Chrétien de Troyes and the birth of french chivalric romance
Every culture has its foundational myths. Just as the Norse have their Sagas and the Greeks their epics, France’s cultural identity was forged in the medieval era through tales of heroism, love, and adventure. At the heart of this tradition stands a single, towering figure: Chrétien de Troyes. While not as universally known as Shakespeare or Homer, his work is arguably just as important. He is the poet who took the scattered Celtic legends of a British king and his knights and transformed them into the chivalric romances that have captivated the world for centuries. For any student of French civilization, understanding Chrétien de Troyes is not just an academic exercise; it is a journey into the heart of the medieval mindset and the origins of modern storytelling. At the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne (CCFS), we believe that learning a language goes hand-in-hand with understanding the culture that shaped it, and Chrétien is one of its most brilliant representatives.
Who was Chrétien de Troyes? A portrait of the elusive poet
Remarkably little is known for certain about the life of the man who created some of literature’s most enduring characters. Born around 1135, his name strongly suggests he came from Troyes, the vibrant capital of the Champagne region of France. He was a “clerc,” a term indicating he was a literate and educated man, likely with a clerical background, who put his talents to the service of high nobility.
His career flourished under the patronage of powerful figures, most notably Marie de Champagne, the daughter of the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine. It was for these aristocratic courts that he wrote, composing his tales not in Latin, the language of the Church, but in Old French, the vernacular tongue. This choice was revolutionary, making his complex stories accessible to a wider noble audience and elevating the French language to a new literary prestige. Chrétien likely died around 1190, leaving his final masterpiece unfinished.
The dawn of a new genre: Courtly love and the matter of Britain
Chrétien’s genius lies in his synthesis of two powerful cultural currents.
First, he was a master of courtly love (fin’amor), a sophisticated code of romantic conduct that was fashionable in the aristocratic courts of his time. This ideology portrayed love as an ennobling force. The knight, in service to his lady, would perform great deeds to prove his worthiness. This love was often idealized and placed the lady in a position of power, with the knight as her devoted vassal.
Second, he drew from the “Matière de Bretagne” (the Matter of Britain), a rich collection of Celtic myths and legends surrounding King Arthur and his knights. These tales, passed down through oral tradition by Welsh and Breton storytellers, were filled with magic, wondrous adventures, and mythical creatures.
Chrétien’s innovation was to weave the psychological complexity of courtly love into the adventurous framework of the Matter of Britain. In doing so, he didn’t just retell old legends; he invented the chivalric romance, a genre that would dominate European literature for the next 300 years.
The five great romances: A journey into arthurian legend
Chrétien’s legacy rests on five major Arthurian poems, each exploring different facets of the chivalric ideal.
- Erec and Enide (c. 1170): His first known Arthurian romance, this story tackles a central conflict of knightly life: how to balance the duties of marriage with the need for chivalric adventure. Erec, a knight of the Round Table, becomes so devoted to his new wife, Enide, that he neglects his duties, leading to a crisis that the couple must overcome together.
- Cligès (c. 1176): Often seen as an “anti-Tristan,” Cligès is a clever response to the popular but tragic tale of Tristan and Iseult. 5 Here, the lovers find a way to be together without the fatalistic, adulterous doom of their predecessors, using a ruse of a “false death” to achieve a happy ending.
- Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart (c. 1177-1181): Commissioned by Marie de Champagne herself, this is arguably his most influential work. It introduces Sir Lancelot to literature as the ultimate courtly lover, whose devotion to Queen Guinevere is so absolute that he is willing to suffer public dishonor—symbolized by riding in a cart meant for criminals—for her sake. This poem cemented the Lancelot-Guinevere affair as a central pillar of Arthurian legend.
- Yvain, or the Knight with the Lion (c. 1177-1181): Written around the same time as Lancelot, this romance tells the story of Yvain, a knight who must win back the love of his wife, Laudine, after breaking a promise. His journey of redemption, accompanied by a loyal lion he befriends, explores themes of madness, forgiveness, and the true meaning of chivalric honor.
- Perceval, or the Story of the Grail (c. 1181-1190): Chrétien’s final and unfinished work is perhaps his most mysterious and groundbreaking. It introduces the world to the Holy Grail for the very first time. The story follows the naive Perceval, raised in isolation, as he learns the ways of knighthood. His failure to ask a crucial question at the Grail castle initiates a spiritual quest that would be taken up by countless writers for centuries to come, transforming the Arthurian legend from a purely secular romance into a profound spiritual allegory.
The enduring legacy of Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes did more than just write stories. He created archetypes. His vision of King Arthur’s court, his development of characters like Lancelot, and his introduction of the Grail quest set the standard for all Arthurian literature that followed. His works were adapted and translated across Europe, influencing medieval German poets and the English author Sir Thomas Malory, whose Le Morte d’Arthur became the definitive English version of the legends.
Today, from films and television series like Kaamelott to novels and games, the world Chrétien de Troyes built continues to be a source of endless fascination. He is a foundational pillar of French and Western literature, a master storyteller whose work offers a unique window into the ideals, anxieties, and imagination of medieval France.
Discover French Civilization with the CCFS
Studying a figure like Chrétien de Troyes is about more than appreciating old poetry; it’s about understanding the deep cultural roots that continue to nourish French identity today. It is this philosophy that drives the curriculum at the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne.
Our courses are designed for students from all over the world—from the United States to Sweden to Asia—who want more than just language lessons. We offer an immersive experience into the richness of French culture, history, and literature. By exploring the works of foundational authors like Chrétien de Troyes, you gain a profound understanding of the values and ideas that have shaped France.
Ready to delve deeper into the richness of French history and culture? Explore our French Civilization courses at the CCFS and begin your own journey of discovery.
