Erec and Enide

The chapter opens with King Arthur, whose court is in the “walled town of Cardigan,” announcing a “hunt of the white stag” (2)—a custom that had fallen out of practice. One of Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain, warns Arthur that it is unwise to do the hunt. As the custom is that whoever kills the stag must select the most beautiful woman in the court to kiss, Gawain fears that the hunt will lead to a conflict among Arthur’s knights, who will each argue that their own maidens are the “fairest.” Arthur refuses to cancel the hunt, however, as he feels that a king should not go back on his word.

As the hunt begins, King Arthur and his knights chase after the stag through a forest. Arthur’s wife, Queen Guinevere, also follows the hunt, accompanied by her maiden and the knight Erec, who is unarmed aside from his sword. Guinevere’s party loses track of the rest of the knights and pauses in a clearing in the forest in hopes of hearing them. The group sees another “distinguished, handsome knight” accompanied by a “beautiful and dignified” maiden and a “dwarf” (5). The Queen sends her own maiden to inquire about who this knight is, but she is rudely rebuffed by the dwarf, who threatens her with a whip. After the maiden returns, Erec instead approaches the knight but is stopped by the dwarf, who whips Erec’s face. Erec returns to the Queen and explains that he did not attack the dwarf, as he is unarmed and would lose in a battle with the unknown knight. Erec tells the Queen that he intends to follow the knight until he finds armor so that he might then attack the knight.

King Arthur slays the stag, completing the hunt. At a feast later that night, Arthur’s court devolves into chaos, as his court’s knights threaten to fight each other to prove that each of their maidens is the court’s fairest. Arthur is initially uncertain what to do and discusses how to proceed with Gawain and other counselors. Guinevere returns and suggests that Arthur should wait to kiss a maiden until Erec has returned from his journey.

Erec follows the night to a castle, where the knight is excitedly greeted by the surrounding townspeople. Erec rides through the town seeking lodging and is excitedly greeted by a local vavasor (a type of nobleman). The vavasor introduces Erec to his wife and daughter, who wears clothing “so old and worn / that at the elbows holes were torn” (13). In spite of this, Erec notices that the maiden is very beautiful: “She was exquisitely reined / for Nature, when she had designed / the maiden, had used all her skill” (13). The maiden is subsequently described as one of the most beautiful women to ever have lived. Later, while Erec eats dinner with his hosts, he asks why the vavasor dresses his daughter “in poor and ugly guise” when she is so beautiful (15). The vavasor explains that he is in poverty, and though the local lord has asked for the maiden’s hand in marriage, the vavasor has refused in the hopes that “some king or count” would come to marry her (16).

Erec later asks whether the vavasor knows the knight that he was pursuing. The vavasor explains that the knight is well known in the town and has come for a yearly festival. Each year, knights gather in the town to claim that their maiden is the “loveliest” of all, with the winning knight being awarded a “lovely sparrow hawk” (17). The vavasor explains that the knight Erec saw has won the competition the past two years and expects to win it again without any challenges. Erec proposes that he would challenge the knight in the name of the vavasor’s beautiful daughter. The vavasor agrees and provides Erec with armor for the ensuing duel.

The following day, the rival knight approaches the sparrow hawk, telling his maiden that ownership of the sparrow is “justly your prerogative” (24). However, Erec approaches the knight and challenges him, claiming that his own maiden is “more beautiful and courteous” (24). The two knights agree to a duel, and each skillfully attacks the other. However, neither are able to defeat the other after many hours, and they take a break before continuing their duel. As the duel progresses, Erec is badly injured by a blow to his thigh. However, he is able to fight back, striking the knight’s helmet and causing it to splinter apart. The knight accepts defeat and pleads with Erec for his life, revealing his name to be “Yder.” Though Erec would like to kill the knight, he tells Yder that he must instead surrender himself to Queen Guinevere and accept whatever punishment she deems fit. Yder immediately travels to King Arthur’s court, where he presents himself to Guinevere, who vows to give Yder “the lightest penalty” (35). After conferring with Arthur, Guinevere decides to release Yder from his imprisonment but tells him that he must join King Arthur’s court.

Following the duel, the townspeople celebrate Erec’s victory. The town’s count invites Erec to stay at his castle, but Erec refuses, insisting that he continues to stay with the vavasor. However, the count insists that he “and every knight […] will be with you tonight” to celebrate (38). During the feast that night, Erec announces his intention to take the vavasor’s daughter to King Arthur’s court and wed her and to provide land and goods for her parents. A cousin of the maiden insists that she should be given better clothing for her presentation to the court, but Erec explains that he wants to present the maiden as he first saw her. However, Erec agrees to accept three palfreys (or horses) from the cousin.

Erec, the maiden, and the townspeople journey out toward King Arthur’s court. However, Erec wants to visit the court only with the maiden, so the couple leaves behind the rest of the party. Afterward, Erec is overcome with so much emotion that “he had to give the maid a kiss” (44). Erec and the maiden are then described by Chrétien as being a perfect and unparalleled match: “Two images of grace and carriage; / none such were joined by law and marriage” (44).

Erec and the maiden reach King Arthur’s court, where Erec is excitedly received, as “he was loved by one and all” (45). Erec presents the maiden to the court, explaining her story and the poverty she was born into, and tells Queen Guinevere that he is presenting the maiden to the court exactly as he first saw her. Erec asks the Queen to provide the maiden with “a becoming, lovely dress” (46), and the Queen gladly agrees to give the maiden one of her finest dresses. The Queen’s attendants dress the maiden so finely that Chrétien describes the maiden as being among the most beautiful in the world: “I don’t believe in any land / no matter how you searched and scanned / could you have found her equal there” (49). The maiden is presented to the court, and Chrétien lists the names of all the knights in attendance. King Arthur declares that the maiden is clearly the most beautiful woman in the court and that she should be granted the kiss that is customary of the hunt of the white stag. The court’s knights agree, saying that “more beauty by comparison / has she than radiance the sun” (53). Arthur kisses the maiden and welcomes her to the court.

Following the maiden’s presentation to the court, Erec begins to make arrangements for providing the vavasor with the land and goods that Erec had promised him. Erec arranges for numerous gifts to be sent with 10 knights and 10 servants to the vavasor’s house. They then accompany the vavasor and his wife to “[Erec]’s realm in Further Wales” (54), where Erec’s father, King Lac, is to present the vavasor with the two “handsomest, best situated” castles (54).

Messengers inform Erec that the vavasor and his wife have been “established lord and lady” in his realm (55), and Erec makes preparations for his wedding to the maiden. Erec asks King Arthur to be wed in his court, which the King agrees to, inviting all the “kings, dukes, [and] counts” in his realm to join for the festivities (55). Chrétien lists the names of each of the kings and lords who come to attend the wedding. King Arthur feels “very glad of heart” to see all of his lords gathered for the wedding and decides to knight “one hundred youths” (58). For the wedding to proceed, Erec must know the maiden’s “true name,” which he learns to be Enide. The archbishop provides his blessing for the wedding, and the attendees perform various acts of entertainment in celebration. King Arthur invites all individuals, whether “rich or poor” (59), to partake in the festivities and orders his bakers and cooks to provide everyone with as much food as they desire.

On the wedding night, Erec and Enide retreat to their bedchamber to consummate the marriage. Once alone, Erec and Enide gaze adoringly at each other and are overcome with “the joy of love” (60). Chrétien describes how their mutual admiration is followed by kisses that only increased the “sweetness” of their love. The celebrations continue for several weeks, with the invited lords staying in the city. To entertain themselves, the lords decide to hold a tournament.

This short chapter describes the tournament at Edinburgh that the lords organize. Chrétien begins by describing in detail the banners, lances, armor, and other accoutrements that the knights wear to the tournament. He then describes how the tournament’s fighting works. First, the knights attack each other while on horses, using their lances to force each other off their saddles. Afterward, the knights who have been knocked down fight each other with their swords until one yields to the other.

De Troyes then turns to describe Erec’s own duels. Erec faces off against a number of skilled knights, easily beating them: “Such mighty blows were never seen” (63). Erec’s desire is to excel at the tournament so as “to make his prowess evident” (64). The other knights and the visitors are in awe of Erec’s jousting abilities. By the end of the tournament, Erec is clearly the winner, having defeated many more knights than anyone else.