The lord of the castle is not mentioned personally; the castle itself and the two demons in it are rivals of the king. The fate is also against him: He does not really come to the castle willingly, the verb “s’anbatir ” (il s'anbati an cest peril, v.5255) rather means that he encountered the castle by chance and was suddenly trapped or stuck without having the time to recognize the danger.

There is a series of constrained actions for the king: The demons had to (se durent , v. 5268) fight against him (AP2), he does what he can to get free, i.e., he cannot do much (s'an delivra si com il pot, v. 5274, AP4); he is obliged to swear (devisié fu a jurer, v. 5279, AP5) to send every year 30 damsels as ransom. His inability to fight (v. 5269-70, v. 5272) contrasts with the ability of the demons, who can cleave him (poïssent tot porfandre, v. 5271, AP3).

The damsels are here as a ransom obtained by physical compulsion. The ransom has a clear contractual nature since the entry and exit conditions of the damsels are clearly stipulated. The damsels have no proper identity – for example we do not learn how they were chosen in their kingdom – they are as a group substitutes for their king and share his destiny. The entry phase of the king is presented as the entry phase of the damsels. The exit option for the damsels is similar to the king’s: vanquish the demons. The damsels have status of hostages, of prisoners: they have no freedom and work like slaves. We would expect that they have little motivation for their labour, but they seem to work intensively. The next passage unveils what forces them to work.

Extract 3: complaint of the damsels, condition of labour (extraction phase)
5292


 jorz dras de soie tistrons, [AP7]
ne ja n'en serons mialz vestues;
toz jorz serons povres et nues,
et toz jorz fain et soif avrons;		 We shall everyday weave cloths of silk,
without ever being better clad.
Always we shall be poor and naked,
always we shall be hungry and thirsty.
5296


 ja tant chevir ne nos savrons [AP8]
que mialz en aiens a mangier.
Del pain avons a grant dongier
au main petit, et au soir mains,		 for we shall never achieve enough to procure for ourselves
any better food.
We have very little bread to eat, very little in the morning and
in the evening even less.
5300


 que ja de l'uevre de noz mains
n'avra chascune por son vivre
que quatre deniers de la livre;
et de ce ne poons nos pas		 From the labour of her hands,
each will obtain, for her living,
only four pennies for the pound.
With that, we are not able
5304


 assez avoir viande et dras
car qui gaaigne la semainne [AP9]
vint solz n'est mie fors de painne.
Mes bien sachiez vos a estros		 to obtain enough food and clothes,
because the one who earns twenty shillings a week is far from
being out of business.
And rest assured
5308


 que il n'i a celi de nos
qui ne gaaint cinc solz ou plus.
De ce seroit riches uns dus!
Et nos somes ci an poverte,		 that none of us
brings in five shillings or more.
That would be enough to enrich a duke!
And we are in poverty,
5312


 s'est riches de nostre desserte
cil por cui nos nos traveillons.
Des nuiz grant partie veillons [AP10]
et toz les jorz por gaaignier,		 Only the one for whom we work
is enriched by our merit.
We stay awake for most of our nights
and all day to bring in even more
5316


 qu'il nos menace a mahaignier [AP11]
des manbres, quant nos reposons;
et por ce reposer n'osons. [AP12]		 because he threatens to mutilate
our limbs when we rest;
so we do not dare to rest ourselves.

Action phrases:

The damsels work and will work (AP7) – the future form shows that this condition will endure indefinitely – for long periods: every day (toz jorz, v. 5292, AP7) and part of the night (v. 5314, AP10). One reason is violent physical compulsion – the threat of mutilation by the master (v. 5216-9, AP11-12). The second reason is the necessity to earn enough to eat. Surprisingly, their work is remunerated (v. 5301-2), but apparently the wage does not suffice to purchase the necessary food and cloth. The only way to “earn” (gaaigner, v. 5305, v. 5315) more is to work even more, to “achieve” (chevir, v. 5296, AP8) more work, since they are paid by piece rate (quatre deniers de la livre, v. 5302). Instead of using mere physical compulsion for cheap unpaid manpower, the master uses remuneration as a cruel trick to increase the motivation and the extraction efficiency of the weaving damsels.

Yvain is welcomed in the castle and is indeed constrained to fight an unequal fight with the two demons. He only wins because his lion helps him. The lord of the castle wants to give in marriage his daughter. Yvain refuses but he reminds him of the terms of agreement with the king of the Isle of Damsels and demands their liberation. The exit is told as follows:

Extract 4: exit phase of the damsels
5765


Tantost mes sire Yvains s'an torne
qui el chastel plus ne sejorne,
et s'en a avoec soi menees [AP13]		 Thereupon my lord Yvain turns away
and delays no longer in the castle,
and he takes with him

les cheitives desprisonees; the poor and ill-clad wretches

5770

et li sires li a bailliees [AP14]
povres, et mal apareilliees,
mes or sont riches, ce lor sanble:		 who were now released from captivity,
and whom the lord committed to his care.
These maidens feel that now they are rich



5775 		fors del chastel totes ensanble,
devant lui, deus et deus s'an issent; [AP15]
ne ne cuit pas qu'eles feïssent
tel joie com eles li font		 as they file out in pairs
before him from the castle.
I do not believe that they would rejoice
so much as they do now


a celui qui fist tot le mont,
s'il fust venuz de ciel an terre.		 were He who created the whole world
to descend to earth from Heaven.

(…) (…)
5791




 et les dameiseles li ront
congié demandé, [AP16] si s'an vont; [AP17]
au partir totes li anclinent, [AP18]
et si li orent et destinent [AP19]
que Dex li doint joie et santé,		 Then the damsels, after asking his permission,
separated from him.
When they left him, they all bowed to him,
and prayed and expressed the wish
that God might grant him joy and health,
5796



 et venir a sa volanté
en quelque leu qu'il onques aut.
Et cil respont que Dex les saut, [AP20]
cui la demore molt enuie:		 and the accomplishment of his desire,
wherever in the future he should go.
Then he, who is anxious to be gone,
says that he hopes God will save them all
5800



 «Alez, fet il, Dex vos conduie
en voz païs sainnes et liees.»
Maintenant se sont avoiees;
si s'an vont grant joie menant. [AP21]		 “Go,” he says, “and may God conduct
you into your countries safe and happy”.
Then they leave and
continue their way joyfully.

Action phrases

Even during their liberation, the damsels seem to be passive objects. Yvain and the lord of the castle are the active subjects: Yvain takes the girls with him (avec soi menees, v. 5768, AP21), the lord of the castle gives them away (li a bailliees, v. 5769, AP22). The damsels have a submissive attitude toward Yvain (AP23, AP24, AP25).

The tale of damsels imprisoned in a castle by a cruel lord is quite normal in an Arthurian romance. It is also normal that they are represented as passive victims, grateful to their strong and powerful redeemer – those who fight control the action. It is, however, quite surprising that the jailed maidens receive remuneration for their forced work. This remuneration is presented as a legal trick that forces the damsels to work efficiently in order to earn enough money to live.

References

Chrétien de Troyes, Le Chevalier au lion (Yvain) (Ancien français), (compos. 1177-1179), Romans de Chrétien de Troyes (Les) , 1960 (1ÈRE éd. 1887), digital edition: Corpus de la littérature médiévale, des origines au 15e siècle, Édité par Claude BLUM, URL: https://www.classiques-garnier.com/numerique-bases/index.php?module=App&action=FrameMain

Translation: W. W. Comfort; Everyman’s Library, London, 1914; digital edition by Douglas B. Killings 1996 (URL: https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1481414635255.pdf , 11.11.2020). Some modification by Colin Arnaud.